How to choose a real estate finance advisor
Use one mandate brief and one evidence scorecard to compare capital-stack judgement, counterparty relevance and execution support.
Choose a real estate finance adviser after testing the actual working team, relevant developer transactions, capital-stack capability, investor and lender fit, modelling, materials, diligence coordination, term-sheet analysis, conflicts, fees and jurisdictional coverage. Require a written diagnosis and proposed workplan before outreach.
Define the mandate
State the asset or corporate perimeter, project stage, amount, currency, use of funds, sponsor contribution, existing debt, security, control constraints, target timing and current evidence. Invite advisers to compare realistic routes against the same brief.
Score every adviser consistently
| Criterion | Evidence to request | Decision use |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant experience | Comparable sector, structure, geography and transaction-size examples; role performed. | Tests whether prior work resembles the mandate. |
| Working team | Named senior lead, execution team, responsibilities and time commitment. | Shows who will deliver each workstream. |
| Capital-stack judgement | Written comparison of senior debt, mezzanine, preferred equity, JV equity and other relevant routes. | Tests structuring depth and route independence. |
| Counterparty relevance | Investor or lender segments, fit criteria, relationship route and conflicts. | Tests whether access is specific to the mandate. |
| Preparation | Model, materials, data-room, diligence and management-preparation workplan. | Tests readiness before market contact. |
| Terms and execution | Term-sheet comparison method, negotiation ownership, reporting and closing support. | Tests decision support through execution. |
| Economics | Retainer, success fee, expenses, exclusions, tail and termination terms. | Establishes complete mandate cost and incentives. |
Interview the working team
Ask each proposed team to walk through the first 30 days, the information required, the capital routes it would test, the investor or lender segmentation, the expected decision gates and the main execution risks. Record the answers against the scorecard.
Require readiness before outreach
The pre-market package should reconcile sources and uses, sponsor contribution, development budget, timing, sales or operating assumptions, debt capacity, return and waterfall cases, security, approvals, data-room gaps and management responsibilities.
Matchpoint mandate fit
Matchpoint Partners supports eligible UAE and cross-border real-estate capital mandates from USD 5m upward across project finance, structured debt, JV or preferred equity and investor targeting, subject to evidence, jurisdiction, capacity and written engagement.
Related Matchpoint resources
Last updated: August 2026.
Use a consistent scorecard covering comparable transactions, the named working team, capital-stack alternatives, investor and lender relevance, modelling, diligence, conflicts, fees and execution support.
A written route analysis, sources-and-uses model, downside cases, capital-provider criteria, prioritised target list, investor or lender materials, diligence gap list and execution timetable.
The choice follows the mandate. Property sales and leasing require market brokerage capability. Corporate, project, debt, equity and platform-capital mandates require financial structuring, counterparty targeting and transaction execution capability. Some firms provide both.
Compare the retainer, success fee, fee base, expenses, introduced-party rules, exclusions, tail, termination rights and payment triggers in writing.
Discuss a mandate
Speak to a partner about the structure, evidence and execution plan for your transaction.
