Capital Raising Playbook for CRE Sponsors
How to Raise $25M–$250M from Family Offices & Institutional Investors with an Institutional-Grade Capital Strategy
Written by: George Burgess
Role: Capital Markets Advisor & IR Partner to CRE Sponsors
Role: Capital Markets Advisor & IR Partner to CRE Sponsors
Why Capital Raising is Broken
Let's be honest: Most capital raising efforts fail not because the deal is bad. They fail because the process looks amateur.
Family offices and institutional LPs don't want perfection. They want confidence. And confidence comes from clarity, structure, and follow-through.
One LP told us: "If they can't organize a raise, how are they going to manage $100M+ of real estate?"
Confidence
Investors need to feel confident in your ability to execute, not just your deal quality.
Structure
A well-organized capital raising process signals professional management capabilities.
Follow-Through
Consistent communication and execution demonstrate your reliability as a partner.
The Institutional Mindset
Family offices and institutions don't just invest in real estate—they invest in people, process, and protection. They're asking deeper questions about your team's ability to scale, communication after investment, and operational discipline.
Institutional Ready
Consistent, credible, scalable
Emerging Pro
Some wins, some structure
Opportunistic Hustler
Great deals, weak systems
This playbook helps you move from being an Opportunistic Hustler or Emerging Pro into becoming truly Institutional Ready, where you can consistently attract and retain significant capital.
Your Institutional Capital Infrastructure
This is your foundation. Without it, no amount of intros or warm leads will convert to actual investments.
Dedicated Capital Function
IR is not a side job. Appoint someone to own investor communication and follow-up. This can be internal or fractional.
Professional CRM
Use a system like Affinity, HubSpot, Juniper Square or DealCloud to tag LP interest levels, track follow-ups, record objections, and automate updates.
Consistent Narrative
Your story must match across your deck, website, team communications, emails, and webinars. You get one shot to make a cohesive impression.
Tip: If your LP pipeline lives in a spreadsheet, they'll feel it. Is your strategy clear in 1 sentence? Does your deck explain risk and reward clearly? Do your metrics build trust?
Your LP Experience Funnel
Now that you're structured, it's time to go to market with a systematic approach to finding and engaging the right investors.
Identify the Right LPs
Build a target list of Family Offices ($100M–$1B+ AUM), Multi-Family Offices, Institutional Co-Investors, and Fund of Funds. Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, PitchBook, Preqin, and direct introductions.
Outreach Sequence
Use a 5-touch sequence over 21 days: Insight Email, Intro Email, Deal Snapshot, Invite to LP Webinar, and Final Reminder with Thought Leadership. Don't ask for capital. Ask for feedback on your strategy.
Host the Call Like a Pro
Your first LP calls should run 30–45 minutes max, be 70% listening, show how your process is institutional, and offer follow-up materials within 24 hours.
LP Conversion System
This is where the trust is won or lost. Having a systematic approach to converting interested parties into investors is critical.
Investor One-Pager
Concise overview of your investment opportunity
Full Investment Deck
Comprehensive presentation of strategy and opportunity
Due Diligence Room
Organized repository for all investment documentation
Video Overview
Personal introduction from founder/leadership
Reporting Samples
Examples of your communication style
Golden Rule: Never let an LP wonder, "What's next?" Your post-call follow-up should include a personalized email with takeaways, link to DD room, invite to next touchpoint, and a CRM follow-up task.
Post-Wire Experience (The Confidence Multiplier)
What happens after you raise the money? Smart LPs are already thinking about this before they commit. Your ability to demonstrate a professional post-investment experience can be the deciding factor.
Communication Cadence
Regular, structured updates that keep investors informed without overwhelming them
Quarterly Reporting
Professional, consistent reporting templates that provide transparency
Capital Call Process
Clear, organized process for requesting additional capital when needed
Exit Strategy
Well-defined waterfall and distribution plan when investments mature
It's not about impressing them. It's about showing that this is normal for you. Your systems should demonstrate that you're prepared to handle their capital professionally.
Final Thoughts – Operate Institutional Before You Are
You don't need a $1B fund to raise like one. The key is adopting institutional practices early, regardless of your current size.
Defined Process
Systematic approach to capital raising
Committed IR Function
Dedicated investor relations resources
Clear Storytelling
Consistent, compelling narrative
Disciplined Follow-up
Reliable communication cadence
This playbook is your cheat code to operating with institutional discipline before you reach institutional scale. By implementing these practices now, you position yourself to attract larger investors as you grow.
Need Help Executing?
I partner with CRE sponsors to become LP-ready, run capital strategy, and convert more interest into actual wire transfers. Whether you need strategy, systems, or outsourced investor relations—we help you win trust with institutional capital.
Strategy Development
Crafting your institutional-grade capital raising approach tailored to your unique strengths and portfolio.
Systems Implementation
Setting up the infrastructure needed to track, engage, and convert institutional investors efficiently.
Outsourced IR
Handling your investor relations function with institutional-grade professionalism and consistency.
Let's make your raise feel like a billion-dollar fund—before it is.
Ready to Transform Your Capital Raising?
Implementing an institutional-grade capital strategy doesn't happen overnight, but the results are transformative. By following this playbook, you'll position yourself to attract larger investments and build lasting relationships with sophisticated capital partners.
$25M
Minimum Raise
Start with institutional practices even at smaller raise sizes
$250M
Target Raise
Scale your approach as your capital needs grow
100%
Confidence
The difference professional capital raising makes
The journey from opportunistic hustler to institutional-ready sponsor is challenging but rewarding. With the right systems, processes, and mindset, you can bridge the gap and access the capital you need to grow your commercial real estate portfolio.
