Investment Associate

Abacus Capital - Investment Associate

Abacus Capital is seeking an Investment Associate to join its Capital Investments team. The role will support all aspects of its tactical real estate opportunity-drive investment platform.

Investment professionals at Abacus Capital work on a small deal team in a fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment. The candidate will have constant interaction with senior members of the firm as well as the senior management of the portfolio properties. Investment Associates have a significant level of responsibility from the outset of their career at Abacus Capital.

The Investment Associate will work closely with the Investment Manager as well as the Managing Partner of the firm. The Investment Associate will evaluate new investment opportunities to determine their suitability for Abacus Capital’s investment strategy. The initial evaluation will include an assessment of the investment opportunities and risk factors as well as a determination on pricing and projected investment returns. Duties will include site inspections, property cash flow analysis such as IRR, present value analysis, partnership allocations, and other related real estate financial analyses, tenant credit analysis, third party report reviews, market analysis, and competitive positioning. The Investment Associate will prepare cash flow and pricing models for evaluating existing and prospective real estate investments, and will oversee the financial, economic, physical, market, leasing, and structural due diligence for prospective investments. The Investment Associate should be able to understand the entire due diligence process and independently and proactively manage the process through closing. In addition, the Investment Associate will prepare detailed lease abstracts for existing and prospective properties, which includes analyzing the impact that each new lease will have on the value of each asset. The Investment Associate will manage and participate in the preparation and presentation of Investment Committee presentations.  

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management and Modeling

• Create, maintain and update financial models precisely and accurately, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Manage the quality and timeliness of information received from investment partners and/or 3rd party providers
• Review and analyze historical and projected operational data gathered from partners and/or 3rd party providers. 
• Perform detailed review of financial information for compliance with GAAP accounting standards.  Work with partner to correct any discrepancies on a timely basis.
• Monitor and track investment level debt, including covenants, escrows, maturities, prepayments, and reporting requirements to the lender.  Ensure compliance.
• Ensure that all operational information is appropriately captured in the financial model.  Prepare monthly reporting package (model, bridge and tactical plan) for investment team leader review and approval by the stated reporting deadlines.
• Prepare quarterly asset and equity valuation calculations for each investment.  Supplement this calculation with market data and other documentation to support the valuation for the quarter.  Obtain investment team approval.

Other Investment Activities

• Assist the Investment Team in the preparation of quarterly investment valuations by stated deadlines.
• Assist the Investment Team with exits including due diligence materials, pro-rations, pricing scenarios, etc.
• Assist the Investment Team in preparing analysis on other related transactions as needed or other ad hoc requests from investors, potential lenders, brokers, buyers, etc.
• Participate in weekly sales, operations, construction, management and/or leasing calls as they apply to each deal.  Track prospects, traffic, trends and overall market conditions as applicable. (rental rates, condo sales, vacancy, etc.)
• Work closely with Team Leader to assist in various asset management tasks as needed for each deal.

Primary Qualifications

• At least 2 years’ (but ideally 4+ years) experience in real estate investment management, investment banking or other capital markets disciplines of which at least two years is preferred to be in commercial real estate
• A working knowledge of the principles of asset valuation, the investment acquisition process, asset management and business plan implementation and the disposition process
• Advanced knowledge of, and a demonstrated high proficiency in, Microsoft Excel and the overall financial modeling process
• A strong comprehension of real estate as an asset class
• Bachelor’s Degree from a top academic institution required
• Highly motivated, assertive and driven
• Committed to high standards of excellence and ethics
• Clear, articulate communicator
• Goal-oriented, organized and diligent
• First tier market work experience strongly preferred

About Abacus Capital

Founded in 2017, Abacus Capital is a tactical real estate opportunity investor focused on the acquisition and development of differentiated commercial real estate in growth markets across the southeastern United States. Abacus is one of the fastest growing commercial real estate firms based in the Charlotte market and currently has nearly $250M of gross assets either owned or in its pipeline.

Abacus Capital targets high quality or otherwise irreplaceable assets with lower risk profiles where that risk might be mis-priced or otherwise misunderstood.  We strive to identify inefficiencies or dislocations in the real estate capital markets that generate asymmetric return profiles, often characterized by downside protection through attractive going-in bases and current income. At various points in a market cycle we will typically focus on investing client capital either offensively or defensively. However, special situations may arise on an episodic basis where we believe a particular offensive investment opportunity may make strategic sense on a risk-adjusted basis in an otherwise defensive investing environment.

Our mission is to identify investment opportunities that we believe offer our investors the most compelling risk-adjusted returns in a dynamic capital markets environment. In order to maximize our ability to capitalize on market dislocations or inefficiencies, we often leverage our extensive market relationships to partner with or hire best in class operators based on the specific opportunity, product type and strategy. Through a disciplined approach to capital allocation and strategic market selection we focus on value-oriented assets, seeking to generate superior returns for our clients by identifying opportunities with asymmetric return profiles often characterized by downside protection and durable in-place income.

The Abacus Capital team embodies the firm’s core principles: integrity, performance, accountability, discipline, agility, value orientation, and client alignment.