Growthink logo white

Property Development Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

property development business plan

Property Development Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their property development companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a property development business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Property Development Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your property development business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Property Development Company

If you’re looking to start a property development business or grow your existing property development company, you need a business plan. A proper property development business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your business to improve your chances of success. Your business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Property Development Companies

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a property development company are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for property development companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a property development company.

If you want to start a property development company or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your property development business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of property development business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a business that you would like to grow, or are you operating property development businesses in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

  • Give a brief overview of the property development and real estate industry.
  • Discuss the type of property development business you are operating.
  • Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target market.
  • Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
  • Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of property development businesses:

  • Single-family detached housing : these types of property developers build free-standing residential buildings for sale.
  • Multifamily housing: these types of property developers build apartment buildings, condos, and mixed-use developments.
  • Developing and Subdividing Lots: these types of property developers purchase property, either developed or undeveloped, and clear it and prepare it for sale to builders.
  • Commercial buildings: these types of property developers build and manage commercial buildings such as shopping centers or offices.

In addition to explaining the type of property development company you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

  • When and why did you start the property business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of properties developed, reaching X percentage of vacancy/occupancy, reaching X amount of revenue, etc.
  • Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the property development industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the property development industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your property development business plan:

  • How big is the property development industry (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the market?
  • Who are the key suppliers in the market?
  • What trends are affecting the industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your property development company? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your property development business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, families, and small businesses.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of property development business you operate. Clearly, families would respond to different marketing promotions than businesses, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Property Development Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other property development businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes realtors, foreclosure markets, rental housing, or companies purchasing and remodeling their own building. You need to mention such competition as well.

property development competition

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What type of property development company are they?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide finance packages?
  • Will you offer amenities or services that your competition doesn’t?
  • Will you provide better customer service?
  • Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a property development company, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of property development company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you specialize in single-family detached housing, mixed use developments, or shopping centers?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the project types and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your property development company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your property development business located in a business or industrial district, or is it a standalone office surrounded by models? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your property development marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
  • Reach out to websites
  • Distribute flyers
  • Engage in email marketing
  • Advertise on social media platforms
  • Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday Short-Term Processes

In this section, include all of the tasks involved in running your property development business, including answering calls, meeting with potential customers, performing construction, showing properties, etc.

Long-Term Goals

Your long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to sell your Xth home, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your business to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your property development business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing property development businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your management team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a property development business or successfully running a construction project management firm.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you develop 5 or 25 properties per quarter, and/or offer property management services? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your property development business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a property development business:

  • Cost of construction equipment and supplies
  • Cost of contract labor
  • Cost of office space and office supplies
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your model properties’ blueprints or a breakdown of development types you offer.  

Writing a business plan for your property development company is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the property development industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful property development business.  

Property Development Company Business Plan Template FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my property development business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your business plan.

How Do You Start a Property Development Business?

Starting a property development business is easy with these 14 steps:

  • Choose the Name for Your Property Development Company
  • Create Your Property Development Business Plan
  • Choose the Legal Structure for Your Property Development Company
  • Secure Startup Funding for Your Property Development Business (If Needed)
  • Secure a Location for Your Business
  • Register Your Property Development Company with the IRS
  • Open a Business Bank Account
  • Get a Business Credit Card
  • Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
  • Get Business Insurance for Your Property Development Company
  • Buy or Lease the Right Property Development Equipment
  • Develop Your Property Development Business Marketing Materials
  • Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Business
  • Open for Business

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Property Development business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to hire someone to write a business plan for you from Growthink’s team.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Business Plan Template For Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

PlanBuildr Logo

Property Development Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Property Development Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Property Development business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their property development companies.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Property Development business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Redstone Development is a new property development company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We focus on residential property development for single-family and multi-family homes. We handle all steps of the process, from sourcing the land to selling the finished property. Redstone Development aims to be the most trusted source of affordable housing in the Salt Lake City metro area.

Redstone Development is owned and operated by Jack Grant, a real estate development industry veteran who is well-versed in the entire property development process. Jack has over 30 years of experience developing residential properties and holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development. His education, experience, and industry connections will ensure that Redstone Development becomes one of the area’s most successful property development businesses.

Product Offering

Redstone Development will handle the entire development process, including sourcing land, securing all necessary approvals and permits, construction, and sale of the finished property.

The company focuses on building single-family homes and multi-family apartment complexes in the heart of Salt Lake City. All projects are designed to make these homes aesthetically appealing and luxurious. However, they will also be affordable to ensure that anyone in the Salt Lake City area can afford to live in our properties.

Customer Focus

Redstone Development will serve home buyers and real estate investors who live and work in Salt Lake City, Utah, or the surrounding area. Salt Lake City is a growing city in need of additional housing. More people come to this beautiful city every year, which reduces the number of available homes and apartment units. Therefore, we will target buyers who are struggling to find affordable housing.

Furthermore, there are thousands of first-time home buyers in the area. These buyers are an ideal target market for the company.

Management Team

Redstone Development will be owned and operated by Jack Grant. He recruited his former administrative assistant, Sheila Johnson, to be his Office Manager and help manage the office and operations.

Jack has over 30 years of experience developing residential properties and worked for several of our competitors. He also holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development from the University of Utah. His education, experience, and industry connections will ensure that Redstone Development becomes one of the area’s most successful real estate development businesses.

Sheila Johnson has been Jack Grant’s loyal administrative assistant for over ten years at a former property development firm. Jack relies strongly on Sheila’s diligence, attention to detail, and focus when organizing his clients, schedule, and files. Sheila has worked in the property development industry for so long that she understands all aspects required to run a successful property development company.

Jack will also employ several other full-time and part-time staff to assist with all aspects of running a real estate development business.

Success Factors

Redstone Development will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

  • Location: Redstone Development’s office is near the center of town, in the shopping district of the city. It is visible from the street, where many residents shop for both day-to-day and luxury items.
  • Client-oriented service: Redstone Development will have a full-time assistant with property development experience to keep in contact with clients and answer their everyday questions. Jack realizes the importance of accessibility and will further keep in touch with his clients through monthly newsletters.
  • Management: Jack has been highly successful working in the property development sector. His unique qualifications will serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than many of Redstone Development’s competitors.
  • Relationships: Having worked and lived in the community his whole life, Jack knows many local leaders, real estate agents, and other influencers in the local property development industry.

Financial Highlights

Redstone Development is seeking $1,000,000 in debt financing to launch its property development business. The funding will be dedicated to purchasing our first property, construction costs, securing the office space, and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward six months of overhead costs, including payroll, rent, and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

  • Office space build-out: $50,000
  • Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $20,000
  • Land purchase and construction expenses: $530,000
  • Six months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $250,000
  • Marketing costs: $50,000
  • Working capital: $100,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Redstone Development.

commercial property development business plan pdf

Company Overview

Who is redstone development.

Redstone Development is a new property development company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We focus on residential property development for single-family and multi-family homes. We handle all steps of the property development process, from sourcing the land to selling the finished property. Redstone Development aims to be the most trusted source of affordable housing in the Salt Lake City metro area.

Redstone Development is owned and operated by Jack Grant, who is a real estate development industry veteran and well-versed in the entire property development process. Jack has over 30 years of experience developing residential properties and holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development. His education, experience, and industry connections will ensure that Redstone Development becomes one of the area’s most successful property development businesses.

Redstone Development’s History

After 30 years of working in the property development industry, Jack Grant began researching what it would take to create his own property development company. This included a thorough analysis of the costs, market, demographics, and competition. Jack has compiled enough information to develop his business plan and approach investors.

Once his market analysis was complete, Jack began surveying the local office spaces available and located an ideal location for the property development headquarters. Jack incorporated Redstone Development as a Limited Liability Corporation on October 1st, 2022.

Once the lease is finalized on the office space, renovations can be completed to make the office a welcoming environment to meet with clients.

Since incorporation, Redstone Development has achieved the following milestones:

  • Located available office space for rent that is ideal for meeting with clients
  • Identified the first property to develop
  • Developed the company’s name, logo, and website
  • Hired an interior designer for the decor and furniture layout
  • Determined equipment and fixture requirements
  • Began recruiting key employees

Redstone Development’s Services

Redstone Development will handle the entire property development process, including sourcing land, securing all necessary approvals and permits, construction, and sale of the finished property.

Industry Analysis

The real estate and property development industries have been strong over the past few years. As of 2021, the real estate industry was valued at $3.69 trillion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% from now until 2030.

This growth will be driven by increasing demand for personal housing. Millennials and Gen-Z are beginning to rent their first apartments or buy their first homes. After years of living with family or roommates, they are ready to have a space to call their own. This trend is leading to a substantial demand for housing that many cities are struggling to supply.

The main challenge to the property development industry is the decrease in market size in the land development industry. Over the past five years, the industry saw an average annual decline of 0.7%. However, we believe that the pandemic was a considerable factor in this decline. Currently, the land development market is valued at $12 billion USD, and we expect it to grow substantially due to the growth of similar industries and the increasing demand for housing, as mentioned above.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Redstone Development will serve home buyers and real estate investors in Salt Lake City, Utah, and its surrounding areas.

The community of Salt Lake City has thousands of first-time home buyers, residential real estate investment firms, and people looking for affordable housing options in the area. The company will also target millennials specifically since the majority of first-time home buyers are in this age group.

The precise demographics for Salt Lake City, Utah are:

Customer Segmentation

Redstone Development will primarily target the following customer profiles:

  • Home buyers
  • Real estate investors
  • Millennials
  • Apartment/Condominium management companies

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Redstone Development will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Upscale Property Developers, Inc.

Upscale Property Developers, Inc. is a property development company in Salt Lake City. In business for over 40 years, Upscale Property Developers, Inc. provides oversight for the entire property development process for new single-family and multi-family residences, commercial offices, and government buildings across the area. Upscale Property Developers, Inc also offers a variety of property renovation, demolition, and revitalization services for existing buildings.

Although Upscale Property Developers, Inc. provides homes with a luxury aesthetic, they are also the most expensive property developments on the market, thus resulting in many first-time home buyers being priced out of the market.

Premium Property Development Solutions

Established in 1990, Premium Property Development Solutions is a property developer of new commercial and residential properties in Salt Lake City. The company specializes in eco-friendly building materials and upscale design options for individual and corporate clients. Clients can customize their building design or choose from a variety of standard design options. The company employs experienced property developers and designers who are well-versed in green building design.

Premium Property Development Solutions is more affordable than Upscale Property Developers Inc. but is still out of most first-time home buyers’ price ranges.

Salt Lake Residential

Salt Lake Residential is also a local property development company that manages the complete property development process from sourcing and permitting to construction and sale. They are mostly known for their unique apartment complex designs but are equipped to take on a variety of different builds. The company has been in business for about ten years and has developed a reputation for building quality homes for affordable prices.

Although Salt Lake Residential has a similar value proposition of luxury homes at affordable prices, this company lacks the green building and eco-efficiency component to their business model, thus losing out on business from eco-conscious home buyers.

Competitive Advantage

Redstone Development enjoys several advantages over its competitors. Those advantages include:

  • Location: Redstone Development’s office is near the center of town, in the city’s shopping district. It is visible from the street, where many residents shop for both day-to-day and luxury items.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Redstone Development will offer the following unique value proposition to its clientele:

  • Service built on long-term relationships and personal attention
  • Big-firm expertise in a small-firm environment
  • Client-focused property development, where the company’s interests are aligned with the client
  • Effective project management
  • Affordable pricing

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Redstone Development is as follows:

Website/SEO

Redstone Development will invest heavily in developing a professional website that displays all of the features and benefits of the property development company. It will also invest heavily in SEO so the brand’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Social Media

Redstone Development will invest heavily in a social media advertising campaign. The marketing manager will create the company’s social media accounts and invest in ads on all social media platforms. It will use targeted marketing to appeal to the target demographics.

Print Advertising

The company will invest in professionally designed advertisements to be printed in real estate publications. Redstone Development will also list its properties for sale in key local publications, including newspapers, area magazines, and its own newsletter.

