What is a Deal Sheet in Real Estate? Definition, Types, and Expert Tips

If you’re applying for a role in real estate, you’ll already have a good understanding of how competitive it is.

At all levels, professionals within this industry are constantly looking for new ways to stand out and make a great impression during the interview and hiring process.

Alongside your resume/CV and cover letter, a document that can give you the edge is a deal sheet. A well-written deal sheet goes beyond just mentioning your skills, it backs them up with evidence. Hiring managers get a glimpse into your past experiences, solidifying their confidence in you and your suitability for the role.

In this post, we’re answering “What is a deal sheet?”, exploring deal sheet examples, and uncovering how you can use it to strengthen your chances of landing your desired position.

To help you get started, we’ve created a downloadable deal sheet template you can use to professionally document your real estate experience and track key accomplishments.

Why Do Some Professions in Real Estate Need a Deal Sheet?

In some roles in real estate, like investment banking, professionals are expected to keep an up-to-date deal sheet. The document helps to tell the story of your professional journey clearly.

Here’s why some professions in real estate benefit from a deal sheet:

What Roles in Real Estate Benefit From a Deal Sheet?

The benefits of having a deal sheet in real estate don’t just apply to one position in the industry. In fact, many of the positions under the real estate umbrella can use deal sheets to highlight their expertise and past experiences.

Here are some examples of roles and the reasons why they benefit:

• Real Estate Analyst: Useful for showing the type of deals worked on, the size of the deal, and the part played.
• Real Estate Associate: Showcases hands-on involvement in deals, underwriting (assessing and evaluating risks), and client communications.
• Real Estate Development Manager: Highlights projects managed from concept to completion, including approvals, budgeting, and buildouts.
• Real Estate Investment Manager: Tracks portfolio performance and capital deployment, helping pitch new opportunities and manage stakeholders.
• Property Manager: Great for showing occupancy rates, lease renewals, cost reductions, and operational improvements.
• Project Manager: Outlines project timelines, budgets managed, and delivery success. These aspects are key if you’re transitioning to larger roles.
• Real Estate Broker: Highlights closed transactions, total deal volume, and client relationships to prove presence in the market.
• Asset Manager: Shows portfolio performance, strategies, and revenue improvement across different assets.
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Demonstrates financial leadership across deals, fundraising experience and success, or restructuring activities.
• Construction Manager: Highlights cost control, project efficiency, and delivery against timelines.
• Finance Director: Demonstrates financial oversight in major projects and investment outcomes.
• Operations Manager: Useful for outlining operational efficiencies, vendor negotiations, and personal impact on property performance.
• Acquisitions Manager: Important for tracking deals sourced, underwritten, and closed. These are all key in showing sourcing capabilities.
• Real Estate Attorney: A real estate attorney can use deal sheets to showcase major closings, contract negotiations, and legal support in complex transactions, while highlighting their risk management experience and legal strategy in high-value deals.
• Leasing Director/ Agent: Showcases leasing volume, high-profile tenants secured, and occupancy rates.
• Investment Manager: Highlights fund performance, investor relations, and deal pipeline visibility.

What to Include in a Deal Sheet

Deal sheets are great for all kinds of roles and can significantly set you apart from others when applying for a new role. So, what needs to be included in a deal sheet?

Here are six key areas to include:

1. Overview of the Company

Include a brief overview of the company you worked for at the time of the deal. For example, it’s worth noting which sector it’s in (e.g. commercial or residential) and any public high-level financial details. For example, these might be the market cap, stock performance, and revenue.

Make sure that you keep confidentiality in mind and be careful mentioning any specific company names or individuals. As an example, you might want to say “a top-tier private equity firm”, rather than directly naming it.

2. Date of the Deal

The deal sheet needs to include the specific date of the deal, as this can boost credibility. Doing this as accurately as possible will showcase your ability to see a deal the whole way through, from the initial stages to completion. It’ll show how long you were involved in the deal and help you keep track of each process.

3. Transaction Rationale

Hiring managers are looking for candidates who understand the strategy behind each deal and decision, not just the general information of what happened. In the deal sheet, include details of why the deal happened. For example, was it an acquisition to expand market presence? Or perhaps a redevelopment opportunity? Explain the rationale behind the deal, as this will highlight the active role you played.

4. Your Contribution

State clearly what you did in the deal. What role did you play? Were you heavily involved at a certain point, or did your actions remain steady throughout? What skills did you use and how did you use them? For a real estate attorney, this could include contract negotiation, due diligence, title reviews, or supporting litigation tied to real estate disputes.

Be clear about your position and how active your role was. Outline the exact tasks you completed and how you actively moved the deal forward. If you experienced any challenges along the way, explain how you dealt with and overcame them.

5. Deal Size and Metrics

Quantify the deal as much as possible in the deal sheet. Include monetary value, square footage, units involved, or portfolio size. Numbers provide quick, compelling evidence of your experience, and hiring managers will efficiently be able to get a gauge on your exact experience.

