Thank you to, Excel expert and University of Denver professor, Jeff Engelstad for dueling with TheAnalyst PRO founder, Todd Kuhlmann, in a friendly competition between these two software platforms and their role in commercial real estate analysis.
Who won?
Take a look at the key takeaways below, then watch the full presentation to find out.
Key takeaways from the webinar:
Flexibility Factors
Creating unique calculation sequences in Excel is an advantage, if you know how to set them up and create them. Not only does TheAnalyst PRO present unlimited investment scenarios where you can change inputs and re-run in seconds; it also goes with you wherever you need it (cloud-based: laptop, tablet, phone). Making last-minute changes in the field keeps you in front of clients longer and saves time.
Ease & Efficiency
The founding principles of TheAnalyst PRO! Complex analyses are made simple and time-intensive report formatting is done for you. Excel can have limitations here. The need to set up multiple spreadsheets for different property scenarios can be consuming. Excel requires users to set up all of their own scenarios and calculation macros, which leads to our critical next factor…
Risk of Error
Both products follow the adage garbage in, garbage out. With TheAnalyst PRO you can be assured we are taking care of the calculations for you, based on the data you enter! When working in Excel, sometimes it can take a genius, like Jeff, to properly set up the correct calculations and sequences, then carefully not taint them as you are working within the spreadsheet. One wrong move can send the entire spreadsheet into disarray mathematically.
Formula Transparency
Excel shines in this area – offering infinite transparency to track the formulas used for the calculations. Expert witnesses for court cases often use this transparency. Since no two deals in commercial real estate are the same, the algorithms used by TheAnalyst PRO are very complex to accommodate for these unlimited scenarios.
Exhibiting Professionalism
Another goal of TheAnalyst PRO is to help CRE professionals be just that – PROFESSIONAL. The reporting and output offered by TheAnalyst PRO is some of the finest on the market, automatically generating graphs, and offering marketing materials to accompany all of those magical analysis scenarios. Excel lags immensely in this area, and can be overwhelming for some viewers to digest.
So the declaration of the ultimate winner rests in each CRE professional’s hands (see comments from webinar participants below). Evaluating your analysis needs, and weighing the merits of each product as they pertain to you, is a critical piece of this puzzle. An added benefit is that TheAnalyst PRO provides a full video training section, help buttons throughout the platform and live support to all subscribers.
On the other hand, we are a big fan of collaboration, and see a great value in using both products together, especially since TheAnalyst PRO reports can be downloaded into Excel spreadsheets.
My company starting using TheAnalyst Pro a couple years ago, for ease of use for our agents and ease of interpretation for our clients. It’s a dynamite tool and very easy to use. Jeff is the man when is comes to Excel but if we had to teach everyone to use Excel then we would be behind the curve. Mobile TheAnalyst PRO is usable and Excel is not. – Bill Overman, CCIM
TheAnalyst PRO for me. Thanks for the comparison! – Doedi M.
Love TheAnalyst PRO! My computer crashed during CCIM 101 and I was able to get through a lot of the workbook using it. Faster than my team at the table using the Excel formulas. – Teresa S.
View the entire recorded webinar here:
