Real estate · Development deck
Development pitch decks from site to stabilization.
A development deck asks investors to fund something that does not exist yet. It has to show that the site, the approvals, the budget and the schedule are under control, and that the developer has delivered before.
Fixed prices. No calls: you brief us in writing and comment in writing.
Schedule
From approvals to lease-up, step by step
Illustration only. Any figures are invented for this sample slide.
Who reads it
Equity partners, family offices and private investors weighing construction risk, and lenders reading the same material.
Turnaround
5 business days for a design rebuild; 3 business days for an audit.
How it differs
How a development deck differs from a general pitch deck
A startup deck asks investors to fund a team that will find its market. A development deck asks them to fund a building with a set budget, a set site and a schedule that public agencies partly control. Investors read cost certainty, approval status and the capital stack the way startup investors read traction. The deck also serves two audiences: equity partners want returns and the exit, while construction lenders want cost, guarantees and completion. Value is shown as the gap between the cost to build and the value once stabilized, not as a market-size estimate.
Slide by slide
What goes in a development deck
- 01
Project summary
What will be built, where, at what total cost and with how much equity.
- 02
Site and entitlements
Zoning, approvals obtained and pending, with dates.
- 03
Design
Renderings, plans and the unit or space mix.
- 04
Development budget
Land, hard costs, soft costs, contingency and financing costs.
- 05
Schedule
Milestones from approvals to completion and lease-up.
- 06
Capital stack
Senior loan, mezzanine or preferred equity and common equity, in order of priority.
- 07
Exit
Sale or refinance, the timing and the assumptions.
- 08
Developer track record
Completed projects with budget and schedule against plan.
The questions behind every slide
What readers of a development deck ask
Each answer names the slide or document where it belongs. If a question has no home in your deck, the reader will ask it in writing, or stop reading.
- 1
Is the construction price fixed?
The budget slide should state the contract type, such as guaranteed maximum price or cost-plus, how much of hard cost is bid rather than estimated, and who the general contractor is.
- 2
Is the land owned or only under contract?
Show land control on the site and entitlements slide: owned, under contract with a closing date, or optioned.
- 3
Who guarantees completion?
The capital stack slide should name the completion and carry guarantees the construction lender requires and who signs them.
- 4
What is the yield on cost, and how does it compare with cap rates for finished buildings?
Put yield on cost beside the exit cap rate on the returns slide so the development spread is visible.
- 5
When is investor equity drawn, before or after the loan?
The capital stack slide should show the funding order, since construction lenders commonly require equity to go in first.
- 6
What happens if approvals slip?
The schedule slide should mark which dates depend on public agencies, and the risks slide should state the monthly holding cost of delay.
- 7
How long is lease-up, and what rents are assumed at opening?
Show absorption by month on the schedule and the opening rents on the pro forma, with the comparables that support them.
- 8
Who pays if costs run past the contingency?
The risks slide should name the overrun sources, and the operating agreement, drafted by your counsel, governs what investors may be asked for.
Headline rewrites
Slide titles that say something.
A reader skims headlines first. A label tells them the topic; a sentence tells them the point. Bracketed figures are placeholders for your own numbers.
Before
Development Budget
After
Total cost is $[X]M, with [X]% of hard costs under a signed contract
Before
Entitlements
After
Zoning is approved; the building permit is expected by [month, year]
Before
Returns
After
A [X]% yield on cost against [X]% market cap rates leaves [X] basis points of margin
What we fix
Faults we see in development deck drafts
Renderings on every slide and the budget on none.
Approval status described only as in progress.
No contingency line in the budget.
An exit value with no comparable sales behind it.
What you receive
Documents we produce
- Investor deck
- Lender presentation
- One-page project summary
- Site plans and renderings laid out
Every file is delivered editable, in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, with a PDF for sending. A development deck rebuild starts at $3,500; the full Raise Set with one-pager and teaser is $10,000.
Format
Length, versions and appendix
- Length
- Equity decks for one project commonly run about 20 to 30 slides, since plans and budget need room. The lender version is usually lighter on returns and heavier on cost and guarantees.
- Send-ahead version
- A PDF with renderings compressed for email, plus a data room link for full drawings, reports and the budget workbook.
- Presented version
- Lead with the site and approval status, then budget and schedule. Two or three renderings are usually enough in a live meeting.
What belongs in the appendix
- Budget by line item
- Full construction schedule
- Entitlement history and correspondence summary
- Sale and rent comparables
- General contractor and architect profiles
- Site and floor plans
Before you send it
Development deck checklist
- Budget total equals the capital stack total, to the dollar.
