You are here: / / / Tutorial

Real Estate Financial Modeling

All | Argus| Excel Models | Excel Tips | Stochastic Modeling

Acquisition | Development | Value-Add | Asset Management | Debt | Equity Waterfall | Excel Add-ins | Modules | Portfolio | Standalone | Tutorial | Apartment | Hotel | Industrial | Land Development | Office | Retail | Single-Family

real estate financial modeling courses

, , ,

Real Estate Financial Modeling Accelerator (Updated May 2026)

Before launching the Accelerator program, Michael and I received countless emails requesting a more structured, step-by-step real estate financial modeling training program. Over the years, we've covered hundreds of real estate modeling…
, , ,

A.CRE Geocoding Excel Add-in to Auto-Populate Latitude and Longitude in Excel (Updated Jan 2024)

The A.CRE Geocoding Excel Add-in uses the Google Geocoding API to automatically convert a given address to latitude and longitude coordinates, or to convert a given latitude and longitude coordinate to an address. The add-in makes auto-populating…
, , , , ,

Using an IRR Matrix to Determine Hold Period (Updated Dec 2023)

When building a real estate financial pro forma, it's important to model for and include a summary of various return and risk metrics. Among the different return metrics, the internal rate of return (IRR) - both on an unlevered and levered…
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Actual + Forecast Construction Draw Schedule with S-Curve (Updated Dec 2023)

Several times in the last month, I've been asked to tackle an interesting real estate financial modeling challenge - pare actual construction draw cash flows with s-curve cash flow forecasts to create an Actuals + Forecast Construction Draw…
, , , , , ,

Calculate Residual Land Value in Excel (Updated Jul 2023)

Here's the scenario. You're a real estate developer. You spot a prime parcel of land that would be perfect for your real estate project. So you approach the owner of the land about selling and she says, "Okay, bring me an offer." How much do…
, , , ,

The Circuit Breaker – How to Fix Circular Reference Errors in Excel

If you've spent much time working with elaborate Excel workbooks that rely on iterative calculations to solve formulas with circular logic, you've undoubtedly come across a problem where if you accidently put an erroneous value in an input…
, , , , , , , , ,

Create A Dynamic Revenue Row to Calculate Multiple Tenant Leases (Updated Nov 2022)

I recently received an email from one of our readers asking how to create a dynamic revenue row for a pro forma that can capture rent changes for multiple tenants. I thought that this would make a great post for the site and would be a good…
a shopping center with robust sales and low occupancy cost
, , , , , , ,

Tenant Sales and Occupancy Cost in Retail Underwriting (UPDATED JUNE 2022)

When underwriting a retail investment, rollover risk is an incredibly important consideration. You, as a prospective debt or equity investor in the property, need to understand how secure the cash flows you're buying are; or in other words,…
, , , ,

Scenario Analysis Tool using the Equity Waterfall Model (UPDATED MAY 2022)

I received a question this morning asking how to use scenario (or sensitivity) analysis with our Real Estate Equity Waterfall Model. I started to answer the question via email, decided to build an Excel file to go along with my answer, and ultimately…
, , , , , , , ,

4-Tier Equity Multiple Waterfall – Download and Watch Me Build (UPDATED APR 2022)

Here is a simple, yet very powerful, 4-tier equity multiple waterfall module. This post contains both a completed version of the module ready to plug into a real estate financial model as well as a 'Watch Me Build' template and companion video…
, , , ,

Setting Up a New Real Estate Financial Model – Date and Period Headers Plus Formatting (Updated Apr 2022)

We've spent a lot of time here discussing and sharing different real estate models, and we've received a ton of feedback from our readers as a result. In some of that feedback we've received, several people have asked what period and date rows…
, , , , , , , , ,

Construction Draw Schedule: Accounting For True LTC (Updated Apr 2022)

When lenders provide debt for a development project, they lend based on a Loan-to-Cost ratio (LTC), which is simply the percent of the total budget the lender will agree to lend to the borrower. So, if a project costs $10MM, and a lender loans…
, , , ,

Convert Monthly Cash Flows to Quarterly and Annual Cash Flows (Updated Mar 2022)

Over the past few years, I've been working to build an ARGUS DCF alternative in Excel - or otherwise known here as the A.CRE All-in-One (Ai1) Model. As I've worked on that model, I've been jotting down modeling techniques I use and think would…
, , , ,

Could You Be Exiting Too Early? Don’t Forget to Analyze Your Reinvestment Rate

When attempting to maximize the value of your money invested in real estate, the timing of your exit is key to maximize your return. Exit too early, and you might leave money on the table. Exit too late, and you might have better used that capital…
, , , , ,

Tutorials for A.CRE Value-Add Apartment Acquisition Model

As promised, I'm following up the release of the A.CRE Value-Add Apartment Acquisition model with a series of walk-throughs and tutorials to help you better understand the various elements of the model. The tutorials start with the basics -…
, , , , , , ,

Using Boolean Logic to Model Multiple Generations of Tenant Improvements

Arguably the most powerful, and least appreciated and understood, functionality in Excel is its use of boolean logic. Or in other words, the use of TRUE and FALSE binary logic. This form of logic can be used to dramatically simplify formulas…