The 10 charts investors actually read (and the ones they skip)

Investors do not read investor packs the way finance teams write them.

They skim. They look for risk, direction, and decision implications-fast. The charts that get attention are the ones that answer a question immediately:

• Are we liquid?
• Is NOI holding up?
• Is occupancy real (or "marketing occupancy")?
• Is leverage tightening or loosening?
• What breaks in a downside case?

Below are 10 charts investors consistently engage with in property portfolio reporting-plus the common "noise charts" they tend to skip, and how to replace them with something decision-useful.

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What makes a chart "investor-readable"

Before the list, a rule of thumb: investors read charts that have one clear message and one clear comparison:

• trend vs last month / last year
• actual vs budget / forecast
• base case vs downside
• portfolio vs top/bottom assets

If a chart needs narration to explain what it is showing, it probably will not be read.

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1) NOI trend with a simple driver bridge

What it is

A 12-24 month NOI trend line, plus a compact bridge (or callouts) showing the top drivers of the latest movement.

Why investors read it

NOI is the portfolio's heartbeat. The trend answers "Is performance stable?" and the bridge answers "Do we understand why?"

Common mistakes

• Showing revenue and OpEx only, with no explanation of drivers.
• Mixing one-offs into "run-rate" NOI without flags.
• Changing NOI definitions month-to-month (capex creeping into OpEx, reclasses).

Best-practice reporting

• Keep the trend consistent: same definition, same roll-up rules, every month.
• Add 3-5 driver callouts only (occupancy, rate changes, utilities, major repairs, incentives).
• Clearly label "one-offs" and show a "NOI (underlying)" view if you use it.

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2) Unrestricted cash and cash runway

What it is

A chart that separates unrestricted cash from restricted/trapped cash, and shows runway (months or weeks) under the base case.

Why investors read it

Liquidity risk kills plans faster than P&L deterioration. Investors want to know: "Can you fund operations and capex without surprises?"

Common mistakes

• Reporting "total cash" with no restrictions split.
• Hiding SPV cash traps (cash exists, but cannot be moved).
• Not linking runway to known commitments (debt service spikes, capex programme).

Best-practice reporting

• Show unrestricted vs restricted as different series (or stacked bars).
• Include a minimum liquidity buffer line (your policy).
• Add a short "next 90 days" note: major expected uses of cash.

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3) 13-week cash forecast (the "no surprises" chart)

What it is

A weekly cash forecast that shows opening cash -> net movement -> closing cash, ideally with the big drivers separated (rent receipts, debt service, capex, transfers).

Why investors read it

It is the clearest window into whether management is in control of near-term funding.

Common mistakes

• Over-detailing (50 lines nobody can maintain).
• Forecasting without showing forecast accuracy (trust gap).
• Ignoring intercompany transfers and SPV constraints.

Best-practice reporting

• Forecast the top drivers and bucket the long tail.
• Show forecast vs actual for the prior 4 weeks to build confidence.
• Flag any week a key SPV breaches its minimum cash buffer.

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4) Physical vs economic occupancy

What it is

A chart with physical occupancy and economic occupancy side-by-side (and ideally offline units/space as a separate disclosure).

Why investors read it

Because physical occupancy can look great while income quality is deteriorating through incentives, rent-free, or arrears.

Common mistakes

• Using inconsistent denominators (units vs area) without labeling.
• Month-end snapshot occupancy used to "explain" monthly revenue.
• Excluding offline/refurb space sometimes-but not always.

Best-practice reporting

• Publish both occupancy types with clear definitions.
• Use average (day-weighted) occupancy when discussing income.
• Add an "offline" line so occupancy does not magically improve when units are removed.

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5) Collections rate + arrears aging

What it is

Two charts that belong together:

• Collections rate (cash received vs cash due)
• Arrears aging (0-30 / 31-60 / 61-90 / 90+)

Why investors read it

This is the earliest warning that "NOI will become a cash problem."

Common mistakes

• Reporting arrears as a single number (no aging = no insight).
• "Fixing" collections by delaying billing or masking with credits.
• Missing concentration (one tenant driving most of the risk).

Best-practice reporting

• Track both metrics monthly and highlight trend (3-month rolling).
• Include a top delinquent tenants list in the appendix (not the main slide).
• Flag 90+ growth and concentration triggers automatically.

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6) Capex: spent vs committed vs budget (with timing)

What it is

A capex view that separates:

• spent (actual cash out)
• committed (signed/approved pipeline)
• remaining budget

...and shows it across time.

Why investors read it

Capex is where forecasting goes to die. Investors care about timing and optionality: "What is locked in? What can you slow?"

Common mistakes

• Reporting only "spent" capex (missing the forward risk).
• Not tying capex to downtime impacts (NOI dip).
• Treating "refurb" as one monolithic number (no phasing).

Best-practice reporting

• Show committed spend as the "floor" you cannot avoid.
• Add a small "capex risk note": top 3 programmes by size and timing.
• Pair with a refurb/downtime scenario page (even a simple one).

