How to use the Timeline Builder.
Six steps from variant pick to a distribution-ready milestone calendar with RACI matrix. Plus practitioner tips on close-date anchoring, dependency modeling, the single-Accountable rule, and the status conventions that prevent 'I thought you were doing that' closings.
A. Six steps
- 1
Download the Timeline Builder
You receive an 8-tab XLSX: Master Timeline · Pre-Closing · Closing · Post-Closing · Construction (if applicable) · Stabilization · Refi/Exit · RACI Matrix. Save as
Timeline_<Deal>_<YYYY-MM>.xlsx. - 2
Pick the template variant matching your deal type
Templates included: Stabilized Acquisition · Value-Add Acquisition · Construction Loan · Bridge-to-Perm · Refi. Pick one; archive the others. Each variant has different default milestones + dependencies. Don't mix variants.
- 3
Backfill the milestones with deal-specific dates
Master Timeline columns: Milestone · Owner · Start · End · Dependency · Status · Notes. Anchor to either close date (counting backwards) or kick-off date (counting forwards). The model auto-flags when a milestone's end date conflicts with its dependency's start.
- 4
Build the RACI Matrix on the dedicated tab
Standard RACI: Responsible · Accountable · Consulted · Informed. Rows = workstreams (financing, legal, diligence, construction, leasing, asset mgmt). Columns = parties (Sponsor, Lender, Counsel, GC, PM, Asset Mgr). Filling RACI prevents the "I thought you were doing that" failure that breaks closings.
- 5
Use the Critical Path tab for blocker priority
Critical Path: every milestone where slip directly delays closing or another downstream milestone. The CP tab auto-filters to red-flag rows. Run this weekly during active deal phases; daily in the final 10 days before closing.
- 6
Export the milestone calendar for stakeholder distribution
The Master Timeline tab exports cleanly to PDF in landscape mode. Save the editable XLSX in the deal folder; distribute the PDF to stakeholders (sponsor, lender, counsel, GC). Update + redistribute when material milestones shift.
B. Practitioner tips
- Anchor to close date, not kick-off date, on stabilized acquisitions. Construction loans anchor to substantial completion. The right anchor matters because backward-planning shows what's actually blocking; forward-planning hides slack.
- Dependencies: most timelines fail because dependencies are implicit, not modeled. "Insurance binder requires Title Commitment" — capture this as a dependency cell, not a verbal understanding.
- RACI Accountable: every workstream gets ONE Accountable. Multiple Accountable = no Accountable. This is the #1 failure mode of CRE deal teams.
- Status conventions: Not Started · In Progress · Blocked · Done · Re-opened. Don't use "On Track" — it's lazy. Either a milestone has slipped (Blocked or Re-opened) or it hasn't.
- Construction loans: the Timeline's Construction tab integrates with the AIA Forms tracker. Same milestone owners; different cadence (monthly draws vs deal-event milestones).
- Refi / exit timeline: 90-120 days for an agency takeout; 60-90 for a CMBS refi; 30-60 for a portfolio sale where buyer is identified. Add 30 days to whatever the GC / broker tells you.
C. Scope & limits
- Not a project-management tool. The Timeline is a status + dependency tracker, not Asana / Monday / Jira. For active task-level project management with notifications, use a dedicated PM tool alongside.
- Doesn't handle multi-deal portfolio scheduling. Single-deal at a time. Portfolio scheduling needs separate treatment.
- No automatic Gantt chart generation. The Master Timeline tab is grid-based; export to a dedicated Gantt tool if you need visual time-bar charts.
- Not for pre-acquisition / sourcing-pipeline timeline tracking. Built for in-flight deals from kick-off through stabilization.
D. Pairs with
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Closing Coordinator
Agent (forthcoming Q4 2026)
Owns the Master Timeline + RACI through closing; runs the Critical Path weekly during active deal phases.
-
Construction Draw Analyst
Agent (forthcoming Q4 2026)
Owns the Construction tab; coordinates draw cycle milestones with the AIA Forms tracker.
-
Asset Manager
Agent (forthcoming Q4 2026)
Owns the Stabilization + Refi/Exit tabs through hold and disposition.
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Lender Checklist
Template (available now)
Tracks the CP items; this Timeline tracks the milestone sequence + dependencies that the CP items live within.
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AIA Forms
Template (available now)
For construction-loan deals — the Timeline's Construction tab + the AIA Forms draw tracker work together.
Next step
Build the full stack around it.
This template is the work surface for a specific AI agent + skill workflow. Open the Company Builder and assemble the matching agents when they ship Q3 2026.