Your Real Estate Syndication Elevator Pitch: How to Answer "What Do You Do?"
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"What do you do?" is the most useful question a sponsor hears, and many answer it badly. They either say "real estate" and lose the moment, or launch into deal terms they should not share. This post gives three versions you can adapt, the structure behind them and the lines to avoid. It is general information and not legal advice.
What is the structure?
- Who you help: "I help busy professionals..."
- What you do: "...invest in apartment buildings alongside me."
- How: "We buy and improve buildings and share the results with investors."
- Proof or story: a true detail about your background, not a boast.
- Invitation: "If you're curious, I send a short monthly note about what I'm learning."
What do the three versions sound like?
10 seconds. "I'm a real estate sponsor. I put together apartment-building investments with people who want to own real estate without managing it."
30 seconds. "I help busy professionals invest in apartment buildings without being landlords. I find a building, put together a team and invite investors to join, and I report to them every quarter. I'm in [city] and I started because [short true reason]. If you're curious, I'm happy to send a short guide to how these investments work."
60 seconds. Add one sentence on the problem ("most people we talk to want real estate but don't want tenant calls"), one on your approach ("I focus on [size/type of building] where I can explain every number"), and one honest note on risk ("these investments can lose money, so I start with education, not sales").
How do you do this without making an offer?
The SEC says an offering under Rule 506(b) cannot use general solicitation, while 506(c) can if all purchasers are accredited and verified (SEC, Rule 506(b), Rule 506(c), 17 CFR 230.502). Describing your business and offering education is different from soliciting investment in a specific deal. So at an event, say what you do and offer to share education. Save the deal details for people you already have a relationship with. See what is general solicitation and pitching at a meetup.
What should you avoid saying?
| Avoid | Say instead |
|---|---|
| "We're raising $5 million at 15% returns." | "I put together apartment investments." |
| "It's safe and the returns are great." | "These investments carry risk, so I start with education." |
| "Spots are filling up fast." | "Happy to send you a short guide." |
| "I've never lost money." | Only say what is true and complete. See track record |
Everything you say can be judged under antifraud rules (17 CFR 240.10b-5).
How do you practice?
Say it aloud to three people who do not work in real estate. If they can repeat what you do in their own words, it works. If they ask "what is a syndication," use a simpler phrase. See explaining a syndication.
Our take
A good pitch makes the other person ask a second question. That is all it needs to do. The offer comes later, in the right setting, with the right documents.
Trade-offs and who this is not for
- Not an offering script. It describes your work, not an investment.
- Common mistake: adding a target return because someone asked "how much do investors make?"
- Not a substitute for counsel.
How DoorRaise fits in
DoorRaise helps sponsors raise equity for apartment buildings with 5+ units from friends and followers who already trust them, under Rule 506(b) or 506(c). We are software, legal document preparation, escrow coordination and verification services. We are not a law firm, broker-dealer, investment adviser, funding portal, bank or escrow agent, and we do not hold investor money: investors wire their money to escrow at Enterprise Bank & Trust, in the deal's name.
DoorRaise keeps the deal in its own company with its own documents and a deal page, and runs an accreditation check on every investor, in 506(b) and 506(c) raises. Flat fees, never a percentage of the raise (see pricing). Create your free sponsor page.
FAQ
Can I mention my current deal when someone asks what I do?
Be careful. In a 506(b) raise, describing a specific open offering to people you have no relationship with can be general solicitation.
Should I mention returns in my pitch?
No. Describe what you do and leave projected returns to the offering documents.
How long should an elevator pitch be?
Ten to thirty seconds, with a longer version ready if asked.
What should my call to action be?
An educational next step, such as a newsletter or a guide, not an invitation to invest.
Sources
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Talk to a securities attorney about what you may say publicly. DoorRaise is not a law firm, broker-dealer, investment adviser or funding portal.