How do you structure an investor pitch? (Looking for advice, not capital)

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m working on putting together my first investor pitch for a real estate project, and I’d love to hear from people who have successfully raised capital before.

Specifically, I’d like to know:

• What do you usually include in an investor packet or pitch deck?
• Do you have sample files or templates you’d be willing to share (executive summary, pro forma, deck)?
• How detailed should the financials be for a first approach — high-level returns or full spreadsheets?
• Do investors care more about the property itself, or the team/track record in the initial presentation?

What do you usually include in an investor packet or pitch deck?

Do you have sample files or templates you’d be willing to share (executive summary, pro forma, deck)?

How detailed should the financials be for a first approach — high-level returns or full spreadsheets?

Do investors care more about the property itself, or the team/track record in the initial presentation?

To be clear: I’m not asking for funding here. I just want to learn how to package my materials so that when I do talk to investors, I’m prepared and professional.

Thanks in advance for any advice or examples you can share!

Ricardo R. · Answer

Hey Vaknin,

We’ve put together quite a few investor packets for our own deals, so here’s what’s actually worked and what most investors want to see right away:

1. Keep the First Pitch High-Level

• Think 10–12 slides max or a 3–4 page packet for the first touch.
• Investors want to quickly understand:


What’s the deal? (property, location, strategy)


What’s the return? (ballpark ranges)


Why trust you? (track record/team)
• What’s the deal? (property, location, strategy)
• What’s the return? (ballpark ranges)
• Why trust you? (track record/team)

Think 10–12 slides max or a 3–4 page packet for the first touch.

Investors want to quickly understand:

• What’s the deal? (property, location, strategy)
• What’s the return? (ballpark ranges)
• Why trust you? (track record/team)

What’s the deal? (property, location, strategy)

What’s the return? (ballpark ranges)

Why trust you? (track record/team)

If they like it, you can send the deep-dive financial model later.

2. Typical Pitch Deck Structure

Here’s the order we use:

• Cover Slide: Project name, location, date.
• Team Slide: Short bios, relevant experience.
• Market Overview: Why this city/neighborhood works.
• Property Summary: Size, type, photos, key details.
• Business Plan: Buy & hold, value-add, development, etc.
• Financial Snapshot:


Projected returns (IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash)


Investment period (e.g., 3–5 years)


Minimum investment amount
• Projected returns (IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash)
• Investment period (e.g., 3–5 years)
• Minimum investment amount
• Exit Strategy: Sale, refinance, long-term hold options.
• Timeline: Acquisition → Renovation → Stabilization → Exit.
• Next Steps: How to learn more, when you’ll follow up.

Cover Slide: Project name, location, date.

Team Slide: Short bios, relevant experience.

Market Overview: Why this city/neighborhood works.

Property Summary: Size, type, photos, key details.

Business Plan: Buy & hold, value-add, development, etc.

Financial Snapshot:

• Projected returns (IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash)
• Investment period (e.g., 3–5 years)
• Minimum investment amount

Projected returns (IRR, equity multiple, cash-on-cash)

Investment period (e.g., 3–5 years)

Minimum investment amount

Exit Strategy: Sale, refinance, long-term hold options.

Timeline: Acquisition → Renovation → Stabilization → Exit.

Next Steps: How to learn more, when you’ll follow up.

3. Property vs. Team

• First-time investors: Care more about you and the team—are you organized, credible, trustworthy?
• Experienced investors: Care about the numbers + deal structure once they know you can deliver.

First-time investors: Care more about you and the team—are you organized, credible, trustworthy?

Experienced investors: Care about the numbers + deal structure once they know you can deliver.

4. Financial Detail Level

• First meeting: Keep it simple: “Projected 15% IRR, 8% cash-on-cash, 2x equity multiple over 5 years.”
• Second meeting: Provide the full pro forma spreadsheet with assumptions and sensitivity analysis.

First meeting: Keep it simple: “Projected 15% IRR, 8% cash-on-cash, 2x equity multiple over 5 years.”

Second meeting: Provide the full pro forma spreadsheet with assumptions and sensitivity analysis.

5. Tools & Templates

• Canva for easy pitch decks.
• Google Sheets / Excel for pro formas.
• You can grab free templates on BiggerPockets or from syndication blogs like ThinkMultifamily or RealCrowd.

Canva for easy pitch decks.

Google Sheets / Excel for pro formas.

You can grab free templates on BiggerPockets or from syndication blogs like ThinkMultifamily or RealCrowd.

If it were my first pitch:

• 10-slide deck → quick call → full financial model only if they ask for it.

10-slide deck → quick call → full financial model only if they ask for it.

Keeps it clean, simple, and investor-friendly and you'll be fine... and just be a 'stand up' person it goes a long way, I hope this helps you, I sent you a DM on BP and hope you can asssist.