6. Key Takeaways

End each deal entry with key takeaways you got from the experience. What did it teach you? Were any skills strengthened? By explaining what the deal taught you and what you took away from it, you’re demonstrating how you can bring value to your next role.

If you’re putting together your own deal sheet, using a deal summary template is a great way to keep things clear and focused. It helps you include all the key points without overcomplicating the layout.

Real Estate Deal Sheet Examples: Exploring the Different Types

Not all deal sheets are created equally. A deal sheet template will typically have the points listed above, usually in the style of a spreadsheet that’s easy to read and navigate. However, depending on your role in the real estate sector, the structure and focus of your deal sheet will vary to best reflect your expertise and day-to-day responsibilities.

Top Formatting Tips to Make Your Real Estate Deal Sheet Stand Out

Alongside what you need to include in an effective deal sheet, you also need to think about how you’re presenting it. Remember, you want your past contributions and successes to stand out and, therefore, being as specific, concise, and as organised as possible is vital.

Here are 10 additional formatting tips:

1. Start Early and Update Regularly

Start building your deal sheet as early in your career as possible. In less senior positions, chances are that you didn’t play the biggest role in deals. However, you would’ve assisted in them and contributed in some way, so note it down.

This is an effective way of creating a deal sheet in real estate because it will highlight your growth and progression in the process as a whole. A hiring manager will see your development over time, and this shows that you’ve got a solid foundation of ability.

2. Be Specific About Your Role and Contribution

Hiring managers want to know exactly what you did and how you did it. Avoid being too generic as you could easily get overlooked. Instead, get into the details of what you did that made an impact. Maybe you led the financial modelling or perhaps you helped the client in a certain way that led to closing the deal. Whatever you did to push the deal forward, make sure you’re specific.

3. Be Careful With Confidential Information

As much as sharing figures and specific details as a way of showcasing your skills and experience is tempting, be careful with any confidential information. Respect company policies and NDAs, as it could go against you if you don’t. If you’re in doubt, your best bet is to keep the details anonymous, just in case.

4. Avoid Unnecessary Details

If you’re proud of a certain deal you closed or a particular skill you developed in the process, being concise can be a challenge. However, hiring managers who are reading through lots of deal sheets all in one go want to be able to pinpoint the main elements. Focus on the most relevant points to the role you’re targeting.

A property manager, for example, might want to avoid listing every lease renewal and instead group them into categories that highlight scale or impact.

5. Involve Stakeholder Reviews (If You Think You Need It)

Where possible, ask relevant team members to review your deal sheet, like a legal advisor or finance manager. They can add to the accuracy and suggest any areas where improvements are needed.

6. Always Include Deal Dates

Deal dates are crucial in a deal sheet. Enter the start and finish dates to highlight how long the deal took. This timeline is useful as it offers an insight into your ability to see a deal through from start to finish. Of course, this is what employers are looking for.

7. Mention Deals That Didn’t Close (If Useful)

Not every deal will close, and that’s OK! As long as you can turn it into a positive and frame it as a learning opportunity, it won’t go against you. An employer would much rather you positively state the skills you used, or furthered, as a result.

8. Stay Organised

A deal sheet in real estate that’s organised and easy to read will make a much better impression than one that’s not. If you’re using a deal sheet template in the style of a spreadsheet, make sure the columns and rows are clear, so that someone reading it knows exactly what they’re looking at.

9. Use It As a Talking Point, Because It Is

Don’t be surprised if a hiring manager brings up certain elements of your deal sheet during an interview. Be ready to talk about it confidently with all the relevant information. The main aspect they’re looking for is the role you played and your contribution, so have the details under your belt.

10. Avoid Repetition If Possible

If you want to avoid repetition but still highlight your experience and deal volume, you can group similar transactions together, such as multiple retail leases or small-scale investments. This keeps things concise while effectively showcasing your track record.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Deal Sheet

Deal sheets will get you far in the real estate world, especially when competition is so high. However, common errors can quickly cause credibility to deteriorate. Once you know what to avoid, you can keep an eye on your deal sheet and fix any mistakes if needed.

Here are some examples:

• Data Inconsistencies & Date Discrepancies: Missing, vague, and disjointed dates can cause confusion and raise questions about accuracy.
• Incomplete Deal Terms: Missing out key details, like your contribution, can lower the impact of the document.
• Lack of Clarity and Accuracy: Being too general can go against you, especially in comparison to a deal sheet with lots of information.
• Confidentiality Breaches: Disclosing client names or sensitive financial data without permission can breach NDAs or damage professional relationships.
• Ignoring Sections: Leaving out sections can cause confusion and have a negative impact on readability.
• Outdated Deal Sheet: If your deal sheet isn’t up to date, it will lack the credibility that will get you noticed by a hiring manager.