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For real estate investors, the way a particular deal is structured can play a substantial part in its overall profitability. The capital for most private equity deals is structured in a Joint Venture between a General Partner (GP) and a Limited Partner (LP).
These terms — GP and LP — are often thrown around, but what do they actually mean? Let’s dig into the responsibilities of each role in a real estate investment deal and discover how they differ.
A Limited Partner’s primary responsibility is contributing capital to the deal. LPs are often interested in real estate investing, but may lack the experience or operational expertise to oversee a project themselves. Often called the silent partner or money partner, LPs are not involved in the day-to-day operations of the real estate investment.
An LP isn’t always a well-funded individual. A group may serve as a limited partner, or an individual may raise capital and serve as an LP. Regardless, Limited Partners provide the capital and enable a General Partner to secure a deal.
A General Partner is typically the party with real estate expertise and infrastructure. However, they lack sufficient capital to secure the desired deal (or deals). Sometimes called Developers or Sponsors, GPs often have some capital but need to bring on a Limited Partner to round out financing for the investment.
Whereas an LP’s responsibilities are primarily financial, a GPs list of responsibilities is comparatively extensive. They have obligations before and after a deal closes.
A General Partner does all of the leg work on projects before even introducing an LP to the deal. This includes:
When the deal closes, the LP’s work is typically done, but the GP’s responsibilities continue. They must:
While the Joint Venture is mutually beneficial for both the General Partner and Limited Partner, it’s clear that a GP does the heavy lifting on each real estate investment. As such, they are disproportionately compensated based on their percentage of equity contribution.
Therein lies the attraction of the venture for the GP. They put in most of the work, and then they stand to reap an outsized reward. And LPs — who stand to make a hefty profit for little effort — are happy to have highly motivated GPs looking to produce superior investment returns.
The compensation is often determined by an equity waterfall (also known as a distribution waterfall). Based on the initial agreement, the waterfall shows the order in which gains from the investment pool are distributed to each party (the GP and the LPs). These agreements vary greatly and often contain multiple tiers, but typically, the better the ROI, the more a GP is compensated.
For many real estate investment deals, GP and LPs are both necessary. Based on this overview, you should have a better idea of what is required of each role — and which role you’d be best suited for.
Whether you’re a GP or an LP, Agora will make your life easier. As a GP, our all-in-one platform automates essential operational processes, including fundraising, investment management, and reporting. As an LP you’ll enjoy a modern, beautiful investment experience, that will upgrade the way you communicate with your GP.
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