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We Bring Clarity
Before You Commit Capital

Real estate decisions are easier with the right operator in the room.

BLDG-UP helps investors, family offices, and property owners make smart real estate decisions before money is committed and options disappear.  

We engage only where measurable value can be created.

Image by Pawel Czerwinski
Most Real Estate Decisions are Made on Paper.  But the Real Risks are on the Ground.

Spreadsheets look good. Projections make sense.  But real risk shows up later, during approvals, financing, construction, and delivery.  When execution risk is misunderstood, investors and owners:
 

  • Commit capital before feasibility is fully pressure-tested

  • Underestimate how long approvals or financing will take

  • Choose teams based on relationships instead of capability

  • Rely on budgets and schedules that don’t survive real-world conditions

  • Lock into structures that are difficult and expensive to unwind

 

At that point, options shrink. Time is committed. Capital is committed. Leverage increases. And small early assumptions become large, expensive problems. That’s when mistakes compound.

Execution Level Clarity
Before Capital Is Committed

BLDG-UP brings real execution experience into the decision process before money is locked in and options narrow. We review opportunities through the lens of feasibility, team capability, financing structure, cost realism, and delivery risk so investors understand what a project will actually require. Our role is to reduce blind spots, test assumptions early, and provide clear direction so capital is deployed with structure, accountability, and discipline - not hope.

What BLDG-UP Adds to the Deal

BLDG-UP adds decades of real-world execution experience in real estate development and construction to capital decisions. We have led projects through feasibility, approvals, financing, construction, and delivery, and we understand where assumptions typically break down. That experience allows us to see risks early that are often invisible in spreadsheets or marketing materials.
 
We bring structure to decision-making. Instead of reacting to problems after capital is committed, we help identify feasibility constraints, team capability gaps, financing pressure points, and delivery risks before options narrow. Our role is to reduce uncertainty and bring clarity to what a project will actually require.
 
We also bring accountability. Real estate outcomes depend on execution, not paper projections. By evaluating opportunities through an operator’s lens, we help investors align underwriting with real-world conditions and avoid preventable mistakes that compound over time.  The result is not hype or speculation. It is informed, disciplined capital deployment.

Who We Typically Work With?

Property owners with unentitled or entitled assets

Family offices and private capital groups invested in real estate

Business owners allocating capital to real estate

Sponsors seeking experienced operating leadership

Advisors and institutions supporting complex projects

*Engagements are evaluated based on project readiness, complexity, and alignment, not background or profession.

A Man and a Woman working together

Testimonials

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Frank Ferrari

“I’ve known Ben at BLDG-UP for over eight years now. He’s been a very trustworthy man of his word, partner.”

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Jason Levine

“What started as a meeting to buy a condominium turned into several successful investment opportunities, and I have never looked back since.”

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Laurence Buntin

“My knowing Ben has not only been financially rewarding but given me a trusted friend and colleague.”

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Dr. Taj Khan

“The group is trustworthy, professional, conscientious, and have answered all the questions I have presented to them over the past 10+ years.”

Why Clarity Matters
Before Moving Forward

In real estate, the most important decisions are made early, when risk feels manageable and projections look strong. Once capital is committed, contracts are signed, and approvals are in motion, flexibility narrows quickly. Adjustments become expensive. Exits become complicated. Small assumptions turn into large consequences. Clarity at the beginning changes that. It allows investors and owners to understand what a project will truly require — not just financially, but operationally. It reveals how approvals will likely unfold, how construction realities affect cost and timing, how lenders evaluate risk, and where execution typically breaks down. That kind of clarity does not come from theory. It comes from experience in the field. Real estate is ultimately built, not modeled. Developers with real construction backgrounds understand how plans translate into physical work, how budgets behave under pressure, and how teams perform when timelines tighten. Having worked through feasibility, entitlements, financing, construction, and delivery firsthand, we evaluate opportunities through the lens of what actually happens on the ground. Spreadsheets can estimate returns. Only real execution experience can anticipate friction. That perspective allows us to see risks early, pressure-test assumptions realistically, and help capital move forward with discipline instead of hope. Because in real estate, clarity is not about optimism. It is about understanding what it truly takes to get a project built.

WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH PARTNERS LIKE YOU

Hill Top Saint Johns

Hill Top Saint Johns

[Development Stage] Bergen Hill Summit Ave Jersey City NJ 82 Residential Apartments With Parking New Construction & Historic Restoration

Academy Flats

Academy Flats

[Construction Stage] Journal Square Academy Street Jersey City NJ 70 Residential Apartments With Parking New Construction

Harsimus Flats

Harsimus Flats

[Complete & Sold] 275 2nd Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 12 Residential Condos With Parking New Construction

333 Flats

333 Flats

[Complete & Fully Leased] 333 Newark Ave Downtown Jersey City NJ 18 Residential Apartments 1 Retail 1 Office New Construction

White Eagle Hall

White Eagle Hall

[Complete & Fully Leased] 335-337 Newark Avenue Downtown Jersey City NJ 3 Restaurants Live Theater & Music Hall 1,000 Capacity Historic Renovation 2017 JC Landmark Award

