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 to streamline acquisition analysis for short-term rental properties.
The objective is clear: to facilitate analysis, standardize input, and accelerate decision-making, while maintaining Excel as the main calculation engine.
The starting point: a financial model in Excel
The heart of this app is our short-term rentals acquisition model, designed to assess:
- Revenue per night (ADR or average daily rate) and its growth
- Annual occupancy by year of the period of analysis
- Typical Operating Cost Structure
- Financing and capital structure
- Output value and return metrics
As in other A.CRE models, Excel remains the space where the complete analysis occurs, with formulas, assumptions, and transparent, auditable results.
Why bring this model to a web application?
Using Excel is powerful, but it also has some frictions:
- Scattered entries
- Risk of errors when modifying cells
- Difficulty standardizing analytics across different users
- Learning curve for those unfamiliar with the model
The web application solves these points by:
- Guide the user with a structured form
- Validate the inputs before running the model
- Maintain consistency in units, percentages, and assumptions
- Automate the generation of the Excel file ready for download
How does the app work?
The flow is simple and deliberately familiar to those who already work with financial models:
1. Asset Information Entry
General data of the property, type of property, and main platform of operation.
2. Acquisition and operation cases
Purchase price, costs, ADR, occupancy per year, operating expenses, and expected growth.
3. Funding and exit assumptions
Loan value over cost, interest rate, loan structure, capitalization rate, and costs of sale.
4. Model processing
The Application:
-
- Insert the inputs into the Excel model
- Run the calculations
- Returns key metrics directly on screen
5. Download the Excel file: The user gets the complete model, with active formulas, for detailed analysis or further adjustments.
Results displayed by the application
In addition to the downloadable file, the application immediately presents the main return metrics:
- Unleveraged IRR
- Leveraged IRR
- Unleveraged Equity Multiple
- Leveraged Capital Multiple
- Leveraged benefits
- Average returns on capital
These metrics allow for a quick assessment before drilling down into the full model.
A Hybrid Approach: Web + Excel
It’s important to clarify: this application is not a replacement for detailed financial analysis in Excel.
What it does is:
- Reduce friction
- Increase consistency
- Facilitate initial scenario exploration
The Excel file is still the final deliverable and the space where further analysis happens.
Exploring What’s Possible with AI and Real Estate Models
We love experimenting with new tools, especially when they intersect with our extensive library of real estate financial models. Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly, and we are curious about how it might enhance the way we build, analyze, and interact with financial models.
Projects like this are part of that experimentation. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they teach us something new, but they always help us better understand how technology might support real estate investment, development, and analysis.
If you would like to try the app or explore the real estate financial models behind it, we invite you to dig into the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions: Short-term Rentals Acquisition Model Web App
What is the A.CRE Short-term Rentals Acquisition Model Web App?
It’s a new web application built around A.CRE’s Excel-based short-term rentals acquisition model. The app streamlines acquisition analysis for short-term rental properties by guiding users through inputs, validating assumptions, and generating a downloadable Excel file for deeper analysis.
Why did A.CRE create a web version of this Excel model?
The web app reduces common frictions with Excel models—scattered inputs, user errors, lack of standardization, and a learning curve for new users. It simplifies the input process and provides a structured, consistent interface while still relying on Excel for the core calculations.
Does this app replace the need for Excel in real estate financial modeling?
No. The app is designed to complement Excel, not replace it. It helps users set up scenarios and gather inputs quickly, but the full model and deeper analysis still happen in Excel, with formulas and transparency intact.
What kind of information does the app require from the user?
What results are shown in the app before downloading the model?
The app returns key investment metrics directly on-screen:
– Unleveraged and Leveraged IRR
– Equity and Capital Multiples
– Average returns on capital
These give users a quick snapshot of performance before diving into the full model.
Can I customize the Excel file after downloading it?
Yes. The downloaded Excel model is fully functional, with live formulas and editable assumptions. Users can refine the analysis further, adapt it to unique scenarios, or integrate it into broader underwriting workflows.
Who is this tool designed for?
It’s built for real estate professionals evaluating short-term rental acquisitions — including investors, analysts, and developers — who want a faster way to explore scenarios without sacrificing rigor or transparency.
How does this project fit into A.CRE’s broader goals?
This web app is part of A.CRE’s larger effort to combine artificial intelligence, automation, and financial modeling — enhancing traditional workflows with smart tools that maintain accuracy while improving usability.
Where can I access the short-term rentals acquisition model web app?
You can access the app directly through the A.CRE platform. The tool is available to anyone interested in running quick analyses or downloading the Excel model for in-depth evaluation.
