Pre-Development Planning Services & Feasibility Consulting

Pre-development is where the highest-impact decisions are made—before entitlements, design, or contractor selection.

Our services focus on the high-stakes, complex projects—commercial, mixed-use, industrial, multifamily, hospitality, and institutional developments—where margin for error is narrow. With HSE’s experience, we turn uncertainty into a clear, structured path for success.

Our Approach: Aligning Vision, Market, and Capital Early

The first step in pre-development planning is aligning the project vision with market needs and investor expectations. We help you clarify:

• Strategic Purpose: Core, value-add, opportunistic, mission-driven, or public-interest goals.
• Preliminary Program & Density Options: Uses, unit mix, Gross Leasable Area (GLA), parking, and amenities.
• Market Positioning: Align project options with demand drivers in your target submarket.
• Capital & Return Targets: Define financial structures that meet investor expectations.

By aligning these elements early, we ensure you avoid investing time and money into concepts that aren’t in sync with the market or available capital.

Clarifying Scope, Phasing, and Deliverables

As concepts take shape, we create a detailed pre-development roadmap, covering:

• Pre-development vs. Due Diligence vs. Entitlements: Understanding what belongs where.
• Feasibility Study Real Estate vs. Full Underwriting: Identifying key milestones and decision points.
• Site, Market, and Technical Questions: Ensuring all essential questions are answered before proceeding.
• Phasing Strategy: Structuring the project to manage risk, capital calls, and absorption.

Feasibility and Pre-Development Analysis

Market & Financial Feasibility Studies

We support your feasibility planning with deep insights into the market and financial outlook:

• Market & Competitive Analysis: Rents, pricing, tenant demand, and absorption trends.
• Pro Forma & Sensitivity Analysis: Testing assumptions and scenario planning across key metrics.
• Investment Committee Materials: We create structured materials for boards and investors, validating feasibility.

Site Feasibility & Constraints Analysis

Understanding your site is critical to project success. Our experts conduct a thorough analysis, examining:

• Access, Circulation, and Construction Logistics
• Utilities and Infrastructure: Capacity and required upgrades.
• Topography & Environmental Constraints: Including geotechnical analysis.
• Interfaces with Adjacent Uses: Easements, rights-of-way, and legal considerations.

Pre-Entitlement & Zoning Feasibility Review

Before launching entitlement efforts, we assess the zoning and regulatory environment:

• Zoning & Overlay Review: What is allowed “by right” and what requires variances or rezonings.
• Political & Institutional Dynamics: Insights into local zoning politics and community impact.
• Linkage to Entitlement Strategy: Connecting pre-development decisions with entitlement feasibility.

Pre-Development Planning by Client Type

Our services are tailored to each client’s unique needs:

• Developers & Co-GPs: Refining feasibility, structuring capital strategies, and preparing clear investment committee materials.
• Landowners & Family Offices: Helping landowners understand what’s realistically developable and guiding decisions on JV, sale, or lease options.
• Investors & Lenders: Independent risk assessments and pre-acquisition feasibility to ensure realistic risk profiles.
• Public Agencies & Corporates: Supporting public-private partnerships (PPP) and corporate developments with site selection, due diligence, and pre-planning services.

Pre-Development Risk Assessment and Go/No-Go Support

Pre-development is the time to ask, “What if we’re wrong?” Through scenario analysis and sensitivity testing, we analyze the impact of variables such as rent changes, cap rates, costs, and phasing. We clarify true contingencies and help you manage downside risk.

• Feasibility Summaries: Clear, concise, and actionable analysis.
• Go/No-Go Recommendations: Structured materials to guide decision-making.
• Committee-Ready Packages: Tailored for investment, credit, and public committees.

The HSE Contractors Advantage: A Holistic View

Because HSE also provides Development Management, Entitlement & Zoning Advisory, Owner’s Representation, Program Management, and Project Controls, we don’t treat pre-development as a theoretical exercise. Our planning is grounded in real-world execution. We plan with a full view of how the project will actually be entitled, financed, built, leased, and operated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Give Us a Call Today!

If you’re planning, acquiring, or repositioning a real estate asset, you don’t need more theory. You need a partner who has actually led complex developments, navigated risk, and delivered projects that perform.

Share your project with us, and we’ll help you:

• Clarify your development strategy
• Map risk across the entire lifecycle
• Align your team and decisions with your business goals