Limited partnership

A partnership with two roles: general partners who run the deal and limited partners who invest but don't manage. Common structure for real estate syndications.

Also called LP · Investment terms · Updated September 2026

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Part 1 of 4

Why a seller cares

A limited partnership is the usual shape of a syndicate: general partners who run it, limited partners who fund it. If one is buying your building, the closing depends on the raise being finished.

Part 2 of 4

A simple example

An LP formed to buy your apartment building has raised $600,000 of the $800,000 it needs by the contract date. Closing is set for after the raise.

Limited partnership: a simple example
The partnerWhat they do
General partnerSigns, negotiates, manages, and carries the liability
Limited partnersPut in money and take a share of the return
The seller's concernWhether the money is raised by closing

A limited partnership buys with pooled money, and pooled money has to be pooled first.

Part 3 of 4

What people get wrong

That the LP has the cash the day it makes an offer. It often raises it under contract, and a proof-of-funds request is fair.

Part 4 of 4 · where to read next

Where it appears in the sale

What a definition is, and what it isn't

Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.

Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish

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