Boniface Lofts

Boniface Lofts

[Complete & Sold Out] 260 First Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 9 Residential Condos Historic Renovation

The Rectory

The Rectory

[Complete & Sold] 262 First Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Luxury Townhouse

Luxury Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 322 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential New Construction

Luxury Townhouses

Luxury Townhouses

[Complete & Sold-out] 321-323 First Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 3 - Single Family Residential Townhouses New Construction

Luxury Condos

Luxury Condos

[Complete & Sold-out] 270-272 Sixth Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 6 Residential Condos 2 Townhouses New Construction

Luxury Condos

Luxury Condos

[Complete & Sold-out] 212 Sixth Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 4 Residential Condos 2 Townhouses New Construction

Historic Condos

Historic Condos

[Complete & Sold-out] 233 Third Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 8 Residential Condos Historic Restoration

Historic Condos

Historic Condos

[Complete & Sold-out] 360 Sixth Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 6 Residential Condos Historic Restoration

The Yellow House

The Yellow House

[Complete & Sold] 336 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration 2006 Award Winner

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 231 Seventh Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 348 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 367 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ Downtown Jersey City NJ 4 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Historic Condos

Historic Condos

[Complete & Sold-out] 321 Eight Street 4 Residential Condos With Parking Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 365 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 338 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Residential Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 340 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 330 Eight Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Historic Restoration

Historic Townhouse

Historic Townhouse

[Complete & Sold] 327 Eighth Street Downtown Jersey City NJ 2 Family Historic Restoration

Project Types Commonly Worked With

Vacant Warehouses
Underutilized Properties
Vacant Office Parks
Industrial Properties
Medical Facilities
Underperforming Assets

Repurposing Churches
Financially Distressed
Farmland Transition
Complex Urban Infill
Environmental Issues
Data Centers

We Earn Fees Only
Through Value Creation

Most real estate advisory and development firms charge for activity, such as studies, meetings, and time spent, whether or not the project improves. We operate differently. BLDG-UP engages and charges fees only where we believe measurable structural value can be created in a deal. Before moving forward, we conduct a disciplined review to determine whether the opportunity can be meaningfully improved through execution, design, structure, or cost optimization. If we do not see a clear path to value creation, we step aside, and retainers are returned in accordance with the engagement terms and conditions. When we proceed, our work is tied to clearly defined assignments with identified value impact. We do not charge fees for activity alone. We charge fees for measurable progress. This approach protects capital, disciplines our work, filters weak opportunities early, and keeps incentives aligned around real economic improvement. Aligned incentives. Disciplined execution. Measurable value. Period.

Request
a Project Evaluation

How to work with BLDG-UP:

Step 1

We Gather Information About Your Project

We'll ask high level questions and you'll provide details about the property or opportunity so we can prepare for the discussion.

Step 2

We Evaluate Your Project

We review scope, constraints, and delivery considerations to determine whether our involvement would add meaningful value and it's worth moving forward.

Step 3

We Outline the Next Steps

If there is alignment, we outline potential next steps and explain how engagement typically begins.

A Simple Path to Real Estate Success

Step 1

Evaluation

Step 2

Perspective

Step 3

Success

What We Provide & How We Help
You make the Best Capital Decisions

When capital is being allocated to real estate, the most valuable perspective is often the one grounded in real execution experience. BLDG-UP provides practical, execution-informed guidance to investors evaluating opportunities. We review projects the way operators do — looking beyond projections to understand what it will actually take to deliver them. That may involve reviewing a specific deal, pressure-testing assumptions, discussing timing and structure, or offering an honest second opinion before capital is committed. Our conversations are grounded in real-world development and construction experience, not theory. In addition to capital perspective, we provide execution-focused due diligence. Most diligence processes focus on documentation and compliance. Ours focuses on whether the project can realistically be built, financed, approved, and delivered. We evaluate feasibility and approval risk, budget and schedule pressure points, financing expectations, design complexity, and the areas where projects most commonly break down. The objective is not to produce a long report. The objective is clarity. By the end of the process, you should clearly understand whether the opportunity is positioned to move forward, needs to be adjusted, or should not proceed at all. Through this lens, we often identify risks that are not obvious early on. These may include zoning assumptions that appear workable but create delays in practice, project scale that does not align with realistic construction costs, budgets that underestimate soft costs or lender requirements, schedules that do not account for real approval timelines, or exit strategies that depend on overly optimistic absorption. In some cases, the right decision is not acceleration, but pause or restructuring before capital is fully committed. We also evaluate the people involved. Real estate risk often lives with the team, not just the project. Developers, contractors, and consultants may look strong on paper, but experience gaps, unclear roles, or misalignment can create significant execution risk once work begins. As part of our review, we assess whether the team is suited for the scale and complexity of the project, whether responsibilities are clearly defined, and whether accountability truly exists. This work is decision support. It is execution-informed perspective. It is honest, independent feedback designed to reduce blind spots before capital is deployed. It is not financial advisory services, securities advice, deal promotion, coaching, or guarantees. We do not sell outcomes. We help investors think clearly about risk, structure, and delivery so capital decisions are made with discipline rather than assumption. Real estate success depends less on projections and more on execution. Our role is to bring that reality into the room before commitments are made.

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