Everything about Baseline DCF, answered

Baseline DCF is a locally installed, desktop-based discounted cash flow modeling application for commercial real estate. It is not a web app, not a spreadsheet tool, and not a data platform. It is a purpose-built calculation engine that outputs into standard Excel workbooks.

CRE analysts, acquisitions associates, asset managers, brokers, appraisers, and anyone who builds or reviews DCF models for commercial real estate. It works for individual practitioners and for teams at firms of any size, from small shops to institutional groups.

ARGUS is an enterprise platform with a corresponding enterprise cost structure, licensing model, and complexity. Baseline DCF is a purpose-built DCF engine that covers all major CRE asset classes, outputs into Excel, runs loca. Baseline DCF models are also structured so recipients can open and work with them without needing a license themselves.

Yes. Baseline DCF covers the same core CRE asset classes as ARGUS, adds native support for specialized classes that ARGUS may not be fully compatible with, and produces fully auditable models at an affordable per-seat cost. ARGUS-specific integrations or ARGUS file compatibility are not necessary. Baseline DCF is a direct functional alternative.

Legacy CRE modeling platforms are expensive and opaque. Spreadsheet models are fragile and hard to audit. Baseline DCF sits between the two: a purpose-built engine that produces structured, auditable, portable models faster than a manual build and more defensible than a custom spreadsheet.

Baseline DCF covers Multifamily, Office, Retail, Industrial, Mixed-Use, Hotels, Self-Storage, Student Housing, Senior Housing, Single-Family Rental, and Industrial Outdoor Storage. Core and specialized classes are all supported natively.

Yes. Hotel modeling in Baseline DCF uses revenue-per-available-room logic and occupancy-based calculations built into the engine. It is not a generic asset template adapted for hotel use.

Yes. Self-storage modeling includes Existing Customer Renewal Increase (ERCI) logic, which is a self-storage-specific calculation that most general CRE platforms do not support without manual workarounds.

Yes. Student housing modeling includes unit turnover logic native to the calculation engine.

Yes. Single-Family Rental is a supported asset class with its own native data model.

Yes. Industrial Outdoor Storage is a supported asset class in Baseline DCF.

Baseline DCF supports renovation modeling with return-to-cost logic built in. You do not need to build a manual renovation module or layer it on top of a generic multifamily template.

Yes. Baseline DCF aggregates multiple assets into a portfolio view using structured asset-level data. No manual file linking or consolidation required.

No. Baseline DCF is locally installed. Models are stored on your machine or your firm's file system. No model data is transmitted to Baseline DCF or any third party.

Only license activation data and software update checks. No model data, no assumptions, no financial information leaves your machine.

Yes. Baseline DCF is signed with Azure Trusted Signing on Windows and an Apple Developer ID certificate on macOS. Both Apple Silicon and Intel Mac installers are signed.

No. The application runs fully offline after installation. An internet connection is only needed for license activation during setup and for optional software updates.

Yes. The Trust and Security page (baselinedcf.com/trust) covers signing certificates, network connections, data flow, deployment options, and answers to common IT questions in the detail an IT or security reviewer needs. For additional questions, contact info@baselinedcf.com.

Yes. Installation requires local administrator rights. If you manage your own machine, you can run the installer directly. If your firm's IT team controls software installs, they will need to run or approve the installation.

Yes. Baseline DCF can be deployed using standard enterprise management tools. The IT deployment guide on the Trust and Security page covers the process.

Microsoft SmartScreen may show a warning for recently released software while the application builds install volume. Baseline DCF is signed with a valid certificate. You can proceed by clicking "More info" and then "Run anyway." The warning typically goes away as more users install the application.

Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) or macOS 12 or later. 8 GB RAM and 500 MB of free disk space. Microsoft Excel 2016 or later is required to open the workbook output; both desktop Excel and Microsoft 365 are supported.

No. Baseline DCF models output as standard Excel workbooks. Anyone can open, review, and work with them in Excel without a Baseline DCF license.

Yes. Because outputs are standard Excel files, they work with existing templates, macros, and reporting tools without modification.

Every Baseline DCF model contains embedded JSON metadata that is machine-readable and can be used in third-party systems, custom workflows, or AI tools. Contact us if you have a specific integration question.

Yes. You can run multiple scenarios side by side, compare versions, and run attribution analysis between them.

Yes, in both directions. You can use an AI assistant to process source documents and draft model inputs before loading them into Baseline DCF. After the model is built, tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Microsoft Copilot can read the model's structured data and answer questions about assumptions, cash flows, and scenarios.

No. Baseline DCF is a calculation engine. It does not contain AI. It is structured so that AI tools can work with it accurately, but modeling decisions stay with you.

Every Baseline DCF model contains embedded JSON metadata alongside the Excel output. That metadata holds your inputs, assumptions, and model configuration in a machine-readable format. AI tools can read that structure directly, without having to interpret cell references in a spreadsheet.

A simple subscription after the 30-day trial: $79 per month, or $899 per year, which saves $49 against monthly and locks in your renewal pricing. Both include the full application, all property types, and portfolio roll-ups. Billed via Stripe and cancellable anytime.

No. There are no contracts to sign and no minimum commitment periods. Month-to-month subscriptions cancel anytime. If you choose an annual plan, you pay upfront for the year at a discounted rate.

Your models stay on your machine. They are standard Excel workbooks and remain fully accessible without a Baseline DCF subscription. You keep everything you built.

Yes. The trial is 30 days with full access. No credit card required.

If you do not start a subscription, you can no longer sign in to Baseline DCF at the end of the 30 days. Every Excel workbook you produced during the trial is yours to keep. They are standard Excel files, so you can open, edit, share, and keep using them without a subscription.

Technical documentation lives in a public GitHub repository at github.com/Baselinedcf/BaselineDCF_Docs. High-level guides and IT resources are on the Resources page at baselinedcf.com/resources.

Email support is included with every subscription (monthly and annual). Send questions to info@baselinedcf.com and we respond within one business day. Technical documentation is publicly available on GitHub.

Yes. The in-app Getting Started guide walks you through your first model, and the technical documentation on GitHub covers every feature in depth. Video walkthroughs are coming soon. If you get stuck, email info@baselinedcf.com and we will help.