- Contingency appears as its own budget line.
- Every approval shows a status and a date: obtained, filed or not yet filed.
- Renderings are labeled as renderings and never shown as photographs.
- Schedule dates match on the schedule, summary and lender versions.
- The construction contract type is stated.
- Exit comparables carry a source and a date.
- Lender and equity versions use the same figures, differently weighted.
Glossary
Terms used in a development deck
- Guaranteed maximum price (GMP)
- A construction contract where the builder agrees the cost will not exceed a set ceiling, except for approved changes.
- Completion guarantee
- A promise, usually from the sponsor or its principals, that the project will be finished even if costs rise.
- Yield on cost
- Stabilized net operating income divided by total project cost.
- Development spread
- The gap between yield on cost and the cap rate the finished building is expected to sell at.
- Loan-to-cost
- The construction loan as a share of total project cost; the rest is equity.
- Absorption
- The pace at which new units or space are leased after completion.
Your written brief
What to send us for a development deck
No call needed. Send what you have; missing items are listed in our written reply, and nothing is invented to fill a gap.
- 01Development budget workbook and pro forma
- 02Entitlement status with dates and any agency letters
- 03Renderings, site plan and floor plans from your architect
- 04Construction contract summary or contractor bids
- 05Construction loan term sheet and guarantee requirements
- 06Completed projects with budget and schedule against plan
- 07Sale and rent comparables used for the exit
- 08Disclaimer text from your counsel
Packages
Four packages, fixed prices.
Deck Audit
$1,500
3 business days
A written verdict on the deck you have, before you send it to anyone.
- Slide-by-slide notes inside your file
- The fixes that matter most, in order
- Story, numbers and design, each assessed
- The investor questions your deck leaves open
One deck, up to 20 slides. No redesign included.
Choose Deck AuditInvestor Finish
$3,500
5 business days
Your draft, rebuilt to investor standard. Design only.
- Up to 15 slides rebuilt
- Charts redrawn from your data
- Your brand applied throughout
- One written revision round
- Editable PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote
Design only: your wording and slide order stay as they are.
Choose Investor FinishFinish + Story
$6,500
8 business days
We restructure the argument, rewrite the headlines, then rebuild the deck.
- Up to 20 slides
- Narrative restructured from your draft and notes
- Headlines rewritten as full-sentence points
- Send-ahead PDF version
- Two written revision rounds
We work from your facts. No market research or financial modeling.
Choose Finish + StoryRaise Set
$10,000
12 business days
Everything a raise needs, in one matching set.
- Up to 30 slides plus appendix
- Investor one-pager
- Short teaser version for cold outreach
- Three written revision rounds
- All source files
No investor introductions, fundraising or legal advice.
Choose Raise SetNot included in any package: Calls or meetings · Market research · Financial modeling or valuation · Investor introductions · Fundraising, legal or securities advice. Extra slides and extra revision rounds are quoted in writing before we start them.
Questions, answered.
Can you work with our architect's renderings?+
Yes. We place them at full quality and redraw plans and maps in the deck's style.
Do you build the development budget?+
No. We present your budget clearly; the figures and their accuracy are yours.
Is a lender version different?+
Yes. Lenders focus on cost, schedule, guarantees and exit; equity investors also want returns. We can produce both.
How much does a pitch deck cost here?+
A written Deck Audit is $1,500. Investor Finish, a design rebuild of up to 15 slides, is $3,500. Finish + Story, with the argument restructured, is $6,500. Raise Set, up to 30 slides with a one-pager and teaser, is $10,000.
How long does it take?+
Three business days for an audit, five for Investor Finish, eight for Finish + Story and twelve for Raise Set, counted from payment and a complete brief.
Is there a call?+
No. No package includes a call or meeting. You brief us in writing and comment in writing.
What do I need to send?+
Your draft deck in any editable format, or notes if you chose a package with writing, plus a few lines on who will read it and what you are asking for.
How do I pay?+
By card, through a secure payment link we send once scope and delivery date are confirmed in writing.
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Pitch deck design for real estate sponsors and developers: the deal, the numbers and the track record laid out for investors. Fixed packages from $3,500.
Further reading
Sources we read when writing this page. General information only; not legal, tax or investment advice.
Have a draft? Send it today.
Choose a package, link your deck and write a few lines about who it is for. You get scope, a delivery date and a payment link in writing.