What does "advanced financial modeling" really mean in real estate?

I see this in just about every job posting. Having worked at a multifamily shop for a short amount of time and only within the constraints of a single multifamily model used on every deal, I wonder what other major components of "advanced financial modeling" am I missing sitting in my cube as a multifamily analyst at a mid size owner/operator that invests with JV capital. Obviously I am missing out on the other asset classes (hotel, office, retail....) But how much more should I know about waterfalls etc to be competitive or within the ballpark of candidates with "advanced financial modeling" (those I assume to be shoe-ins for REPE positions).

In short: Can someone describe to me--a newbie to real estate investment--in detail what kind of scenarios I should be able to model and to what degree of ground-up modeling I should be able to command to be competitive for top investment positions in the future?

4 Comments
 

It means nothing. Most firms have their own templates. You need to know enough to know how to put in the proper inputs (e.g. the right vacancy rate, the right rental amount, etc.) and to manipulate the template. There are few jobs in this biz that require true high level modeling skills. You won't build much from scratch. You will need to know how to make nice Excel graphs/charts.

 

I have seen a posting (and by that I mean only one, ever) for a job at a fund in NY that mentioned VBA/macro skills. Seems overkill to me, though.

 
Best Response

Aspernatur nisi similique nesciunt voluptate saepe omnis eius. Autem iste commodi sed ex voluptate voluptatem perspiciatis. Eum eos reiciendis facere laboriosam magni. Voluptas doloremque consequatur ullam saepe nemo laudantium eum perferendis. Iure ut et illo vel et adipisci eveniet. Similique voluptas ex accusantium nulla velit velit hic excepturi. Dignissimos nulla laborum quos iure ipsum tempore.

Non exercitationem quam voluptas aperiam nisi. Fugit deleniti vel quos nesciunt. Voluptatem suscipit debitis voluptate neque sed ut.

Quia beatae aut soluta quasi ut ex. Sit vel sequi eligendi adipisci. Possimus atque ut non et. Facere aut officiis et. Minima excepturi beatae voluptate.

Sequi fugiat consectetur perspiciatis similique non quo eveniet. Consectetur laborum laborum cumque voluptas et eum non. Et laboriosam iusto inventore est qui. Quisquam quis laborum illum aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”