Community Events/Organizations

The company will promote itself by distributing marketing materials and participating in local community events, such as local festivals, business networking, or sporting events.

Redstone Development’s pricing will be moderate so consumers feel they receive great value when purchasing properties from the company.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Redstone Development.

Operation Functions:

  • Jack Grant will be the Owner and President of the company. He will oversee all staff and manage client relations. He will also oversee all major aspects of the development projects. Jack has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
  • Sheila Johnson – Office Manager who will manage the office administration, client files, and accounts payable.
  • Kenneth Bohannon – Staff Accountant will provide all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
  • Beth Martinez – Marketing Manager who will provide all marketing for Redstone Development and each property it manages.
  • Jack will also hire a team of architects, engineers, interior designers, and contractors to design and build the properties.

Milestones:

The following are a series of steps that lead to our vision of long-term success. Redstone Development expects to achieve the following milestones in the following six months:

1/1/202X         Finalize lease agreement

2/1/202X         Design and build out Redstone Development

3/1/202X         Hire and train initial staff

4/1/202X         Purchase first property for development

5/1/202X         Kickoff of promotional campaign

6/1/202X         Find second property for development

Jack has over 30 years of experience developing residential properties and worked for several of our competitors. He also holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development from the University of Utah. His education, experience, and industry connections will ensure that Redstone Development becomes one of the area’s most successful property development businesses.

Jack will also employ several other full-time and part-time staff to assist with all aspects of running a real estate development business as outlined in the Operations Plan.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

Redstone Development’s revenues will come primarily from the sale of completed properties. The company will sell new single-family homes, multi-family townhomes, and apartment complexes/condominium properties to individual buyers and investors.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required to staff a property development office. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and to pay off the startup business loan.

  • Average monthly payroll expenses: $50,000
  • Office lease per year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, property development business plan faqs, what is a property development business plan.

A property development business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your property development business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Property Development business plan using our Property Development Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Property Development Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of property development businesses , some examples include: Single-family detached housing, Multifamily housing, Developing and Subdividing Lots, and Commercial buildings.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Real Estate Development Business Plan?

Property Development businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding. This is true for a real estate developer business plan and a real estate investment business plan template.

What are the Steps To Start a Property Development Business?

Starting a property development business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Write A Property Development Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed real estate development company business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include market research on the real estate market and potential target market size, information the services you will offer, marketing strategies, pricing details and a solid financial plan.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your property development business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your property development business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Property Development Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your property development business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your property development business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Property Development Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your property development business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your property development business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

commercial property development business plan pdf

Home » Real Estate

A Sample Property Development Business Plan Template

A property development company is a company that is involved in buying land, financing real estate, building, or having builders build and develop projects for commercial purposes. Property development companies renovate and re-lease existing buildings, purchase raw land, and sell developed land or parcels to others. They are involved in developing a property from beginning to end.

A report released by the National Association of REALTORS® shows that over 5.64 million existing homes were sold in 2020. Also, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 822,000 newly constructed homes were sold in the same year. In 2019, 64.9 percent of families owned their primary residence, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances.

Steps on How to Write a Property Development Business Plan

1. executive summary.

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. is an American-based and licensed real estate cum property development company. Our head office will be located in a standard and centrally located facility in the heart of New York City, New York.

We will engage in property development projects for a wide range of clients. We will work towards becoming one of the largest property development companies in New York and the whole of the United States of America. Jason Theodora is the founder and CEO of Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc.

Company Profile

A. our products and services.

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will be involved in;

  • Houses and housing estate developments
  • Apartments and other residential developments
  • Commercial developments
  • Industrial developments
  • Other developments (Investment Properties)
  • Real estate consultancy and advisory services

b. Nature of the Business

Our property development company will operate the partnership business model. We will work with investors who are willing to partner with us to grow their investment portfolios in the real estate market.

c. The Industry

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will operate under the real estate sales and brokerage industry.

d. Mission Statement

Our mission is to be at the forefront of buying property and partnering with landowners, then develop a plan for what to build or rebuild on that property. We will bring in investors and predict how much money the new homes or businesses will bring in.

e. Vision Statement

Our vision of to be listed among the top three property development companies in the whole of New York.

f. Our Tagline (Slogan)

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. – The Genius of Property Development!

g. Legal Structure of the Business (LLC, C Corp, S Corp, LLP)

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will be formed as a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP).

h. Our Organizational Structure

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Project Manager
  • Company’s Lawyer/Secretary
  • Admin and HR Manager
  • Head of Construction and Renovation
  • Business Developer/Sales and Marketing
  • Customer Service Executive/Front Desk Officer

i. Ownership/Shareholder Structure and Board Members

  • Jason Theodora (Owner and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer) 51 Percent Shares
  • Hilary Kings (Board Member) 14 Percent Shares
  • Harrison Williams (Board Member) 10 Percent Shares
  • Rachael Abraham (Board Member) 10 Percent Shares
  • Stella Norman (Board Member and Sectary) 10 Percent Shares.

SWOT Analysis

A. strength.

  • Ideal location for property development (thriving real estate market)
  • Highly experienced and qualified employees and management
  • Access to finance from business partners
  • Robust relations with property owners and properties investment moguls
  • Good returns on investment for investors.

b. Weakness

  • Financial Constraints
  • Our business will be competing with well-established property developers and other home remodeling companies
  • Inability to retain highly experienced and qualified employees longer than we want

c. Opportunities

  • New York is a thriving market for property development companies and the real estate industry.
  • Good support structure for property development companies.

i. How Big is the Industry?

The market size, measured by revenue of the real estate sales and brokerage industry is put at $156.2 billion in 2023 hence it will be safe to safe the industry is amongst the biggest industries in the United States of America.

ii. Is the Industry Growing or Declining?

All available data points to the fact that the real estate and brokerage industry is growing. The market size of the industry is expected to increase 0.4 percent in 2023.

iii. What are the Future Trends in the Industry

The real estate sales and brokerage industry is changing, and players in the industry are improvising. No doubt, technology and climate change (the go green initiative) will change the landscape of the industry going forward.

iv. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?

No, there are no existing niche ideas when it comes to the property development business. This is because the property development line of business is a subset of the real estate and brokerage industry.

v. Can You Sell a Franchise of your Business in the Future?

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. has plans to sell franchises in the nearest future and we will target major cities with thriving real estate markets in the United States of America.

  • The arrival of new property development companies within our market space
  • Unfavorable government policy and regulations.
  • Community resistance
  • Liability problems
  • Continuously changing consumer demands especially as it relates to style and design of properties et al.

i. Who are the Major Competitors?

  • New World Development Co. Ltd
  • Wheelock and Company
  • AvalonBay Communities
  • Greystar Real Estate Partners
  • Wood Partners
  • Mill Creek Residential
  • Continental Properties Company, Inc.
  • Trammell Crow Company
  • The JBG Companies
  • Lowe Enterprises
  • Simon Property Group
  • General Growth Properties
  • SITE Centers
  • Kimco Realty Corp
  • Brixmor Property Group
  • Panattoni Development Co.
  • McDonald Development Co.
  • USAA Real Estate Co.
  • LaSalle Investment Management
  • Gibraltar Syndication & Development Company

ii. Is There a Franchise for Property Development Business?

Well, for now, there are no known franchise opportunities in the property development business.

iii. Are There Policies, Regulations, or Zoning Laws Affecting Property Development Business?

Yes, there are county or state regulations and zoning laws for the business. Zoning laws are found in virtually every municipality in the United States, affecting land use, lot size, building heights, density, setbacks, and other aspects of property use.

In addition to that, it is important to state that in the United States, government agencies and departments routinely grant variances to rules and regulations. Often, you only have to fill out a short form. In other cases, your request may have to be publicly heard before your city council, zoning board, or other body. Please check with your zoning or planning department to find out what options are available to you.

Marketing Plan

A. who is your target audience.

i. Age Range

Our target market comprises adults above 18 years old who have the finance to do business with us.

ii. Level of Educational

We don’t have any restriction on the level of education of those we are ready to work with as investors or buyers of the properties we develop.

iii. Income Level

The income level of those we are looking to do business with will be between $70,000 and above $124,000.

iv. Ethnicity

There is no restriction when it comes to the ethnicity of the people we are looking to partner with.

v. Language

There is no restriction when it comes to the language spoken by the people we will partner with.

vi. Geographical Location

Anybody from any geographical location will be welcome to partner with us or do business with our company.

vii. Lifestyle

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will not restrict any investor or client from partnering with us or doing business with us based on their lifestyle, culture, or race.

b. Advertising and Promotion Strategies

  • Host Themed Events That Catch Attention.
  • Tap Into Text Marketing.
  • Make Use of Bill Boards.
  • Share Your Events in Local Groups and Pages.
  • Turn Your Social Media Channels into a Resource
  • Develop Your Business Directory Profiles
  • Build Relationships with players in the real estate and brokerage industry.

i. Traditional Marketing Strategies

  • Marketing through Direct Mail.
  • Print Media Marketing – Newspapers & Magazines.
  • Broadcast Marketing -Television & Radio Channels.
  • OOH Marketing – Public Transits like Buses and Trains, Billboards, Street shows, and Cabs.
  • Leverage direct sales, direct mail (postcards, brochures, letters, fliers), tradeshows, print advertising (magazines, newspapers, coupon books, billboards), referral (also known as word-of-mouth marketing), radio, and television.

ii. Digital Marketing Strategies

  • Social Media Marketing Platforms.
  • Influencer Marketing.
  • Email Marketing.
  • Content Marketing.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing.
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Mobile Marketing.

iii. Social Media Marketing Plan

  • Start using chatbots.
  • Create a personalized experience for our customers.
  • Create an efficient content marketing strategy.
  • Create a community for our target market and potential target market.
  • Gear up our profiles with a diverse content strategy.
  • Use brand advocates.
  • Create profiles on the relevant social media channels.
  • Run cross-channel campaigns.

c. Pricing Strategy

When working out our pricing strategy, Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will make sure it covers profits, insurance, premium, license, and economy or value and full package for each property,

In all our pricing strategy will reflect;

  • Cost-Based Pricing
  • Value-Based Pricing
  • Competition-Based Pricing.

Sales and Distribution Plan

A. sales channels.

Our channel sales strategy will involve using partners and third parties—such as referral partners, affiliate partners, strategic alliances in the real estate and brokerage industry, and freelancers to help refer clients to us.

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will also leverage the 4 Ps of marketing which are place, price, product, and promotion. By carefully integrating all these marketing strategies into a marketing mix, we can have a visible, in-demand service that is competitively priced and promoted to our customers.

b. Inventory Strategy

The fact that we will need the required building materials means that Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will operate an inventory strategy that is based on a day-to-day methodology for ordering, maintaining, and processing items in our warehouse. We will develop our strategy with the same thoroughness and attention to detail as we would if we were creating an overall strategy for the business.

c. Payment Options for Customers

Here are the payment options that Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will make available to her clients;

  • Payment via bank transfer
  • Payment via credit cards
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via check
  • Payment via mobile money transfer
  • Payment via bank draft

d. Return Policy, Incentives, and Guarantees

At Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc., we develop properties and the nature of products (properties) we offer does not accommodate return policy, but we will guarantee our investors of good returns on their investment (ROI). Our Operating Margin targets for housebuilders across the economic cycle will be placed at 15-20 percent on Gross Development Value (GDV).

e. Customer Support Strategy

Our customer support strategy will involve seeking customers’ feedback. This will help us provide excellent properties, return on investment (ROI) and customer service to all our clients and investors, it will help us understand their needs, experiences, and pain points. We will work with effective CRM software to be able to achieve this.

Operational Plan

Our operational plan will cover capacity planning, location planning, layout planning, quality planning, and methods planning.

Overall, we plan to expand our revenue by 50 percent in the second year and the plan will include a marketing, sales, and operations component. The operations component of the plan would include attracting grants and fundraising strategies that will enable us to boost our properties and service offerings.

a. What Happens During a Typical Day at a Property Development Business?

