Case Studies

Within a few years, Walden Construction grew into one of the leading firms in their region, earning a reputation for delivering quality results on schedule. Though active and well-established, they had not yet taken the lead as a principal in a deal, remaining limited to the role of an outside contractor. Given their deep technical expertise, they aspired to sponsor development projects. While Walden brought extensive operational experience, they lacked the financial analytics skills to evaluate potential investments. 

Walden reached out to UGL Analytics to assist them in underwriting the development opportunities they were exploring. UGL Analytics created a custom financial model that captured the projects’ intricate cash flows and gave Walden a clear understanding of the deal structure and financial dynamics. The sophisticated model projected the timing of sales, expenses, draws, payments, and distributions to the various investor classes. Its clear structure and presentation served as a tool to educate Walden on how principals approach investments. With a deeper insight into the deal, Walden was able to structure the investment for optimal returns. 

As Walden negotiated the deal, UGL Analytics continuously refined the model to ensure its cash flows accurately reflected the evolving terms of the transaction. 
The resulting model embodies UGL Analytics’ hallmark qualities: clarity, precision, and a design that enables strategic insight. Its intelligent architecture and thoughtful presentation allow decision-makers to quickly grasp complex situations and project detailed cash flows based on the given assumptions. These factors provide clients with a competitive advantage as they explore investment opportunities.

The quality of the underwriting instilled confidence in potential investors and reinforced Walden’s image as a capable sponsor. 

UGL also worked directly with a junior member of Walden’s team, training him to manage the model going forward. Although the employee lacked a financial background, UGL equipped him with the fundamentals of real estate investing and showed him how to make modifications to the model.

With UGL Analytics’ support, Walden successfully launched a new investment strategy—marking a pivotal step in their evolution from a contractor to real estate sponsor.