How to Write a Real Estate Business Plan

There are a variety of topics one may choose to include or exclude in a business plan but there are several staples which are expected to be seen and are particularly useful to have internally. The first is the Mission Statement. This is a description of what the executives of the firm want a plan to achieve.

The next section is the Company Overview. Here, a history of the company, its present standing in the community, and an introduction to the founders and employees. This should answer questions such as how did this company form, is it an S-corporation or an LLC, and what relationships has it established in the market both with clients and competitors.

The previous sections are meant to be short introduction to the firm. Generally they are followed by a Marketing Plan which is meant to give the information necessary to support the goals mentioned. Here, a variety of questions ranging from how the firm plans on acquiring properties and clients as well as the financial projections of the company and the budget for its marketing plan. The Marketing Plan may have quite a few sub-topics and may be quite lengthy at times. Thus, this section may take quite a bit of time to organize. It is not unusual to separate some topics into their own section to avoid a bulky Marketing Plan.  For instance one may prefer a SWOT analysis or Situation Analysis to be separate sections while using the Marketing Plan Section strictly to outline the implementation of its strategies to reach new clients through its preferred advertising techniques. It is, after all, imperative that a business plan looks polished, attractive, is easy to understand, easy to use internally and accurate.

The next section is often the Management Summary. Where the Company Overview speaks about the founders and executives, this section will introduce the management level employees…the team which will be used to execute the Business Plan.  This section should give their names, contact information, and a professional background summary of their interest in the firm and qualifications.

The Finance Section which is typically the final section will deliver information regarding the finances of the company in no uncertain terms. It may contain such information as a projected cash flows, projected balance sheets, and business ratios. This is meant to give a clear image of the present state of the company and extrapolate its potential future.

All of these sections are meant to be well written and heavily researched. Thus one should allow a significant amount of time and effort to be as concise and accurate as possible however; once one invests the time required in developing a business plan they will have a very discernable edge over competitors who have not. This is because they will have goals which they have determined ahead of time and have committed themselves to attaining.

It is important to note that while any part of this plan can assume any media form the developer believes is appropriate, there should always be a written copy which can be referred to and edited as necessary. Finally, some additional sections which may be considered both optional and impressive may accompany the Real Estate Business Plan. Typically this consists of the Table of Contents, a Cover Letter, an Executive Summary and a Non-Disclosure Agreement.