  • The office is open for the day
  • Documentation and other administrative works are conducted throughout the day
  • Marketers go out in the field to market our properties and services
  • If there is an ongoing property development project, the required team and machinery are sent to the field to carry out the project.
  • The team and machinery return to base (office) after the day’s job
  • Report for the day is written and submitted to the required authority
  • The office is closed for the day.

b. Production Process (If Any)

There is no production process when it comes to the property development business.

c. Service Procedure (If Any)

No, there are no defined service procedures for a property development business.

d. The Supply Chain

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will rely on key players in the real estate and brokerage industry to refer business deals to us. So also, we have been able to establish business relationships with wholesale supplies of building materials.

e. Sources of Income

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. make money from;

Financial Plan

A. amount needed to start your property development company.

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. would need an estimate of $4.5 million to successfully set up a property development company in the United States of America. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of all our staff for the first month of operation.

b. What are the Cost Involved?

  • Business Registration Fees – $750.
  • Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits – $7,300.
  • Marketing, Branding and Promotions – $5,000.
  • Business Consultant Fee – $2,500.
  • Insurance – $5,400.
  • Rent/Lease – $200,000.
  • Other start-up expenses including, commercial satellite TV subscriptions, stationery ($500), and phone and utility deposits ($2,800).
  • Operational Cost (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $100,000
  • Start-up Inventory – $15,000
  • Store Equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $4,750
  • Furnishing and Equipping – $80,000
  • Liquid Cash for Execution of Projects: $3.5 million
  • Website: $600
  • Miscellaneous: $2,000

c. Do You Need to Build a Facility? If YES, How Much will it cost?

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will not build a new facility; we intend to start with a long-term lease and after 5 years, we will start the process of acquiring our facility.

d. What are the Ongoing Expenses for Running a Property Development Company?

  • Transportation cost
  • Cost of building materials and supplies
  • Utility bills (internet, phone bills, signage and sewage et al)
  • Salaries of employees

e. What is the Average Salary of your Staff? List the Job Position and their proposed salary based on industry rate and your startup capital

  • Chief Executive Officer – $85,000 Per Year
  • Project Manager – $72,000 Per Year
  • Head of Construction and Renovation – $70,000 Per Year
  • Company’s Lawyer/Secretary – $68,000 Per Year
  • Admin and HR Manager – $45,000 Per Year
  • Business Developer/Sales and Marketing – $42,000 Per Year
  • Accountant – $40,000 Per Year
  • Customer Service Executive/Front Desk Officer – $30,000 Per Year.

f. How Do You Get Funding to Start a Property Development Company

  • Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
  • Raising money from investors and business partners
  • Sell shares to interested investors
  • Applying for a loan from your bank/banks
  • Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from, government, donor organizations, and angel investors
  • Source for soft loans from your family members and your friends.

Financial Projection

A. how much should you charge for your service.

At Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. our fee will be based on the location and type of property we want to develop.

b. Sales Forecast?

  • First Fiscal Year (FY1): $3.5 million
  • Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $5 million
  • Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $9 million

c. Estimated Profit You Will Make a Year?

The ideal profit margin we hope to make at Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will be between 16 and 20 percent on development costs.

d. Profit Margin of a Property Development Company

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will collect developer fees that will range from 5 to 10 percent aside from making profits off every property sold.

Please note in planning our property development project, we will make sure that the bottom line shows a suitable return for the money and effort we put into it.

Growth Plan

A. how do you intend to grow and expand .

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. will grow our property development company by first opening other offices in key cities in the United States of America within the first five years of establishing the business and then will start selling franchises from the sixth year.

b. Where do you intend to expand to and why? (Geographical locations)

Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. plans to expand first to Los Angeles – California, San Francisco – California, Chicago – Illinois, Washington, D.C., Boston – Massachusetts, Miami – Florida, Seattle – Washington, Dallas – Texas, and Philadelphia – Pennsylvania.

The reason we intend to expand to these geographic locations is the fact that available statistics show that the cities listed above have the highest real estate market in the United States. New York has the highest real estate value in the country at $2.8 trillion.

The founder of Vintage Group© Property Development Company, Inc. plans to exit the business via family succession. We have placed structure and processes in place that will help us achieve our plan of successfully transferring the business from one family member to another and from one generation to another.

More on Real Estate

ZenBusinessPlans

Home » Sample Business Plans » Real Estate

A Sample Property Development Business Plan Template

Are you about starting a real estate development company? If YES, here is a complete sample property development business plan template you can use for FREE. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a property development business.

We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample property marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for property development businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Why Start a Property Development?

It is therefore no doubt that housing is one very essential ingredient to life. The moment one is able to find a place of abode, there comes a form of huge relief. It is for that reason that the need for the government of different parts of the world to provide basic shelter for its citizens cannot be over flogged.

Every day there are an avalanche of people who dive into the property development business because they know how lucrative this trade is and how money spinning it becomes when one is able to get a hang of it. This is why those who have scaled through the teething stage of the business know that adequate planning is one of the hurdles that just must be scaled so as to get things right.

1. Industry Overview

The property development industry falls into the real estate category and it is indeed a very large industry that has the potential to make entrepreneurs millionaire within a short period of time. Property development industry is a many-sided business that covers all aspect of activities, ranging from acquiring raw lands, to selling or renting or leasing of fully finished and furnished properties.

In essence, developers are responsible for turning ideas into real properties; i.e. they acquire lands, they finance real estate deals, they engage in building projects and they sell, rent, lease and even manage properties on behalf of their clients.

Beyond every reasonable doubt, one of the most profitable, creative and interesting aspect of the real estate industry is property development. As a matter of fact, developers are major players when it comes to determining the prices of properties. Although this type of business venture can be risky, but in order to make it big in the trade as a property developer, you have got to just take calculated risks.

Just like all other investment vehicles, there are potential down sides that you need to look out for as a property developer. One of the major risks in property development is a sudden down turn in the economy. Property development could take a period of two to three years from conception to completion, depending on the size of the project and the cash flow.

As a matter of fact, some projects could even take much longer than that. Because of the time frame involved in developing properties from start to finish, loads of unanticipated things could crop up and it falls in the thick of property cum economy downturn which is not good for the business considering the investment that has gone into the project.

Another factor that is of major concerns and a threat to property development business generally could be cost increase as a result of inflation, currency devaluation as well as economic challenges.

Unforeseen delays from the part of government agencies, litigation and also delays from contractors could lead to substantial cost increase especially if the project is heavily dependent on bank loans. If perhaps during this period there is a change in the supply and demand dynamics of the property sector, the project could as well be affected negatively.

As a property developer, it is very important to be creative, to be able to use your ideas to meet the rapidly changing needs of the society when it comes to properties; you should be able to convert a slum into a beautiful city, if indeed you want to become a major player in the real estate industry.

Over and above, the property development sector is known to be a major contributor in the economy of many nations of the world and the industry is notable for producing some of the richest men in the world.

2. Executive Summary

Solorio’s® Property Development Company is a property development company that will be based in 530 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10033, USA. Our aim of starting this business is to work in tandem with the government of the united states of America to deliver affordable homes and properties for all classes of people in the United States of America.

Our Head Office will be located in New York City, but we will have our branch offices in major cities in all regions of the United States of America. During the first two years of operation we would have set up our offices in the following locations; Las Vegas, Washington, DC, Dallas, Texas and Boston.

Solorio’s® Property Development Company is going to be a self-administered and a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). We will work towards becoming one of the largest owners, managers, and developers of first-class properties (accommodations, public buildings and office properties) in the United States of America.

We are quite aware that property development business requires a huge capital base, which is why we have perfect plans for steady flow of cash from private investors who are interested in working with us. We can confidently say that we have a robust financial standing and we are ready to take on any property development deal that comes our way.

As part of our plans to make our customers our number one priority and to become the leading property development company in New York City, we have perfected plans to work with our clients to deliver projects that can favorably compete with the best in the industry, at an affordable and reasonable price within the stipulated completion date barring any unforeseen circumstance and also to generate great value from any property that we manage (both for our clients and for the company).

Solorio’s® Property Development Company will become a specialist in turning slums into beautiful cities and turning a run –down and dilapidated building into a master piece. And that hopefully will be our brand and signature.

Solorio’s® Property Development Company will be owned majorly by Shannon McKenzie and family. Shannon McKenzie is a property guru that has worked with top Real Estate Companies in the United States of America for many years; prior to starting his own business. Other investors with same investment ideology whose name cannot be mentioned here for obvious reasons are also part owners of the business.

3. Our Products and Services

Solorio’s® Property Development Company will be involved in the core real estate business and because we aspire to become one of the leading property development company in New York City, we have decided to explore every available means of generating money from Property Development. Our business offering can are listed below;

  • Developing Properties for our Clients
  • Leasing of Properties
  • Renting of Properties
  • Selling of Fully Furnished Properties
  • Selling of Landed Properties
  • Leasing of Bare Land
  • Manage Properties and Facility for Clients
  • Property Makeover Services
  • Real Estate Consultancy and Advisory Services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

  • To deliver affordable and quality properties to all classes of people in the United States of America.
  • At Solorio’s® Property Development Company, our mission and values is to help people and businesses in the United States of America and throughout the world realize their dreams of owning properties.

Our Business Structure

Solorio’s® Property Development Company is aiming to be amongst the leading property development companies in New York City, and the only way for us to attain this position is to structure the business for growth and to hire the best hands we can get in the industry.

We want to build a team that will work together towards achieving the company’s goal and also a business with standard structure and processes; a business that runs on auto pilot. In view of the above, we have made provisions for the following positions in our organization;

  • Chief Executive Officer

Project Manager

Civil Engineer

  • Structural Engineer
  • Quantity Surveyor

Land Surveyor

Company’s Lawyer/Secretary

Admin and HR Manager

Business Developer

  • Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

  • Responsible for providing direction for the business
  • Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for the day to day running of the business
  • Responsible for handling high profile clients and deals
  • Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
  • Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
  • Evaluates the success of the organization
  • Reports to the board
  • Responsible for the planning, management and coordinating all projects on behalf of the company
  • Supervise projects
  • Ensures compliance during project executions
  • Provides advice on the management of projects
  • Responsible for carrying out risk assessment
  • Using IT systems and software to keep track of people and progress of ongoing projects
  • Responsible for overseeing the accounting, costing and billing of every project
  • Represents the organization’s interest at various stakeholders meetings
  • Ensures that project desired result is achieved, the most efficient resources are utilized and different interests involved are satisfied.
  • Responsible for preparing bids for tenders, and reporting to clients, public agencies and planning bodies
  • Ensures that sites meet legal guidelines, and health and safety requirements
  • Assesses the environment impact and risks connected to projects
  • Responsible for judging whether projects are workable by assessing materials, costs and time requirements
  • Draws up blueprints, using Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages
  • Discusses requirements with the client and other professionals (e.g. architects and project managers et al)
  • Responsible for managing, directing and monitoring progress during each phase of a project
  • Responsible for creating building designs and highly detailed drawings both by using the hands and by using specialist computer – aided design (CAD) software
  • Working around constraining factors such as town planning legislation, environmental impact and project budget
  • Writes and presents reports, proposals, applications and contracts
  • Adapts plans according to circumstances and resolving any problems that may arise during construction
  • Works with project team and management to achieve a common goal
  • Responsible for applying for planning permission and advice from governmental new building and legal department.
  • Responsible for undertaking land surveys/measurements using a variety of specialist technical equipment such as theodolites, laser alignment devices and satellite positioning systems et al.
  • Responsible for presenting data to clients
  • Responsible for producing and advising about construction plans and drawings
  • Responsible for advising about technical matters and whether the construction plans are viable
  • Responsible for drawing up contracts and other legal documents for the company
  • Consults and handles all corporate legal processes (e.g. intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, financial/securities offerings, compliance issues, transactions, agreements, lawsuits and patents et al)
  • Develops company policy and position on legal issues
  • Researches, anticipates and guards company against legal risks
  • Represents company in legal proceedings (administrative boards, court trials et al)
  • Plays a part in business deals negotiation and take minutes of meetings
  • Responsible for analyzing legal documents on behalf of the company
  • Prepares annual reports for the company
  • Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
  • Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
  • Carries out staff induction for new team members
  • Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
  • Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
  • Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
  • Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
  • Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s need s, and communicate with clients
  • Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
  • Documents all customer contact and information
  • Represents the company in strategic meetings
  • Helps increase sales and growth for the company
  • Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
  • Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
  • Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
  • Responsible for administering payrolls
  • Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
  • Handles all financial transactions for the company
  • Serves as internal auditor for the company

Front Desk/Customer’s Service Officer

  • Receives Visitors/clients on behalf of the organization
  • Receives parcels/documents for the company
  • Handles enquiries via e-mail and phone calls for the organization
  • Distributes mails in the organization
  • Handles any other duties as assigned my the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

In as much as property development business is a very lucrative business, there are loads of investors and entrepreneurs who are interested in owning a business portfolio in the industry, so as such the competition for available business deals will be much.

