What is the Secret to Longevity in Real Estate? - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt

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It’s no secret that, on average, building companies last about 5-7 years. So what is the secret to success for home builders that have been in business for 10, 20, or even 30 years? I sat down with Tony Visconti, founder and owner of Bella Custom Homes, and Stacy Brotemarkle, vice president and interior designer, to find out.
A third-generation home builder, Tony has been in the home building and development industry for nearly 46 years. Stacy has been with the team since 2009 yet has more than 20 years of home-building and interior design experience. Although many boast they are the best in the business, the two shared with me a few secrets that they believe are the key ingredients to true success and longevity.
The team at BCH is dedicated to its clients — which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. As a fixed-price builder, Bella Custom Homes’ clients know their price going into the project. Their clients get a detailed set of specifications with everything going into their new home. This way it’s not a guessing game. Tony shares that everything is out in the open from the beginning.
“If something goes wrong, we own it,” Tony says. “If they have questions, we tell them the truth. Nothing is sugarcoated.”
Stacy adds, “Honesty, integrity, and transparency have been the cornerstones of Bella Custom Homes. Those have all contributed to our longevity in the custom luxury home building industry.”
This applies to understanding the industry and economics of your business. Tony mentioned that many home builders spread themselves too thin in regards to the timeline of the build cycle.
“You don’t want to cram your calendar with builds right on top of each other. Spread it out so you have time to build, breathe, and start again. Maybe start out with one a month instead of once a week,” Tony adds.
BCH saw the benefits of taking a risk during downturns. While it was low inventory, they saw an opportunity to take a risk and saw the payout in return. However, when facing inflation, it may be a better time to be more risk-averse. It’s all about understanding give-and-take and the inner workings of your business.
For Bella Custom Homes, this means using licensed architects, engineers, designers, and an accounting firm to build out their team. You don’t want to wind up in a bind because you didn’t have the right team of professionals by your side.
“Our architects are classically trained,” Tony mentions. “And some have even taught previously. So they aren’t usually wrong when giving advice to our clients. That is something we pride ourselves on. We want what’s best for our clients.”
Bella Custom Homes is known for its classical and timeless architecture, but they can build any style of home that you desire.
“Something we value is having a talented team of craftsmen working on our projects” Stacy adds. “Regardless of the price point of a build, our clients are going to get the same framers, same trim carpenters, same flooring installers because this is the team that we’ve culminated and we trust to get the job done.”
Typically, you are starting with a blank canvas when building a home. The home buyer may have a list of wants for the home, but it’s really up to the builder to add in that wow factor.
“We’ve had a lot of clients tell us that their homes are better than being on vacation,” Tony says. “Most of our clients love the romantic architectural features we add, which is just one way we like to exceed expectations.”
In order to be successful, home builders should look at the process as fun, enjoyable, and exciting because they are getting the privilege of making lifelong memories for their clients. Successful builders don’t take that opportunity for granted.
“Backyards are a feature we really like to take advantage of,” says Stacy. “We love to create an oasis where it makes it feel like you’re at a resort. So many of our clients like to entertain so creating a destination that really wows them is another way we exceed expectations.”
Tony mentions that Murphy’s Law is a huge part of this business. When something can go wrong, it typically goes wrong. However, in order to be successful, you have to be on top of things and can’t pretend mistakes don’t happen.
“Everybody is human, they will make mistakes,” Stacy mentions. “But the important thing to remember is that oftentimes, everything can be fixed or changed. And we are a team that is determined to make things right.”
This is probably the No. 1 secret ingredient to the success and longevity of your business. Clients are looking to you, as a professional, for your expertise. In order to have happy clients, it’s best to put yourself in the position to educate them along the way and guide them in their decision-making process.
“We want happy clients. We want them to feel like they are truly getting the quality of work that they are paying for,” says Tony.
“Bringing new ideas to the table and creating the home’s design inspiration is the fun part for me,” Stacy says, “During the design process, you get the opportunity to brainstorm with your clients. It becomes a fun challenge to find a tangible visual to showcase the client’s wants and wishes.”
Both Tony and Stacy are very passionate about what they do. And it shows in how they treat their clients. Tony believes in the importance of being approachable and available to his clients. Additionally, Tony is a Graduate Master Builder while Stacy is a Certified Graduate Builder so both have a wealth of knowledge they love to share with their clients.
“We never work a day in our lives,” Tony says. “This is a business that once you’re in it, you’re in it for life.”
“We’re available to our clients at all times. From selecting a lot to attending architect meetings, we’re there,” Stacy adds. “We enjoy the process and want to help guide our clients throughout. We also provide perspective to our clients. They might not be thinking about the big picture or future plans, so we like to be that soundboard for them.”
BCH has repeat clients and has even built through families. Referrals are our best marketing and we take great pride in that. The team is grateful for all the clients that have trusted them to build their dream homes thus far, as well as the relationships forged, and look forward to building many more as Bella Custom Homes enters its 30th year of business in 2023.
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