Megafund REPE Modeling Test

Hi Guys - thanks in advance for any info/insight provided.

Have a modeling exam coming up for experience hire at megafund's real estate equity group (BX, Carlyle, KKR, Fortress, etc.). Can anyone shed some light on what this will entail? How granular of a model? What functionality do they want built?

I assume a waterfall with some data table sensitivities...

Appreciate it.

Best,
-Anonymous guy who posts REPE knowledge on a different account.

 

Being able to build a dynamic Excel model from scratch with levered cash flows/ returns at the project and partnership levels, with sensitivities, is probably what you'll have to do. Just build one from scratch everyday and know how to calculate all/any common investment metrics and you'll be fine.

 

Will give you assumptions and rent roll to produce an unlevered cash flow. I've seen office and multifamily. Simple debt terms to calculate leverage cash flow. Simple waterfall (say 1 hurdle, 1 promote, rest pro rata). And calculate IRRs, equity multiples. Model needs to be dynamic. Some ask for written portion aka should I invest in X or not (X being the project you just modeled), what drivers would I focus on to drive growth, etc. Juat keep in mind the excel tests are typically just a check-the-box. Usually dive deeper in person, about valuation and metrics. Good luck!

 
Best Response

Below is the modeling test I was given during my interview process. I had two hours to complete and was provided nothing more than a blank Excel worksheet.

Would be interested in your guys' feedback on how you think this stacks up to other modeling exams you've seen/taken/issue. It was by far the most granular exam I was put through during my interview process, and I interviewed at several top tier REPE shops where exams consisted of as little as building a debt schedule and waterfall to filling in the blanks on an annualized cash flow.

Modeling Exercise

All inputs below should be flexible assumptions

Development Program * 200,000 SF office building * Land purchase price: $20M ($100 per FAR) * Closing Costs: 1% of purchase price * Hard Costs: $300 psf * Soft Costs: (excluding TI’s, LC’s and Debt): 15% of hard costs * TI’s: $60 psf - paid at tenant occupancy * LC’s: $18 psf - paid six months before tenant occupancy

Construction & Lease-up * 24 Month Construction Period, beginning at land close date * Costs spent evenly over construction period * 2 Tenant Lease-up of equal size (one tenant at construction completion; one 6 months after completion) * Lease up to 95% * Rent $4.25 NNN * Free Rent: 3 months free * Annual rental bumps: 3% * Annual Operating Expenses during Lease-Up: $16 psf

Debt Assumptions * 60% LTC * Rate: 5% all-in interest rate * All equity drawn first; then debt * Use available cash flow to offset debt costs, as available

Hold Period: * 5 years after stabilization * Exit Cap Rate: 5.5% * Transaction Fees: 1.5%

Joint Venture Structure * LP invests 95% of required equity / GP invests 5% * GP receives a 20% promoted interest over a 12% IRR to the LP

Required Output * Required Project Equity, Net Profit, IRR and ROC (Return on Capital) * Required LP (after promote) Equity, Net Profit, IRR and ROC (Return on Capital)

 
Yakehito:
Would be interested in your guys' feedback on how you think this stacks up to other modeling exams you've seen/taken/issue. It was by far the most granular exam I was put through during my interview process, and I interviewed at several top tier REPE shops where exams consisted of as little as building a debt schedule and waterfall to filling in the blanks on an annualized cash flow.

Looks incredibly similar to both a modeling test in my MRED program and to modeling exams I've taken for jobs.

Perhaps a bit more complex than other with the promote structure - for jobs I've seen a couple "equity expects a 9% promote on original investment" with nothing in regards to IRR hurdles - but definitely not insurmountable by any means. The cash flow to offset debt costs is trickier than normal too, but again, you can just think through it.

Did you crush it?

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

It is slow for me at work so I’m doing this for practice. I would be curious to compare answers with anyone that has done it. Regarding the cash flow to offset debt did you guys use the CF to fund costs in lieu of debt funding? In other words did you end up with effectively lower leverage or did you fully fund the loan and have CF to equity?

 

Apologies if this question is a bit basic but I don't have much experience modeling with debt based on LTC:

My initial assumption would be that the costs inluded in the LTC calculation would only be land acquisition cost, transaction fees and soft/hard costs. Is it standard for lenders to include TIs, LCs, and financing fees in the total cost as well? How about operating shortfalls (Adventures in CRE has a version of this model which includes this in the total project cost as well)?

Thanks in advance!

 

Yakehito

Below is the modeling test I was given during my interview process. I had two hours to complete and was provided nothing more than a blank Excel worksheet.

Would be interested in your guys' feedback on how you think this stacks up to other modeling exams you've seen/taken/issue. It was by far the most granular exam I was put through during my interview process, and I interviewed at several top tier REPE shops where exams consisted of as little as building a debt schedule and waterfall to filling in the blanks on an annualized cash flow.

Modeling Exercise

All inputs below should be flexible assumptions

Development Program
* 200,000 SF office building
* Land purchase price: $20M ($100 per FAR)
* Closing Costs: 1% of purchase price
* Hard Costs: $300 psf
* Soft Costs: (excluding TI's, LC's and Debt): 15% of hard costs
* TI's: $60 psf - paid at tenant occupancy
* LC's: $18 psf - paid six months before tenant occupancy

Construction & Lease-up
* 24 Month Construction Period, beginning at land close date
* Costs spent evenly over construction period
* 2 Tenant Lease-up of equal size (one tenant at construction completion; one 6 months after completion)
* Lease up to 95%
* Rent $4.25 NNN
* Free Rent: 3 months free
* Annual rental bumps: 3%
* Annual Operating Expenses during Lease-Up: $16 psf

Debt Assumptions
* 60% LTC
* Rate: 5% all-in interest rate
* All equity drawn first; then debt
* Use available cash flow to offset debt costs, as available

Hold Period:
* 5 years after stabilization
* Exit Cap Rate: 5.5%
* Transaction Fees: 1.5%

Joint Venture Structure
* LP invests 95% of required equity / GP invests 5%
* GP receives a 20% promoted interest over a 12% IRR to the LP

Required Output
* Required Project Equity, Net Profit, IRR and ROC (Return on Capital)
* Required LP (after promote) Equity, Net Profit, IRR and ROC (Return on Capital)

* 2 Tenant Lease-up of equal size (one tenant at construction completion; one 6 months after completion)

Lease up to 95% so each tenant is leasing 95k SQF????

 

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Regards, 007

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