This is why we invested time and resources to prepare a killer property development marketing plan. Prior to setting up Solorio’s® Property Development Company we employed the services of tested and trusted business and HR consultants to help us conduct critical SWOT analysis for us.

We did this so as to know how to maximize our strength and opportunities and also to look for ways to properly manage our weakness and the threat that we may likely face in the property development industry as a newbie. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Solorio’s® Property Development Company;

Solorio’s® Property Development Company prides itself in the fact that the management team are core professionals and experts in their own chosen fields and they are some of the best in New York City. Despite the fact that we a new property development company, we can confidently say that we have a strong financial strength to handle most of the deals that we will have to handle.

Our weakness could not be farfetched; we are a new property development company, and there is the possibility of clients to think twice before awarding us contracts. Most people would prefer to deal with companies that have been in existence for a long period of time , as against dealing with a new company that they are not sure will deliver as planned.

  • Opportunities:

Our business concepts and our mission and vision put us at an advantage in the industry. We are set to not only work with big money bags but also to work with smaller clients whose wish is just to have a roof over their head. Furthermore, we are certain that the location of our business is going to bring multiple business opportunities to us.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a property development company are unfavorable government policies, global economic downturn and other big money bags that are major players in the property development industry. There is hardly anything we could do as it concerns this threats, other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

  • Market Trends

It is no longer news that property development involves various stakeholders with various contributions and responsibilities. In property development you have a synergy involving the property owner, the financier, the property developer and a team of technical experts. The property owner may be an individual or a group and could also be a corporate body.

Before now, the interest of most owners is to sell the property to any willing buyer and move on with their life. However, because of the profitability of the business, there are land owners now who are willing to use their property as a leverage to have an equity stake in the project.

This is a win-win for all the parties since the developer too will use the extra cash savings to accelerate the completion of the project and also to handle other projects. It is obvious that loads of investors are now very much interested in property development business, because it is one of the quickest means of becoming a millionaire and as a matter of fact, it is rare to see a multi – millionaire who does not have a business portfolio in the real estate industry.

One good thing about the property development industry is that it has room wide enough to accommodate as many investors that wants to dive into the industry. We know that we can achieve our business goals and targets in the property development industry in New York City and the United States, which is why we have mapped out our own marketing and sales strategies.

8. Our Target Market

Our target market cuts across people of different classes and people from all walks of life. We are coming into the industry with a business concept that will enable us work with the highly placed people in the country and at the same with the lowly placed people who are only interested in putting a roof under their head.

We are in business to make profits at the same we in business to give our customers the opportunities to own their own properties at an affordable price.

Solorio’s® Property Development Company wants to be known as a company that has the interest of the rich, the middle class and the poor in the United States of America. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically design our products and services for;

  • Families who are interested in renting/leasing or acquiring a property
  • Corporate organizations who are interested in renting/leasing or acquiring their own property/properties
  • Land Owners
  • Properties Owners
  • University Campuses (Private Hostels)
  • Foreign investors who are interested in owning properties in the United States of America
  • The government of the United States of America (Government contracts)
  • Managers of public facilities

Our Competitive Advantage

There are major players who have gotten a grip of the property development business in New York, but that does not deter us from entering the trade to build our business to become one of the top property development businesses in New York City. Solorio’s® Property Development Company has a management team members that are considered experts in their own chosen area of specialization.

Our CEO has a robust experience in the real estate industry and he is bringing the experience to help build Solorio’s® Property Development Company to become a top brand as far as property development business is concern. Of course, we are a new company, but we have been able to build our capital base to be able to handle most of the projects that we will bid for and also to acquire properties for the organization.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

  • Sources of Income

Solorio’s® Property Development Company is established with the aim of maximizing the profits in the real estate industry via delivering quality and affordable property to our highly esteemed clients. The property business is wide in scope and there are several means of generating income for the company. Below are the sources we intend exploring to generate income for Solorio’s® Property Development Company;

10. Sales Forecast

Prior to launching Solorio’s® Property Development Company we have serious interest in the industry and we have been able to secure some properties that is still under construction. We are optimistic that the projects / properties will be completed within the next two months and we have concluded plans to put the property for lease.

They are office complexes and it is interesting to know that people are already queuing up to rent / lease the available spaces. We are quite optimistic that we will meet out set target of generating enough income / profits from the first month or operations.

We have critically studied the property market and we have examined our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions;

  • Build/develop at least 2 office complex (3 story building each) within the first 12 months of operation
  • Manage a minimum of 5 properties for clients within the first 6 months of operations
  • Sell a minimum of 20 hectares of land within the first 12 months of operation
  • Develop at least one estate within the first 24 months of operations
  • Provide advisory and consultancy services for a minimum of 1 client per month
  • Handle a minimum of 12 building makeover projects within the first 12 months of operations

N.B: Please note that we could not put a specific amount to the projection because the prices may differ for different services and for different clients. Part of our business strategy is to work within the budget of our clients to deliver quality property / properties hence it will be difficult to project what we are likely going to make from such deals.

But the bottom line is that we are definitely going to make reasonable profits from any business deal that we execute. The property market is structured in such a way that property developers will always make profits from any deal they handle.

  • Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Solorio’s® Property Development Company is aware that there are stiffer competition in the property development market in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

Our goal is to become one of the leading property development companies in New York City and in every other city where we operate, which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market. Solorio’s® Property Development Company will adopt the following marketing and sales strategies;

  • Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochures to all the corporate organizations in New York and other States in the US.
  • Promptness in bidding for contracts.
  • Advertise our business in real estate / properties magazines and websites.
  • List our business on yellow pages.
  • Attend expos, seminars, and business fairs et al.
  • Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality housing/ property to them.
  • Leverage on the internet to promote our business.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the hearts of our target market. First and foremost, we want our brand to be visible and well communicated, which is why we have decided to work with different classes of people in the society.

All our publicity materials and jingles are done by some of the best hands in the industry. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise our property development business;

  • Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms (real
  • Sponsor relevant TV shows
  • Maximize our company’s website to promote our business
  • Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Badoo, Google+ et al
  • Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations
  • Distribute our fliers and handbills in targeted areas from time to time

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Part of business strategy is to ensure that we work within the budget of our clients to deliver excellent properties to them. We are quite aware that there are major players in the property development industry in the United Stated of America who are not interested in small business deals.

Although our prices may not be outrageously lower than what is obtained in the industry, but we are hopeful that whatever price we bill our customer will be amongst the lowest they can get in the industry. The fact that we are going to be billing our clients lower than what is obtainable in the industry does not in any way affect the quality of our properties.

  • Payment Options

Our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite conscious that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will not accept payment by cash because of the volume of cash that will be involved in most of our transactions Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

  • Payment by via bank transfer
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via check
  • Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans without any itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

  • The Total Fee for incorporating the Business in New York: $750.
  • The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license: $5,000
  • The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Facility with enough space in New York City (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive): $80,000.
  • The Cost for equipping the office (computers, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al): $15,000
  • The Cost of Launching a Website: $600
  • Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al): $5,000
  • Working capital (investment fund): $3,000,000 (3 Million US Dollar)

Going by the report from our research and feasibility studies, we will need about $3,200,000 (3.2 US Million Dollars) to set up a property development company in New York City. In property development business, the larger your capital base, the greater the opportunities you can access and the more profits you will make.

Despite the fact that we have a working capital of 3 Million US Dollar, we have been able to create a business relationship with our banks so as to easily access loans when the need arises.

Generating Funding/Startup Capital for Property Development Company

  • The CEO Dr. Shavonne McPherson will generate 20 percent of the start – up capital from her personal savings
  • 30% of the capital will be generated from partners and investors
  • 50% of the capital will be sourced from banks

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Solorio’s® Property Development Company was established with the aim of building a company that will outlive the founders and partners. Part of the vision of the company is to handover the baton of the company from one generation to another generation; hence we have perfected our plans to put the right structures in place that will aid our succession plan.

We are quite aware that the growth of any business depends solely to the business deals or sales they execute per financial year. We will continue to give our marketing team all the supports they would need to continue to deliver and meet all set targets and corporate goals.

Lastly, we will not relent in taking calculated business risks when it comes to investment and taking on new business challenges and new business frontiers.

Check List/Milestone

  • Business Name Availability Check: Completed
  • Business Incorporation: Completed
  • Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
  • Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
  • Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
  • Application for business license and permit: Completed
  • Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
  • Renting of Office Facility in New York City: Completed
  • Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
  • Generating capital from the CEO and Business Partners: Completed
  • Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
  • Writing of business plan : Completed
  • Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
  • Drafting of Contract Documents (Tenancy Agreements et al), and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
  • Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
  • Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
  • Recruitment of employees: In Progress
  • Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility face lift: In progress
  • Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
  • Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
  • Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
  • Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry (networking and membership of relevant real estate bodies): Completed

More on Real Estate

Process Street

Real Estate Development Business Plan Template

Identifying and researching potential development locations.

  • 1 Residential
  • 2 Commercial
  • 3 Mixed-use
  • 1 Real estate listing websites
  • 2 Local government reports
  • 3 Demographic data
  • 4 Real estate agents
  • 5 Google Maps

Analysing Feasibility of each Location Selected

Create detailed market analysis report, approval: market analysis report.

  • Create Detailed Market Analysis Report Will be submitted

Developing a Project Concept and Design

Estimate the project cost and timeline, approval: project cost estimation.

  • Estimate the Project Cost and Timeline Will be submitted

Obtaining Necessary Permits and Licenses

Arrange financing for the project, hiring of construction contractors, managing the construction process, conducting regular project status checks, approval: construction progress.

  • Managing the Construction Process Will be submitted

Final Project Review and Commissioning

Marketing the project to potential clients, hand-over to clients and closure of project, post project evaluation and feedback collection, approval: post project evaluation.

  • Post Project Evaluation and Feedback Collection Will be submitted

Take control of your workflows today.

More templates like this.

commercial property development business plan pdf

Upmetrics AI Assistant: Simplifying Business Planning through AI-Powered Insights. Learn How

Entrepreneurs & Small Business

Accelerators & Incubators

Business Consultants & Advisors

Educators & Business Schools

Students & Scholars

AI Business Plan Generator

Financial Forecasting

AI Assistance

Ai Pitch Deck Generator

Strategic Planning

See How Upmetrics Works  →

  • Sample Plans
  • WHY UPMETRICS?

Customer Success Stories

Business Plan Course

Small Business Tools

Strategic Planning Templates

E-books, Guides & More

  • Sample Business Plans
  • Real Estate & Rentals

Real Estate Business Plan

commercial property development business plan pdf

People would always need to find places. Be it for offices, homes, and whatnot.

Finding the ideal place irrespective of your needs and requirements is never a cakewalk, to begin with.

You can go through a number of real estates business plan templates before you write your plan.

Industry Overview

The market size, measured by revenue, of the Real Estate Sales and brokerage industry, is $156.2bn in 2021, and the industry is expected to increase by 0.4% in 2021.

