
Real Estate Financial Modeling Accelerator (Updated July 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…

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…

Self Storage Acquisition Model (Updated Jan 2026)
I've spent the past few weekends working on a purpose-built Self Storage Acquisition Model, and I'm now happy to share the result of that work with you. This is a model that's been requested by quite a few A.CRE readers over the past few years.…

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…

Retail Real Estate Development Model (Updated Oct 2025)
I'm excited to share my Retail Development Model in Excel. This pro forma analysis tool comes as I've continued to build and share specialty real estate models, tailor-made for specific investment scenarios and property types.
This model…

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.…

The Best AI Tools for Excel in 2025
At A.CRE, we offer what we believe to be the best AI training program for real estate and the best real estate financial modeling training program - period! From both sides of that training, we consistently hear the same question:
“What…

Excel Shortcuts For Real Estate Financial Modeling (Updated Oct 2025)
One of the lesser talked about, yet most impactful, skills in real estate financial modeling is keyboard efficiency. If you’ve ever watched one of our tutorials or Accelerator sessions, you’ve probably seen the models flying by, with formulas…

Fix the 0% XIRR Issue in Excel Using XIRR + FILTER
Over the course of my career, I’ve modeled hundreds of real estate investments, from large portfolio roll-ups to complex mixed-use developments. And one issue I’ve consistently run into, especially when modeling portfolio or mixed-use cash…

