
Real Estate Financial Modeling Accelerator (Updated August 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…

Student Housing Acquisition Model (Updated Feb 2026)
I've spent a fair amount of my career analyzing privately-owned student housing investments. Nevertheless, I've yet to share a purpose-built, institutional-quality student housing acquisition model. So, I thought I'd take some time and build…

Commercial Real Estate Lease Analysis Tool (Updated Feb 2026)
The topic of analyzing commercial real estate leases from the perspective of the landlord and/or tenant has come up several times over the years. And while I generally respond to requests for new models or tools at A.CRE, I've been hesitant…

New Web App: Short-term Rentals Acquisition Model
I'm continuing to explore how real estate financial models can go beyond traditional Excel without losing rigor, flexibility, or control. Today, I'm introducing a new web application built around our short-term rentals acquisition model, designed…

Watch Me Build A Construction Draw Schedule (Updated Feb 2026)
In the following video, I record my screen and narrative my steps as I build a basic construction draw schedule. I've also included the template and completed worksheets from this Watch Me Build exercise.
Are you an Accelerator member? See…

Vision Reveals Hidden Value in CRE. Math Captures It.
In real estate, value is rarely static. It evolves with income, with execution, with time. Yet most pricing decisions in the market ignore the hidden value in CRE, focusing instead on what's already visible: trailing NOI, current occupancy,…

Create Your First Excel Macro with AI
Most people in commercial real estate still think Excel macros are for “the IT guy down the hall.”
You underwrite, you manage rent rolls, you crank out lender packages in Excel all day… but the moment someone says “VBA,” you are…

Case Study #16: Sunset Vista – The Hold/Sell Decision
THE BACKGROUND
You are Alexa Rivera, a real estate financial advisor who supports small investors, including teachers, business owners, and retirees, who own real estate as part of a long-term wealth-building strategy. Your clients typically…

Supercharge Excel with the ‘Excel 4 CRE’ Add-In – Now with AI (Updated Jan 2026)
Today, we're thrilled to share with the A.CRE community a new timesaving (and free) Excel tool: the 'Excel 4 CRE' Add-in! Over the past few years, we at A.CRE (together with various AI coding tools) have been developing and sharing this Excel…

Excel Speed Tip – Insert or Delete a Row or Column Without a Mouse (Updated Dec 2025)
Using keyboard shortcuts is essential to improving the speed and efficiency at which you model real estate in Excel. One thing you'll learn early in your CRE career, the more proficient you become in using your keyboard without a mouse to navigate…

Transforming a Financial Model into a Web App with AI (Updated Dec 2025)
I have often considered that time is one of the most valuable resources for any professional in commercial real estate. That’s why I’ve transformed our Excel-based house flipping model into a financial model web app, making analysis faster,…

Case Study #15 – Andes Digital Gateway: Hyperscale Data Center Development (Case Only)
For our 15th case study, we explore institutional development and investment analysis in the rapidly expanding digital infrastructure sector. These case studies are designed to help you practice and perfect your real estate financial modeling…

Guide to Using ChatGPT for Commercial Real Estate Professionals (Updated Nov 2025)
When I first published this guide in early 2023, ChatGPT felt like a novelty. It was impressive, experimental, and even a little unnerving. But for most in CRE, it was still just a toy. Fast forward two and a half years, and that’s no longer…

How to Prepare for the Real Estate Technical Interview (Updated Nov 2025)
So you've made it past the HR screening interview. You have the education and experience the company is looking for, but now they want to be sure you possess the real estate financial modeling skills necessary to do the job. They've asked…

The First Dollars In: Modeling Pursuit Capital In Real Estate Deals
At the outset of every compelling real estate venture, before architects sketch their visions and contractors pour concrete, there's a quiet but powerful player setting the stage: pursuit capital. This early-stage funding powers the riskiest…

The Definitive Guide to Microsoft Excel for Real Estate (Updated Oct 2025)
Microsoft Excel is the primary tool used by real estate financial modeling professionals. Even while numerous non-Excel alternatives have attempted to de-throne Excel, the 35+ year-old software has shown to be surprisingly resilient to competition.…