Also, the market is changing at a rapid rate and the way people use spaces is changing at a rapid rate too.

Hence, to get on or stay on the higher end of the spectrum you’ll need to upskill and change the way you do business constantly.

But that is a fair trade for the amount of growth and profitability this industry has to offer.

Say goodbye to boring templates

Build your business plan faster and easier with AI

Plans starting from $7/month

CTA Blue

Things to Consider Before Writing a Real Estate Business Plan

Be specific.

The real estate industry is broad when it comes to work and what you can do. It can either be a source of primary or passive income. At the same time, you might be involved in the industry as an investor, agent, or builder. Decide what you want to do and plan on that basis.

Do your research

The trends of the real estate business change constantly, hence doing your research and updating it constantly is a crucial part of your profession.

As your knowledge and expertise is your greatest asset in this industry, keep expanding it to stay at the top of things.

Build a team of skilled professionals

Having a team you can build your real estate business with is essential.

Select a group of individuals with a diverse set of talents ranging from good communication skills to brilliant analytical skills. Given the dynamics of the real estate business, you never know what skills might come in handy in your business journey.

Be ready for change

As we have constantly discussed, real estate is a dynamic industry. Change is the only constant you’ll have in this business.

Thus, it is important for everything from your plan and way of doing business to be change-friendly.

Sources of Funding for a Real Estate Business

Gaining funds is one of the major reasons for writing a business plan. And here are a few good funding options for your real estate business:

A traditional loan is one of the most basic options for getting funded. You can opt for this if you have a good credit score.

Non-bank mortgage lending

This is a good option if you don’t want to go through a lot of paperwork.

The asset-based mortgage

For this, the lenders look at the rental value of your property and provide a loan on that basis. It is a good option if you don’t want or can’t get a loan based on your personal assets or income.

Above all, it is essential to plan your business to figure out your funding requirements and the right way to fulfill the same.

Write Your Business Plan

If you have enough connections, and the ability to find places for people that have attributes they want and need then a real estate business can be a profitable one for you.

A business plan helps you get funded, explain your ideas to the stakeholders of your business, and make better decisions.

Hence, planning is an important aspect of starting or growing your business.

It has been created using Upmetrics online business plan software that helps you create dynamic and customizable plans anywhere and at any time.

Our sample real estate business plan can help you with writing a well-rounded business plan for your business. It can act as a guide and prevent you from getting stuck in a certain section for too long.

Real Estate Business Plan Outline

This is the standard real estate business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

  • Market Opportunity
  • Demand for Housing
  • Financing & Investment Forecast
  • Introducing Kegan
  • Business Model
  • Short Term Goals
  • Long Term Strategies
  • Keys to Success
  • Contemporary Living for the 21″ Century
  • The Complete Package
  • Pricing Strategy
  • Implementation Strategy – Action Plan
  • Target Market Overview
  • Housing Shortage Overview in Saudi Arabia
  • Housing Shortage Overview in Riyadh
  • Housing Prices
  • Kegan Home Prices
  • Market Positioning & Brand
  • Marketing Strategies
  • Sales Strategies
  • Sales Process
  • Competitive Landscape
  • Competitive Advantages
  • Rashid Bin Said
  • Director of Construction
  • Member name
  • Chief Accountant
  • Director of Marketing & Sales
  • Other Staff
  • Independent Directors
  • Solid Balance Sheet
  • Impressive Cashflow
  • Financial Summary
  • Financial Assumptions
  • Income Statement (Five-Year Projections)
  • Balance Sheet (Five-Year Projections)
  • Cash Flow Statement (Five-Year Projection)

After getting started with Upmetrics , you can copy this sample real estate business plan into your business plan and modify the required information and download your real estate business plan pdf or doc file.

It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

crossline

Download a sample real estate business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free real estate business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your real estate business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

Related Posts

Real Estate Development Business Plan

Real Estate Development Business Plan

 Real Estate Agent Business Plan

Real Estate Agent Business Plan

Factor to Choosing Business Location

Factor to Choosing Business Location

400+ Business Plan Sample Template

400+ Business Plan Sample Template

Business Plan Writers

Business Plan Writers

Best AI Business Plan Generator

Best AI Business Plan Generator

About the Author

commercial property development business plan pdf

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

Plan your business in the shortest time possible

No Risk – Cancel at Any Time – 15 Day Money Back Guarantee

Popular Templates

bpb AI Feature Image

Create a great Business Plan with great price.

  • 400+ Business plan templates & examples
  • AI Assistance & step by step guidance
  • 4.8 Star rating on Trustpilot

Streamline your business planning process with Upmetrics .

Download Real Estate Business Plan

BusinessDojo

Item added to your cart

How to write a business plan for your real estate development venture.

business plan for a real estate development venture

A real estate development venture can be a lucrative and rewarding business.

It offers the opportunity to create value in a tangible asset while also providing a steady stream of income.

But, first thing first, you need to write a business plan.

A business plan is a critical tool for any new project, especially a real estate development venture. It will help you to identify the financial and operational objectives of the project, and provide a clear roadmap for success.

In short, a good business plan will help make sure your real estate development venture is profitable .

What should you consider when writing a business plan for a real estate development venture? What components should be part of the structure? What metrics should be considered for the financial assessment? How can I write a business plan efficiently and effectively?

This article will address and answer all these questions.

Finally, please note that you don't have to start your business plan from scratch.

You can download our business plan for a real estate development venture and adapt it to suit your business needs.

business plan property developer

Building a business plan for a real estate development venture

Should you consider writing a business plan for your real estate development venture.

Yes, you should consider writing a business plan for your real estate development venture.

Developing a robust business plan will enable you to:

  • learn about the real estate development market
  • stay on top of the industry's emerging trends
  • uncover what makes a real estate development venture viable
  • understand the market demands, architectural preferences, and sustainability goals for real estate development projects
  • come up with a unique value proposition for your property construction project
  • evaluate competitive strategies
  • find distinctive competitive edges for your real estate development venture
  • find a business model that will generate positive cash flows
  • formulate an airtight strategy to maximize business growth
  • assess potential risks involved in a real estate development venture, such as financial feasibility, construction delays, and market demand

Our team has created a business plan for a real estate development venture that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to organize a business plan for a real estate development venture?

Inside a business plan, you'll find many facts, numbers, and indicators. It must be well structured, to make easy to read and digest.

When we made our business plan for a real estate development venture , we made sure it had a proper structure.

You'll see 5 different sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The section number one is titled "Market Opportunity."

Explore this section to access comprehensive data and insights related to the real estate development venture, enabling you to understand market trends and pursue profitable real estate projects.

We revamp this section twice a year for up-to-date data.

2. Project Presentation

In the "Project" section, describe your real estate development venture, including the types of properties, innovative design approaches, sustainability initiatives, and highlight the unique value proposition for buyers and investors.

At the end of this section, provide a brief introduction about yourself and your qualifications for real estate development.

Highlight your experience in the industry, your track record of successful projects, and your vision for creating exceptional properties that meet market demands and enhance communities.

We've provided you with wording. You can modify it to fit your idea perfectly.

3. Market Research

After that, comes the "Market Research" section.

In this section, you will find a market segmentation analysis for your real estate development venture.

It includes a study of competing real estate development projects and emphasizes your venture's competitive advantages. A tailored SWOT analysis is also provided.

4. Strategy

Within the "Strategy" section, a detailed plan spanning three years is presented, highlighting the initiatives and actions necessary to make your real estate development venture highly profitable.

In addition, you'll find a marketing strategy, a risk management strategy, and a Business Model Canvas that has been filled in.

5. Finances

Ultimately, the "Finances" section presents a comprehensive view of the financials and estimates for your project.

business plan real estate development venture

How to write an Executive Summary for a real estate development venture?

The Executive Summary serves as an introduction to the business plan for your real estate development venture.

Don't go beyond 2 pages; concentrate on the crucial information.

The aim of this document is to make the reader want to explore your business plan.

In the Executive Summary of your real estate development venture, answer the following questions: what type of real estate development does your venture focus on? who is your target market? who are your competitors in the industry? how do you differentiate from them? what funding do you require?

How to do the market analysis for a real estate development venture?

The market study of your real estate development venture helps you understand external factors such as customer preferences for properties, competition within the real estate market, and emerging trends in property development.

By conducting an extensive market analysis, a real estate development venture can understand market demands, offer innovative real estate projects, optimize pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to increased property sales, project success, and a prominent position in the real estate industry.

This is what we've outlined in the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a real estate development venture :

  • key insights and trends in real estate development, including property development projects, market demand for housing, and sustainable construction practices
  • a list of potential audiences for a real estate development venture
  • the competitive comparison
  • the competitive advantages to build for a real estate development venture

business plan real estate development venture

The key points of the business plan for a real estate development venture

What's the business model of a real estate development venture, business model of a real estate development venture.

A real estate development venture's business model revolves around acquiring land or properties and developing them into residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects for sale or lease. Revenue is generated through property sales or rental income.

The business model focuses on identifying development opportunities, conducting feasibility studies, effective marketing to target property buyers or tenants, and building strong relationships with architects, contractors, or real estate professionals.

Success depends on property market analysis, project planning and execution, delivering high-quality developments, fostering positive customer experiences and recommendations, and continuously identifying and evaluating profitable real estate development opportunities in the market.

Business model vs Business plan

Please don't mix up the terms "business plan" and "business model."

A business model describes how a company generates income and operates successfully.

In a business plan, you delineate your business model employing a resource called the Business Model Canvas.

Rest assured, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a real estate development venture .

How do you identify the market segments of a real estate development venture?

Market segmentation for your real estate agency involves dividing your potential clients into different groups based on their real estate needs, property types, and preferences.

These categories may include factors such as residential properties, commercial properties, luxury properties, or clients seeking specific real estate services (e.g., buying, selling, renting).

By segmenting your market, you can offer specialized real estate services and expertise that cater to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might provide comprehensive residential real estate services, including assistance with buying or selling homes, offer commercial real estate services for businesses seeking office spaces or retail properties, specialize in luxury properties and cater to high-end clients looking for premium real estate options, or focus on specific real estate services such as property management or rental assistance.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, showcase your knowledge of specific property types or markets, and provide personalized and professional real estate services that meet the unique needs and preferences of each client segment.

In the business plan for a real estate development venture , you will find a detailed market segmentation that gives you insights into your potential customers.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a real estate development venture?

It's clear that you won't be the only real estate development venture in the market. There are other developers working on projects to create residential and commercial properties.

To create a successful business plan, it's crucial to thoroughly analyze your competitors. This involves carefully identifying and studying their offer, while also evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.

Be mindful of their weaknesses (such as inadequate project planning, lack of market research, or poor construction quality).

Why is it crucial to address these aspects? Because these weaknesses can impact the success of real estate development ventures.

By focusing on these areas, you can conduct thorough market analysis, offer innovative and desirable properties, and provide exceptional customer service, positioning your real estate development venture as a trusted and sought-after player in the market.

It's what we call competitive advantages—work on developing them for a distinct business identity.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a real estate development venture: strategic property selection, innovative and sustainable designs, strong project management, efficient construction and timelines, attention to market demands and trends, comprehensive financial analysis, successful partnerships and investor relationships.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a property developer?

A SWOT analysis can help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and provide valuable insights into the potential success of a real estate development venture.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a real estate development venture

The strengths for a real estate development venture

The "S" in SWOT symbolizes Strengths, indicating the project's internal factors that give it a competitive edge.

For a real estate development venture, potential strengths could include access to capital, a strong team of experienced professionals, expertise in local markets, and an established network of contacts.

The weaknesses for a real estate development venture

When we talk about the "W," we're talking about Weaknesses, which are the weaker parts of the project that need improvement.

For a real estate development venture, potential weaknesses include inadequate capital, lack of industry knowledge, poor market timing, and inadequate resources.

The opportunities for a real estate development venture

The letter "O" denotes Opportunities in SWOT, signifying the potential advantages or favorable external conditions for the project.

