Seeking advice for case study interview for real estate developer

Here's how I'd approach it:

1. Create the Excel templates before the interview. Don't waste time in the interview designing spreadsheets. Make templates for the Budget, Source & Use, Cash Flows, Sensitivity Tables and anything else you think you will need. Know how you want everything laid out and practice until you can create these quickly from a blank page.

2. Don't get lost in the details. Most case studies that I've done are not "tricky". They're fairly straightforward. It's more about pulling out the relevant information and piecing it together to arrive at a defensible course of action. Needless to say, you have to get the numbers right. But there may be a bunch of information that's provided that you'll never use. Pay attention to exactly what they are asking for and stay focused on that.

3. Identify risks. It sounds like the case is mostly to test your technical/number crunching ability. But after you crush the numbers, make it a point to identify all the risks you can find in the deal. When I say risk, I generally mean any factor that could result in a reality that deviates from your assumptions. You don't want some guy/gal grilling you saying "well what if xyz were to happen"..."did you underwrite for that"..."how does that affect the deal"...etc. Include a Risks & Mitigants page in your presentation even if they don't specifically ask for it.

4. Keep it simple. As far as the powerpoint, keep it simple. I see too many people make the mistake of putting way too much info on slides. Don't write paragraphs. Use bulletpoints when possible. Display info visually (charts, graphs, etc.) when possible. Similiar to the Excel, I would practice creating powerpoint templates before the interview so everything looks polished and you don't waste time designing stuff during the interview.

Good luck!!