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Concepts

December 31, 2017

5 min read

Understanding Private Equity Waterfalls, Clawbacks, and Catch-Up Clauses

In private equity, a 'waterfall' refers to the priority sequence in...

In private equity, a 'waterfall' refers to the priority sequence in which profits from an investment are distributed among the general partners (GPs) and limited partners (LPs). It's akin to a multi-tiered waterfall, where the water - the profits in this analogy - cascades down different levels, each representing a phase in the profit distribution process.

Consider an example: A real estate fund acquires a property, invests in improvements, and then sells it at a profit. According to a typical 'European Waterfall' structure, the first tier - the top of our waterfall - ensures the return of the original capital to the LPs. The second tier provides the LPs with their preferred return, a predefined percentage on their initial investment.

Only after these two levels are satisfied does the waterfall flow to the third tier. Here, the remaining profits, often called 'excess profits,' are divided between the LPs and GPs. It's common for this split to favor the GPs, typically around an 80-20 LP-GP ratio, incentivizing fund managers to exceed the preferred return threshold.

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October 3, 2023

Blog Series

The Complete Guide to Multifamily Syndication

‍Welcome to our in-depth educational series designed for those looking to...

Introduction:

Welcome to our in-depth educational series designed for those looking to master the art of multifamily syndication. Whether you’re aspiring to syndicate your own multifamily investment, aim to join a private equity firm in this sector, or simply want to be a more informed passive investor, this resource is tailored to provide you with comprehensive knowledge and practical insights.

This series is structured as a virtual course, broken down into detailed sections, each focusing on a crucial aspect of multifamily syndication. Through this blog series, you will gain a deep understanding of the market dynamics, legal frameworks, financial analysis, and much more that are essential to succeeding in this field. Each blog will link back to this start page so you can come back here and see all the topics in one place.

Course Overview:

Below is a detailed layout of the course, segmented into key sections. Each section header is followed by a series of topics. Click on the topics to access the dedicated blog posts for detailed information and insights.

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