06/07/2026
In development, the deal is only one part of the equation. The other part is whether you have the right people around you.
It is knowing who to trust.
You may need a planner, designer, architect, civil engineer, surveyor, builder, estimator, lender, mortgage broker, appraiser, quantity surveyor, property manager, lawyer, accountant, and sometimes additional consultants depending on the site.
The problem is not just finding these people.
The problem is knowing when to involve them, and how to interpret what they are telling you.
It’s snowing what each professional is responsible for and where their advice begins and ends. It’s understanding how their advice impacts the numbers.
This is where newer developers can get into trouble.
They rely too heavily on one opinion:
They ask a builder a planning question.
They ask a realtor a construction question.
They ask the city a question without understanding how to frame it.
They talk to a lender too late.
They get drawings started before the investment strategy is clear.
They assume a consultant is thinking like an investor when the consultant is really only solving their own piece of the file…
None of this means the team is bad.
It means you, as the investor, still need to understand the overall project.
That is one of the biggest shifts in development. While you do not have to do everyone’s job, you do need to know enough to lead the process.
This is a major part of what I help investors with.
Not just “who do I call?”
But:
Who do you need first and the sequencing of who next?
What do you ask them?
How do you qualify them properly?
How do you decide on one person over the other?
The right team can help protect you.
But only if you know enough and how to lead them.
The goal is to complete your development project with confidence going in and throughout the process. Knowing you made grounded decisions and understood the risks.
If you are an investor who wants to move into development but feels unsure about who needs to be on your team, DM me TEAM.
