OVERVIEW OF MODEL
The Corporate Model by Top Shelf Models is a specialized Excel-based framework designed to consolidate and analyze performance across both fund-level and corporate-level operations. Built for investment managers, real estate sponsors, and private equity platforms, the model delivers a unified financial picture that supports capital planning, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making.
At its core, the model integrates fund-level cash flows, promote structures, and tax distribution projections with corporate-level expenses — including salaries, bonuses, G&A, and overhead — to provide a complete view of a manager’s business. Expenses can be allocated by vertical, such as industrial or retail, and the model can mirror existing expense categories to align with internal reporting.
Scalable to support 30+ existing and future funds, the Corporate Model also enables granular tracking of management fee revenue and asset sale impacts, while side-by-side testing ensures accuracy before adoption. The result is a consolidated, high-level view of performance that improves visibility, forecasting, and control at every level of the organization.
If you would like to know more about real estate investing or Excel, please check out our blog. If you want to learn how to underwrite an investment, please check out our Real Estate Finance Certification Courses at Top Shelf® Academy.
PRODUCT FEATURES
Video Walkthrough of Our Corporate Financial Model in Excel
Note about Models
The corporate model has been used to underwrite $3 billion in corporate transactions.
Models downloaded from Top Shelf Models are continuously being updated and improved.
Version Notes: v1.1
For the past 18 months, we have thoroughly tested and vetted these models internally.
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MODEL OBJECTIVES
+ ACCURACY
The corporate model must be accurate. If you are investing millions of dollars into a corporate project, the model needs to be precise and exacting with zero formulaic errors. Without an accurate model, the capital requirements or expected returns could be misstated. Our corporate model is a 100% unlocked Excel file with fully transparent formulas. While the model is fully customizable, we are confident that it will contain everything you need.
+ EFFICIENT AND INTUITIVE
All tabs need to have a purpose, and all inputs should be organized in a logical way that is easy to follow. Anyone should be able to open the model and understand your assumptions. At TSM, this is important to us because we know that you will be sharing the results of your customized model with your investors, lenders, and partners. Each corporate model includes an easy to use, step-by-step instruction manual. This manual guides you tab by tab, and cell by cell, in order to help you underwrite your very own corporate project.
+SPECIFICATION
The problem with most generic corporate model templates is that they are standard and not able to be customized. You will either be required to add additional calculations or remove the sections you do not need. At Top Shelf Models, we have a proprietary Custom Model Builder where you are able to pick and choose the features you need. Some of these features include the ability to refinance, addition of mezzanine debt, as well as an option to choose how many tiers of waterfall calculations. The result is a model with exactly what you need, nothing more and nothing less.
+VISUAL APPEAL
A good-looking corporate model gives the audience confidence that the project is organized and thoughtful. We have included a pre-formatted investor summary tab that can be printed and used for internal and external reports. We also have a model output tab that summarizes the project in a single location so you or your marketing/investor relations team can copy the formatted reports and paste them directly into your OMs or PPMs. We have included several drop-down boxes, elevator buttons and consistent colors/formats using our trademarked formatting style.
