Joseph Clayton: The outsized role of FP&A in big real estate deals

68 Ventures is a holding company for numerous operating entities transforming the Alabama Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle.

FP&A is central to this mission, says Joseph Clayton Business Analyst at the company. At 68 Ventures the  FP&A team is tasked with analysis that is fueling multiple big ticket real estate deals. Specifically, FP&A oversees a due diligence process to “ensure we're getting land at the value that we need in order to sell those lots at a profit to pay back our lenders, pay back our investors” alongside “tracking the schedule of the project.”

But Joseph’s career actually started in basketball.

With aspirations of playing in the NBA,  Joseph played college basketball until  injury cut this career short. After  being warned off law as a profession, he found a passion for finance after a series of roles showed him the powerful role of “financial data is in the decision-making process."

This inspiration of game-changing finance remains at the core of his mindset at 68Ventures. He discusses the central role of finance in providing storytelling and business partnering in a complex holding company which has 17 different entities. The 68 Ventures brand comprises an entity purchasing land, another developing the projects, home building, to a landscaping entity and pest control company (companies include Truland Homes, Vault Mortgage, Southeast Plumbing and Gopest).  

In our first episode tackling FP&A and the real estate sector, Paul Barnhurst talks to Joseph Clayton about:

• The key metrics real estate FP&A leaders need to obsess over
• The role of FP&A as interest rates rises impact homebuying after a sustained period at  rock bottom
• The partnership and decision-making process of FP&A across a company with 17 different entities
• The whys, and how’s as 68Ventures went through a process of replacing manual Excel processes to choosing an FP&A software company - and the lessons learnt
• How to overcome an instinct to achieve complete accuracy in forecasting

Watch the full show on YouTube.

Read the full transcript and blog

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