In the case of a real estate development venture, potential opportunities could include building a mixed-use complex, constructing an apartment complex, renovating a historic building, and developing a housing subdivision.

The threats for a real estate development venture

The letter "T" denotes Threats in SWOT, signifying the external risks or unfavorable factors that can impact the project's outcomes.

How to elaborate a marketing strategy for a property developer?

A marketing strategy is an important part of a business plan as it outlines how a business will attract customers and drive revenue.

A real estate development venture can attract potential buyers or investors by developing an effective marketing approach that showcases the venture's innovative architectural designs, prime locations, and investment potential.

Investors won't be interested in your property developer business without effective marketing; showcasing your successful projects, innovative designs, and potential for growth is crucial.

Are you utilizing marketing tactics to promote your real estate development venture? Consider creating visually appealing renderings or virtual tours of your properties, attending real estate industry conferences or trade shows, and leveraging online platforms to reach potential investors or homebuyers.

Don't fret if you lack knowledge in marketing and communication – there's no need to worry.

How to build a solid financial plan for a property developer?

A solid business plan must include detailed financial information such as projected income, expenses, cash flow, and balance sheets.

As part of your business planning process, you'll be required to predict the revenue for your real estate development venture.

Of course, this revenue forecast will have to make sense.

Our financial plan for a real estate development venture is easy to use and includes built-in checks to help you identify and correct any assumptions, ensuring you create reliable projections with confidence.

Without a doubt, you will be required to draft a provisional budget for your real estate development venture . Make certain to include all expenses without exception - you can find them all listed in our financial plan!

A key aspect of your financial plan is the break-even analysis, which helps determine whether your real estate development venture will become a profitable company or not.

  • Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
  • Opens in a new window.
  • Coaching Team
  • Investor Tools
  • Student Success
  • Real Estate Investing Strategies

Real Estate Business

  • Real Estate Markets
  • Real Estate Financing
  • REITs & Stock Investing

How To Write A Real Estate Business Plan

commercial property development business plan pdf

What is a real estate business plan?

8 must-haves in a business plan

How to write a business plan

Real estate business plan tips

Success in the real estate investing industry won’t happen overnight, and it definitely won’t happen without proper planning or implementation. For entrepreneurs, a  real estate development business plan can serve as a road map to all of your business operations. Simply put, a real estate business plan will serve an essential role in forming your investing career.

Investors will need to strategize several key elements to create a successful business plan. These include future goals, company values, financing strategies, and more. Once complete, a business plan can create the foundation for smooth operations and outline a future with unlimited potential for your investing career. Keep reading to learn how to create a real estate investment business plan today.

What Is A Real Estate Investing Business Plan?

A real estate business plan is a living document that provides the framework for business operations and goals. A business plan will include future goals for the company and organized steps to get there. While business plans can vary from investor to investor, they will typically include planning for one to five years at a time.

Drafting a business plan for real estate investing purposes is, without a doubt, one of the single most important steps a new investor can take. An REI business plan will help you avoid potential obstacles while simultaneously placing you in a position to succeed. It is a blueprint to follow when things are going according to plan and even when they veer off course. If for nothing else, a real estate company’s business plan will ensure that investors know which steps to follow to achieve their goals. In many ways, nothing is more valuable to today’s investors. It is the plan, after all, to follow the most direct path to success.

real estate investing business plan

8 Must-Haves In A Real Estate Business Plan

As a whole, a real estate business plan should address a company’s short and long-term goals. To accurately portray a company’s vision, the right business plan will require more information than a future vision. A strong real estate investing business plan will provide a detailed look at its ins and outs. This can include the organizational structure, financial information, marketing outline, and more.  When done right, it will serve as a comprehensive overview for anyone who interacts with your business, whether internally or externally.

That said, creating an REI business plan will require a persistent attention to detail. For new investors drafting a real estate company business plan may seem like a daunting task, and quite honestly it is. The secret is knowing which ingredients must be added (and when). Below are seven must-haves for a well executed business plan:

Outline the company values and mission statement.

Break down future goals into short and long term.

Strategize the strengths and weaknesses of the company.

Formulate the best investment strategy for each property and your respective goals.

Include potential marketing and branding efforts.

State how the company will be financed (and by whom).

Explain who is working for the business.

Answer any “what ifs” with backup plans and exit strategies.

These components matter the most, and a quality real estate business plan will delve into each category to ensure maximum optimization.

A company vision statement is essentially your mission statement and values. While these may not be the first step in planning your company, a vision will be crucial to the success of your business. Company values will guide you through investment decisions and inspire others to work with your business time and time again. They should align potential employees, lenders, and possible tenants with the motivations behind your company.

Before writing your company vision, think through examples you like both in and out of the real estate industry. Is there a company whose values you identify with? Or, are there mission statements you dislike? Use other companies as a starting point when creating your own set of values. Feel free to reach out to your mentor or other network connections for feedback as you plan. Most importantly, think about the qualities you value and how they can fit into your business plan.

Goals are one of the most important elements in a successful business plan. This is because not only do goals provide an end goal for your company, but they also outline the steps required to get there. It can be helpful to think about goals in two categories: short-term and long-term. Long-term goals will typically outline your plans for the company. These can include ideal investment types, profit numbers, and company size. Short-term goals are the smaller, actionable steps required to get there.

For example, one long-term business goal could be to land four wholesale deals by the end of the year. Short-term goals will make this more achievable by breaking it into smaller steps. A few short-term goals that might help you land those four wholesale deals could be to create a direct mail campaign for your market area, establish a buyers list with 50 contacts, and secure your first property under contract. Breaking down long-term goals is a great way to hold yourself accountable, create deadlines and accomplish what you set out to.

3. SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis involves thinking through each of these areas as you evaluate your company and potential competitors. This framework allows business owners to better understand what is working for the company and identify potential areas for improvement. SWOT analyses are used across industries as a way to create more actionable solutions to potential issues.

To think through a SWOT analysis for your real estate business plan, first, identify your company’s potential strengths and weaknesses. Do you have high-quality tenants? Are you struggling to raise capital? Be honest with yourself as you write out each category. Then, take a step back and look at your market area and competitors to identify threats and opportunities. A potential threat could be whether or not your rental prices are in line with comparable properties. On the other hand, a potential opportunity could boost your property’s amenities to be more competitive in the area.

4. Investment Strategy

Any good real estate investment business plan requires the ability to implement a sound investment strategy. If for nothing else, there are several exit strategies a business may execute to secure profits: rehabbing, wholesaling, and renting — to name a few. Investors will want to analyze their market and determine which strategy will best suit their goals. Those with long-term retirement goals may want to consider leaning heavily into rental properties. However, those without the funds to build a rental portfolio may want to consider getting started by wholesaling. Whatever the case may be, now is the time to figure out what you want to do with each property you come across. It is important to note, however, that this strategy will change from property to property. Therefore, investors need to determine their exit strategy based on the asset and their current goals. This section needs to be added to a real estate investment business plan because it will come in handy once a prospective deal is found.

5. Marketing Plan

While marketing may seem like the cherry on top of a sound business plan, marketing efforts will actually play an integral role in your business’s foundation. A marketing plan should include your business logo, website, social media outlets, and advertising efforts. Together these elements can build a solid brand for your business, which will help you build a strong business reputation and ultimately build trust with investors, clients, and more.

First, to plan your marketing, think about how your brand can illustrate the company values and mission statement you have created. Consider the ways you can incorporate your vision into your logo or website. Remember, in addition to attracting new clients, marketing efforts can also help maintain relationships with existing connections. For a step by step guide to drafting a real estate marketing plan , be sure to read this guide.

6. Financing Plan

Writing the financial portion of a business plan can be tricky, especially if you are starting your business. As a general rule, a financial plan will include the income statement, cash flow, and balance sheet for a business. A financial plan should also include short and long-term goals regarding the profits and losses of a company. Together, this information will help make business decisions, raise capital, and report on business performance.

Perhaps the most important factor when creating a financial plan is accuracy. While many investors want to report on high profits or low losses, manipulating data will not boost your business performance in any way. Come up with a system of organization that works for you and always ensure your financial statements are authentic. As a whole, a financial plan should help you identify what is and isn’t working for your business.

7. Teams & Small Business Systems

No successful business plan is complete without an outline of the operations and management. Think: how your business is being run and by whom. This information will include the organizational structure, office management (if any), and an outline of any ongoing projects or properties. Investors can even include future goals for team growth and operational changes when planning this information.

Even if you are just starting or have yet to launch your business, it is still necessary to plan your business structure. Start by planning what tasks you will be responsible for, and look for areas you will need help with. If you have a business partner, think through your strengths and weaknesses and look for areas you can best complement each other. For additional guidance, set up a meeting with your real estate mentor. They can provide valuable insights into their own business structure, which can serve as a jumping-off point for your planning.

8. Exit Strategies & Back Up Plans

Believe it or not, every successful company out there has a backup plan. Businesses fail every day, but investors can position themselves to survive even the worst-case scenario by creating a backup plan. That’s why it’s crucial to strategize alternative exit strategies and backup plans for your investment business. These will help you create a plan of action if something goes wrong and help you address any potential problems before they happen.

This section of a business plan should answer all of the “what if” questions a potential lender, employee, or client might have. What if a property remains on the market for longer than expected? What if a seller backs out before closing? What if a property has a higher than average vacancy rate? These questions (and many more) are worth thinking through as you create your business plan.

How To Write A Real Estate Investment Business Plan: Template

The impact of a truly great real estate investment business plan can last for the duration of your entire career, whereas a poor plan can get in the way of your future goals. The truth is: a real estate business plan is of the utmost importance, and as a new investor it deserves your undivided attention. Again, writing a business plan for real estate investing is no simple task, but it can be done correctly. Follow our real estate investment business plan template to ensure you get it right the first time around:

Write an executive summary that provides a birds eye view of the company.

Include a description of company goals and how you plan to achieve them.

Demonstrate your expertise with a thorough market analysis.

Specify who is working at your company and their qualifications.

Summarize what products and services your business has to offer.

Outline the intended marketing strategy for each aspect of your business.

1. Executive Summary

The first step is to define your mission and vision. In a nutshell, your executive summary is a snapshot of your business as a whole, and it will generally include a mission statement, company description, growth data, products and services, financial strategy, and future aspirations. This is the “why” of your business plan, and it should be clearly defined.

2. Company Description

The next step is to examine your business and provide a high-level review of the various elements, including goals and how you intend to achieve them. Investors should describe the nature of their business, as well as their targeted marketplace. Explain how services or products will meet said needs, address specific customers, organizations, or businesses the company will serve, and explain the competitive advantage the business offers.

3. Market Analysis

This section will identify and illustrate your knowledge of the industry. It will generally consist of information about your target market, including distinguishing characteristics, size, market shares, and pricing and gross margin targets. A thorough market outline will also include your SWOT analysis.

4. Organization & Management

This is where you explain who does what in your business. This section should include your company’s organizational structure, details of the ownership, profiles on the management team, and qualifications. While this may seem unnecessary as a real estate investor, the people reading your business plan may want to know who’s in charge. Make sure you leave no stone unturned.

5. Services Or Products

What are you selling? How will it benefit your customers? This is the part of your real estate business plan where you provide information on your product or service, including its benefits over competitors. In essence, it will offer a description of your product/service, details on its life cycle, information on intellectual property, as well as research and development activities, which could include future R&D activities and efforts. Since real estate investment is more of a service, beginner investors must identify why their service is better than others in the industry. It could include experience.

6. Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy will generally encompass how a business owner intends to market or sell their product and service. This includes a market penetration strategy, a plan for future growth, distribution channels, and a comprehensive communication strategy. When creating a marketing strategy for a real estate business plan, investors should think about how they plan to identify and contact new leads. They should then think about the various communication options: social media, direct mail, a company website, etc. Your business plan’s marketing portion should essentially cover the practical steps of operating and growing your business.

real estate investor business plan

Additional Real Estate Business Plan Tips

A successful business plan is no impossible to create; however, it will take time to get it right. Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind as you develop a plan for your real estate investing business:

Tailor Your Executive Summary To Different Audiences: An executive summary will open your business plan and introduce the company. Though the bulk of your business plan will remain consistent, the executive summary should be tailored to the specific audience at hand. A business plan is not only for you but potential investors, lenders, and clients. Keep your intended audience in mind when drafting the executive summary and answer any potential questions they may have.

Articulate What You Want: Too often, investors working on their business plan will hide what they are looking for, whether it be funding or a joint venture. Do not bury the lede when trying to get your point across. Be clear about your goals up front in a business plan, and get your point across early.

Prove You Know The Market: When you write the company description, it is crucial to include information about your market area. This could include average sale prices, median income, vacancy rates, and more. If you intend to acquire rental properties, you may even want to go a step further and answer questions about new developments and housing trends. Show that you have your finger on the pulse of a market, and your business plan will be much more compelling for those who read it.

Do Homework On The Competition: Many real estate business plans fail to fully analyze the competition. This may be partly because it can be difficult to see what your competitors are doing, unlike a business with tangible products. While you won’t get a tour of a competitor’s company, you can play prospect and see what they offer. Subscribe to their newsletter, check out their website, or visit their open house. Getting a first-hand look at what others are doing in your market can greatly help create a business plan.

Be Realistic With Your Operations & Management: It can be easy to overestimate your projections when creating a business plan, specifically when it comes to the organization and management section. Some investors will claim they do everything themselves, while others predict hiring a much larger team than they do. It is important to really think through how your business will operate regularly. When writing your business plan, be realistic about what needs to be done and who will be doing it.

Create Example Deals: At this point, investors will want to find a way to illustrate their plans moving forward. Literally or figuratively, illustrate the steps involved in future deals: purchases, cash flow, appreciation, sales, trades, 1031 exchanges, cash-on-cash return, and more. Doing so should give investors a good idea of what their deals will look like in the future. While it’s not guaranteed to happen, envisioning things has a way of making them easier in the future.

Schedule Business Update Sessions: Your real estate business plan is not an ironclad document that you complete and then never look at again. It’s an evolving outline that should continually be reviewed and tweaked. One good technique is to schedule regular review sessions to go over your business plan. Look for ways to improve and streamline your business plan so it’s as clear and persuasive as you want it to be.

Reevauating Your Real Estate Business Plan

A business plan will serve as a guide for every decision you make in your company, which is exactly why it should be reevaluated regularly. It is recommended to reassess your business plan each year to account for growth and changes. This will allow you to update your business goals, accounting books, and organizational structures. While you want to avoid changing things like your logo or branding too frequently, it can be helpful to update department budgets or business procedures each year.

The size of your business is crucial to keep in mind as you reevaluate annually. Not only in terms of employees and management structures but also in terms of marketing plans and business activities. Always incorporate new expenses and income into your business plan to help ensure you make the most of your resources. This will help your business stay on an upward trajectory over time and allow you to stay focused on your end goals.

Above all else, a  real estate development business plan will be inspiring and informative. It should reveal why your business is more than just a dream and include actionable steps to make your vision a reality. No matter where you are with your investing career, a detailed business plan can guide your future in more ways than one. After all, a thorough plan will anticipate the best path to success. Follow the template above as you plan your real estate business, and make sure it’s a good one.

Click the banner below to take a 90-minute online training class and get started learning how to invest in today’s real estate market!

commercial property development business plan pdf

NAR Settlement: What It Means For Buyers And Sellers

What is the assessed value of a property, what is bright mls a guide for agents and investors, how to pass a 4 point home inspection, defeasance clause in real estate explained, what is the federal funds rate a guide for real estate investors.

ArborCrowd

The Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate Development

  • Commercial Real Estate Crowdfunding

Commercial real estate development is a potentially lucrative but complex undertaking that requires substantial experience, due diligence, and planning. The entire real estate development process, from site selection to stabilization, involves various phases and can sometimes take several years depending on the scale or intricacies of a project.

Even if two properties of the same asset class are being built directly across the street from one another, they will each have distinct aspects and challenges, as a wide range of factors must be taken into consideration in the development of a property.

Nonetheless, whether it’s a high-rise office building in the city or a single-family rental (SFR) community in the suburbs, there are common pillars that form the foundation of the commercial real estate development process, which begins with market research and site selection.

Market Research and Site Selection

A sponsor should perform extensive research and due diligence to identify a feasible site for development. There are many factors that sponsors check when considering potential sites, and these may change depending on the target asset class. For a multifamily property, a sponsor will select a target market by analyzing macro-economic factors, such as:

  • Population and job growth
  • Employment hubs
  • Supply and demand trends
  • Economic diversity
  • Development pipeline

After selecting a target market, the sponsor will choose a specific site by performing a micro-economic analysis of potential locations for factors like:

  • Relative cost basis compared to similar properties
  • Land use and zoning ordinances of the site
  • Rent and sales comparables
  • Environmental assessment of the site
  • Neighborhood amenities and quality of life

Architecture and Design

The architecture phase of the commercial real estate development process involves conceiving the potential property that can be constructed at the selected site. Preliminary concepts or mockups may have been crafted prior to this phase to begin imagining the potential uses for the site, but even more detailed designs commence as this phase progresses.

For a multifamily property, teams will design the property’s layout, plans, and specifications, showing unit sizes and mixes, common areas, and amenities based on the business plan. They can refine the interior and exterior designs afterwards and tweak as necessary through value engineering. Engineering documents that define all elements of the project are also drafted, including schematics detailing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing elements of the project. The design and specifications will be submitted to the local government agency in order to receive approvals to commence construction of the project.

Entitlement

The entitlement stage focuses on receiving land use and building permits to construct the planned property. Land use regulations and building codes vary from city to city, so a sponsor’s experience in a specific market is advantageous. The plans will need to be approved not only for the design and characteristics of the proposed development, but also for its adherence to building codes and safety standards.

Typically, these applications are filed with the local government. Members of the local planning and development agency or the city council will review the submitted plans to determine if the project meets local, state, and federal guidelines and grant a decision. If approvals are not received, revisions to the project’s initial design may be required based off the government agency’s feedback. This may delay the project, so it’s important to mitigate potential issues through proper diligence and research prior to submitting plans. Once approvals are obtained, work to prepare the land for construction can begin.

Land Development, Sitework and Vertical Development

The physical development of a project includes land development, sitework, and vertical development. In preparation for construction, contractors place stakes throughout the site to map out features (including the property line and building walls) of the project according to the approved project plans. Land development and sitework entails excavation, backfilling, grading, utility connections, paving, adding walkways, and laying the property’s foundation. Vertical development includes framing the building, adding the roof, installing HVAC, and completing unit interiors and exterior property work.

Near the end of construction, the contractor and architect will prepare a “ punch list ,” identifying work still to be completed or items that need to be fixed prior to the final inspection of a building so that the property meets the contract specifications. These are typically minor items but must be finished before the project can be declared officially completed.

Lease-up and Stabilization

The leasing of a commercial real estate development begins prior to the property’s completion. Pre-leasing campaigns get commitments from tenants while construction is ongoing, but tenants cannot begin to move in since they cannot occupy an unfinished structure due to safety concerns. Once the project has been substantially completed in accordance with the plans and specifications, the sponsor will apply to the local government agency for a certificate of occupancy (commonly known as a “CO”). Sponsors must receive a CO, which delineates that it is safe to occupy the property, to begin tenant move-ins. A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued by the government if the property is deemed safe to occupy but items that require approval still remain. With SFR and build-to-rent (BTR) properties, tenant move-ins may commence as each individual home is completed in the project, reducing lease-up time and development risk.

Having a smooth lease-up after construction is vital as the property can begin generating revenue. In areas with elevated levels of competition, the sponsor may elect to issue concessions to tenants — such as one or more months of free rent or complimentary amenities — to lure them.

Ultimately, the sponsor’s goal is to get the property to stabilization , which is typically when the property is at least 90% occupied and achieves the net operating income threshold that can support the property’s debt service. That benchmark is crucial because it allows sponsors to refinance the project’s debt, converting existing high-cost debt to develop the property with cheaper permanent financing. Investors may receive a capital distribution as a result of a refinance, returning a portion of capital, and taking some level of risk off the table. Stabilization also makes a property more appealing to prospective buyers, making it easier to realize the project through a sale, bringing an end to the real estate development process.

Related Articles

  • Existing Users
  • Professional Services
  • Infrastructure Services

vast.png

How to Create a Commercial Property Management Business Plan

Business plans are a crucial document for any company. They help map out the goals for your business, how you intend to achieve them and keep up with constantly changing customer needs.

To help you build an effective commercial property management business plan , we’ve created a helpful resource that details the different sections to include.

creating a business plan

What Makes an Effective Business Plan?

  • The Core Element of a Business Plan

Company Overview

Industry analysis, customer analysis, competitor analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, financial plan, commercial property management specific elements of a business plan, screening tenants and clients, collecting rent and arrears, inspections and maintenance.

A well thought out business plan is crucial. It should cover all aspects of your business, from the top-level overview to the finer details such as financial forecasts and marketing plans. Go into detail — and then some. Treat it as if every one of your potential clients will read it and decide whether they should work with you.

An effective business plan keeps you on the right track and gives you something to measure progress against, but it also allows you to discover potential opportunities and identify any shortfalls.

You might be wondering how often you should create a business plan — there’s no right or wrong answer. Business plans should be created at the start of your business journey. After that, they should be reviewed regularly, typically once a year. If your business starts to go in a different direction, it might be time for a new business plan.

The Core Elements of a Business Plan

Several areas will feature in a business plan, no matter what industry you’re in. We’ll take a brief look at what’s included in each section. It’s worth keeping in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive — make sure your business plan caters for your specific needs.

The first place to start is the company overview. Think of this as a profile for your business. Include factors like the company name, company history, your current location and a summary of your commercial property management services.

Conducting industry analysis is essential so you understand the landscape you’re operating in. As the industry changes and progresses, this section should be continuously monitored and updated.

Talk about the property management industry as it stands — any trends, developments, economic conditions or wider societal impacts.

Your customers are what keeps you in business, so it’s crucial to identify who they are and how you’ll reach them. Identify your target market and customers in detail. 

Think about demographics, the types of property they own, how much property they own and where their property is located. It’s then worth segmenting your customers into different categories. This will ensure you’re tapping into the right customer needs with your marketing and operations efforts.

Conducting competitor analysis is important for creating your business plan. You should always know who your competitors are so you can monitor their activity and ensure you have a competitive edge.

List direct and indirect competitors within and outside the property management industry. Then consider your business — how do you compare to your competitors? Do you have any advantages or shortfalls? By answering these questions, you’ll identify ideas for growth, room for improvements, as well as determine what you do well and warrants the extra investment.

Next up is your marketing plan. While your marketing plan should always be adaptive and flexible to meet the needs and demands of your customers, it’s important to get as much information as you can into your business plan.

Think about your value proposition and the USPs your business offers to its customers. Consider the types of marketing activities you’re likely to invest in. Online marketing, networking, paid, organic and referrals are just some ideas to get you started.

The operations plan is a central part of your commercial property management business plan — it’s what keeps your business running.

Start with your people. Outline management, the roles and departments that make up your property management business structure.

Then take a look at how your business operates. What services do you offer? Do you use or plan to use any property management software ? Do you have specific processes that help your business run smoothly? Are there any key milestones to take into account?

We’ve now reached one of the most crucial parts of the business plan; financials. The financial plan should be as in-depth as possible. Not only will it allow you to plan your business activity effectively, but it’ll also ensure you’ve budgeted for every eventuality and considered revenue, reinvestments, budgets and any potential unexpected expenses.

Work with your finance team to prepare budgets, cash flow projections, revenue streams, cost drivers, profit and loss statements, forecasted growth and more.