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7) Debt maturity wall (and hedge maturity wall)

What it is

A bar chart of debt maturities by quarter/year (next 24-36 months), and-if relevant-a second layer for hedge maturities.

Why investors read it

Refinancing risk is often the biggest strategic risk in property portfolios. This chart makes it instantly visible.

Common mistakes

• Showing only maturities without status (unstarted/in progress/term sheet).
• Ignoring hedge expiries (rate cliffs).
• Aggregating so much that the "problem maturity" disappears.

Best-practice reporting

• Include maturity amounts and refinance status.
• Show hedge expiries alongside maturities (same timeline).
• Add a "next decisions" box: which facilities need action this quarter.

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8) Covenant headroom over time

What it is

A trend chart of covenant headroom (not just the ratio) for:

• LTV headroom
• ICR/DSCR headroom

...at the facility / SPV level, with portfolio roll-up as context.

Why investors read it

Because a portfolio can look "fine" on average while one facility is quietly approaching a trigger.

Common mistakes

• Reporting ratios without limits (no context).
• Reporting at portfolio level when covenants are tested at facility level.
• Using stale valuations without labeling the valuation date.

Best-practice reporting

• Show the covenant limit as a clear threshold line.
• Label valuation date and basis next to any LTV-based measures.
• Flag trend deterioration even if still compliant.

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9) Asset performance ranking (top/bottom with an outlier lens)

What it is

A bar chart ranking assets (or segments) by a small number of KPIs, e.g.:

• NOI margin
• occupancy / economic occupancy
• arrears as % of rent
• yield / return-on-cost (where relevant)

Why investors read it

It answers: "Where are the problems concentrated?" and "Is performance dispersion widening?"

Common mistakes

• Ranking with too many metrics at once (confusing).
• Not normalising (per unit/sqm) where needed.
• Hiding the "why" (no short notes on the worst performers).

Best-practice reporting

• Choose one KPI per chart and keep it consistent across packs.
• Add one-line callouts for the bottom 3 (voids, arrears, capex disruption, cost spike).
• Include a "watchlist" rule (e.g., bottom quartile two months in a row).

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10) Capital deployment vs return progress

What it is

A chart that shows:

• equity invested
• equity returned / distributions
• remaining invested capital (or NAV bridge / equity multiple progress)

Why investors read it

It connects performance to what investors ultimately care about: capital recovery and return profile over time.

Common mistakes

• Reporting IRR without explaining the drivers (and without time context).
• Mixing realised and unrealised performance without clear separation.
• Ignoring constraints (returns might exist "on paper" but be trapped by debt/structure).

Best-practice reporting

• Separate realised (cash) from unrealised (valuation) impact.
• Keep definitions consistent and reconcilable to financial statements.
• Pair with a short forward-looking note: next likely sources of distributions (refi, disposal, stabilisation).

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The charts investors skip (and what to do instead)

These are not "bad charts." They are low-signal charts in investor packs-especially when time is limited.

1) Pie charts of expense breakdown

Why they skip: static and rarely decision-relevant.
Replace with: OpEx trend + top 3 movers + controllable vs non-controllable split.

2) Dense multi-line KPI dashboards with 30+ metrics

Why they skip: no focal point, no hierarchy.
Replace with: a 6-metric watchlist + thresholds + exceptions commentary.

3) Screenshots of trial balances or long tables "for completeness"

Why they skip: that is audit detail, not investor communication.
Replace with: reconciled bridge charts (NOI bridge, cash bridge, capex bridge) plus an appendix download if needed.

4) Forecast charts without showing forecast accuracy

Why they skip: if they cannot trust it, they ignore it.
Replace with: forecast + last 4-week accuracy (or last 2 months) + what changed in assumptions.

5) "Traffic light" charts without defined thresholds

Why they skip: it feels subjective.
Replace with: headroom charts with explicit limits (covenants, minimum cash buffer, arrears thresholds).

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How to assemble these into a pack investors actually consume

A simple order that works:

1. Performance: NOI trend + drivers
2. Liquidity: unrestricted cash + 13-week cash forecast
3. Operations: occupancy (physical vs economic) + collections/arrears
4. Investment: capex spent vs committed + programme notes
5. Risk: maturity wall + covenant headroom
6. Dispersion: asset ranking (top/bottom)
7. Returns: capital deployed vs returned progress

If you cannot fit all 10 in a short pack, keep: NOI, cash/runway, 13-week cash, occupancy/economic occupancy, arrears aging, maturity wall, covenant headroom. Those are the "non-negotiables."

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The hidden requirement: charts are only credible when your roll-ups are consistent

Every chart above becomes dramatically more valuable when:

• SPVs roll up the same way,
• accounts are mapped consistently,
• cash is split into unrestricted/restricted,
• debt and covenants are tracked at facility level,
• and the portfolio view is drillable down to the SPV or asset.

That is why the strongest reporting stacks start with multi-entity consolidation, then build up into standardised mappings, FP&A (budgeting/forecasting/cash planning), scenario testing, and automated narrative commentary-so the charts stay consistent and repeatable month after month.