While all of the above sections should be included and specific to your business, several extra sections are more applicable to property management businesses.

A large part of property management is screening potential tenants and clients. Making sure your clients are reputable and financially stable is important. Once you’re past this stage, you need to select the right tenants for their properties. 

Are they reliable at paying rent? Do they have sufficient funds for the deposit and rent payments required? Have they gained a positive reputation as tenants? This process should all be factored into the business plan.

Within property management, a robust, organised system is needed for collecting rents and arrears. This ensures your customers are paid on time and aren’t left out of pocket. Collecting rent and arrears can take up a lot of a property manager’s time, so identifying a smooth and efficient process will reduce any risks surrounding this area.

Finally, inspections and maintenance make up a large part of a property management company’s service offering. Your business plan should detail the inspection process, the criteria within the inspections and the timeframes for when they’re carried out.

You should also establish your maintenance plans. Do you have an in-house team? Or do you work with an external contractor? What’s the process for scheduling and carrying out maintenance works promptly?

Are You Looking for the Background Information to Help You Develop Your Business Plan?

Then you’ve come to the right place . The property management landscape is constantly changing and can be challenging to keep up with, especially when you’re already busy with your day-to-day tasks. Our report will help you stay up to date without taking up too much of your time. 

Simply click the link below to download your copy.

The State of Property Management 2022

SharpSheets

500+ business plans and financial models

Real Estate Agency Business Plan PDF Example

Avatar photo

  • May 7, 2024
  • Business Plan

the business plan template for a real estate agency business

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful real estate agency. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your real estate agency’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a real estate agency business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the real estate industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your real estate agency concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our real estate agency business plan covers all essential aspects necessary for a comprehensive strategy. It details operations, marketing strategy , market environment, competitors, management team, and financial forecasts.

  • Executive Summary : Provides an overview of the real estate agency’s business concept, market analysis , management, and financial strategy.
  • Real Estate Brokerage Services & Fees: Describes the brokerage services including property sales and acquisitions, along with a fee structure.
  • Property Management Services & Fees: Outlines property management services offered and their respective fees.
  • Key Stats : Offers data on industry size , growth trends, and market positioning.
  • Key Trends: Highlights significant trends impacting the industry, such as digital transformation and changing buyer preferences.
  • Key Competitors : Analyzes primary competitors and differentiates the agency from these competitors.
  • SWOT : Analyzes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Marketing Plan : Outlines tactics for attracting new clients and maintaining relationships.
  • Timeline : Sets out key milestones from inception through the first year of operations.
  • Management: Information on the management team and their roles within the agency.
  • Financial Plan: Projects the agency’s financial performance over the next five years, detailing revenue, profits, and anticipated expenses.

the business plan template for a real estate agency business

Real Estate Agency Business Plan

commercial property development business plan pdf

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

Download an expert-built 30+ slides Powerpoint business plan template

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your real estate agency’s business plan, offering a concise overview of your agency and its services. This section outlines your market positioning, the variety of real estate services offered—including property sales, rentals, and property management—its location, size, and a description of day-to-day operations.

This section should also discuss how your real estate agency will integrate into the local market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your agency’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors.

Additionally, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the agency’s success. Furthermore, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your agency’s financial plan.

Make sure to cover here _ Business Overview _ Market Overview _ Management Team _ Financial Plan

Real Estate Agency Business Plan exec summary1

Dive deeper into Executive Summary

Business Overview

For a Real Estate Agency, the Business Overview section can be concisely divided into 2 main slides:

Real Estate Brokerage Services & Fees

Briefly describe the agency’s professional and welcoming office environment and its conveniently located premises near major residential and commercial areas, which enhances accessibility and client traffic. Detail the range of real estate brokerage services including buying, selling, and leasing properties, and discuss the agency’s fee structure, which is typically based on a percentage of the property sale or lease price, reflecting the high quality of service and market alignment.

Property Management Services & Fees

Describe the comprehensive property management services offered that cover tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance, and financial reporting. The pricing for these services is usually based on a percentage of monthly rental income or a flat monthly fee, with potential additional charges for special services like emergency maintenance or tenant placement, ensuring landlords a hassle-free ownership experience.

Make sure to cover here _ Real Estate Brokerage Services & Fees _ Property Management Services & Fees

commercial property development business plan pdf

Market Overview

Industry size & growth.

In the Market Overview of your real estate agency business plan, start by examining the size of the real estate industry and its growth potential. This analysis is crucial for understanding the market’s scope and identifying expansion opportunities.

Key Market Trends

Proceed to discuss recent market trends , such as the increasing consumer interest in sustainable and eco-friendly properties, the growing demand for smart homes equipped with the latest technology, and the rising popularity of urban living spaces among millennials and young professionals. For example, highlight the demand for properties that cater to specific lifestyle needs, alongside the rising preference for locations with comprehensive amenities and green spaces.

Key Competitors

Then, consider the competitive landscape, which includes a range of agencies from large national firms to local boutiques, as well as online real estate platforms. For example, emphasize what makes your agency distinctive, whether it’s through exceptional customer service, a unique range of property management services, or specialization in certain types of properties such as luxury homes or commercial real estate. This section will help articulate the demand for real estate services, the competitive environment, and how your agency is positioned to thrive within this dynamic market.

Make sure to cover here _ Industry size & growth _ Key competitors _ Key market trends

Real Estate Agency Business Plan market overview

Dive deeper into Key competitors

First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the real estate agency , highlighting Strengths (such as experienced realtors and a diverse property portfolio), Weaknesses (including high agent turnover or reliance on local market conditions), Opportunities (for example, the growing demand for rental properties or the potential for tapping into luxury real estate markets), and Threats (such as fluctuations in real estate prices or new housing regulations that may impact operations).

Marketing Plan

Next, develop a marketing strategy that outlines how to attract and retain clients through targeted advertising, promotional events like open houses, an engaging online presence, and community involvement. This strategy should also incorporate using social media platforms to showcase properties and share customer testimonials, enhancing the agency’s visibility and client engagement.

Finally, create a detailed timeline that outlines critical milestones for the real estate agency’s launch, marketing initiatives, client acquisition, and expansion goals. This timeline should ensure that the business moves forward with clear direction and purpose, setting specific objectives for brand establishment, market penetration, and long-term growth.

Make sure to cover here _ SWOT _ Marketing Plan _ Timeline

Real Estate Agency Business Plan strategy

Dive deeper into SWOT

Dive deeper into Marketing Plan

The Management section focuses on the real estate agency’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the real estate agency toward its financial and operational goals.

For your real estate agency business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

Real Estate Agency Business Plan management

Financial Plan

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your real estate agency’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your real estate agency business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

Real Estate Agency Business Plan financial plan

Privacy Overview

COMMENTS

  1. Property Development Business Plan Template

    Property Development Business Plan. Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their property development companies. If you're unfamiliar with creating a business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process.

  2. Property Development Business Plan Template

    The real estate and property development industries have been strong over the past few years. As of 2021, the real estate industry was valued at $3.69 trillion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% from now until 2030. This growth will be driven by increasing demand for personal housing.

  3. A Sample Property Development Business Plan Template

    A Sample Property Development Business Plan Template. A property development company is a company that is involved in buying land, financing real estate, building, or having builders build and develop projects for commercial purposes. Property development companies renovate and re-lease existing buildings, purchase raw land, and sell developed ...

  4. Real Estate Development Business Plan Template (2024)

    Writing a real estate development business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan: 1. Executive Summary. An executive summary is the first section of the business plan intended to provide an overview of the whole business plan.

  5. How to write a business plan for a property development company?

    The written part of a property development company business plan. The written part of a property development company business plan plays a key role: it lays out the plan of action you intend to execute to seize the commercial opportunity you've identified on the market and provides the context needed for the reader to decide if they believe your plan to be achievable and your financial ...

  6. A Sample Property Development Business Plan Template

    Startup Expenditure (Budget) The Total Fee for incorporating the Business in New York: $750. The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license: $5,000. The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Facility with enough space in New York City (Re - Construction of the facility inclusive): $80,000.

  7. Real Estate Development Business Plan Template

    Discover our comprehensive Real Estate Development Business Plan Template, aiding in location analysis, project management, construction supervision to client handover. 1. Identifying and Researching Potential Development Locations. Analysing Feasibility of each Location Selected. Create Detailed Market Analysis Report.

  8. PDF BUSINESS PROPOSAL FOR JPO REAL ESTATE, LLC

    The ownership structure of the new startup company, JPO Real Estate will be a privately held Limited Liability Company (LLC). JPO Real Estate, LLC shall be registered in the state of Maryland. It will be jointly owned by two principals, John O'Boyle and for purpose of this paper, a silent equity partner.

  9. 7 Steps to Writing a Real Estate Business Plan (+ Template)

    Community: Building strong, vibrant communities and giving back. Clearly defining your mission, vision, and values lays the foundation for a strong and purposeful real estate business that will help you positively impact your clients' lives and your community. 2. Analyze Your Real Estate Market.

  10. Real Estate Business Plan: Guide & Template (2024)

    The market size, measured by revenue, of the Real Estate Sales and brokerage industry, is $156.2bn in 2021, and the industry is expected to increase by 0.4% in 2021. Also, the market is changing at a rapid rate and the way people use spaces is changing at a rapid rate too. Hence, to get on or stay on the higher end of the spectrum you'll need ...

  11. The Commercial Real Estate Development Process

    Commercial real estate development process. When a piece of property is purchased and developed for commercial or business purposes only, it is classified as commercial real estate. Most commercial property is owned by one entity and leased to one or more tenants. But in some cases, the owner of the property is also the one who uses it.

  12. Real Estate Developer: get a solid business plan (example)

    A solid business plan must include detailed financial information such as projected income, expenses, cash flow, and balance sheets. As part of your business planning process, you'll be required to predict the revenue for your real estate development venture. Of course, this revenue forecast will have to make sense.

  13. PDF How to Prepare a Business Plan

    Note that fees are always negotiable. (If the renewal rate is different from the "new deal rate", you can determine the renewal probability and apply separate fees to new deals and renewals.) Total Gross Fees Generated in the Target Market. $13,600,000. Total gross leasing volume x Average Tenant Rep Fee.

  14. The Perfect Real Estate Investing Business Plan

    A real estate business plan is a living document that provides the framework for business operations and goals. A business plan will include future goals for the company and organized steps to get there. While business plans can vary from investor to investor, they will typically include planning for one to five years at a time.

  15. The Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate Development

    The architecture phase of the commercial real estate development process involves conceiving the potential property that can be constructed at the selected site. ... showing unit sizes and mixes, common areas, and amenities based on the business plan. They can refine the interior and exterior designs afterwards and tweak as necessary through ...

  16. How to Create a Commercial Property Management Business Plan

    The operations plan is a central part of your commercial property management business plan — it's what keeps your business running. Start with your people. Outline management, the roles and departments that make up your property management business structure. Then take a look at how your business operates.

  17. PDF Management Plan Handbook

    A real estate management plan is an operating plan developed to maximize a property's potential and support ownership objectives. The plan is created by you, the real estate manager, based on data and stated assumptions. Just as with any other business plan, it outlines measures to maximize the return to investors.

  18. Property Rental Business Plan PDF Example

    Our property rental business plan is structured to cover all essential aspects needed for a comprehensive strategy. It outlines the rental operations, marketing strategy, market environment, competitors, management team, and financial forecasts. Executive Summary: Offers an overview of the property rental business's concept, market analysis ...

  19. Real Estate Agency Business Plan PDF Example

    Strategy SWOT. First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the real estate agency, highlighting Strengths (such as experienced realtors and a diverse property portfolio), Weaknesses (including high agent turnover or reliance on local market conditions), Opportunities (for example, the growing demand for rental properties or the potential for tapping into luxury real estate markets), and Threats (such ...

  20. Rising construction costs sink Gurner-Roberts merger plan

    A lack of "chemistry" between the two Rich List business leaders also hindered a merger of their development and construction businesses.