Considerations When Hiring An Owner’s Representative

Construction is a three-legged stool: the contractor, the design team and the owner. While the contractor and design teamwork in the field every day, building or renovating a house is not typically in the owner’s wheelhouse. A good contractor and design team may support the owner so they can hold up their end of the bargain, however many owners do not have the time or capacity to manage the construction project.

Many will hire a professional owner’s representative to act on their behalf to respond to the requirements of the project and focus on the successful and efficient completion of a beautiful high-quality project. A great owner’s representative will more than pay their fee by creating a better project finished more efficiently.

A good owner’s rep will help the owner carefully vet and choose the best contractor with the best balance of quality and cost efficiency for the project. As many of these projects are not primary residences and will be used infrequently, it is essential that they remain in fine form and the property will be performing seamlessly when in residence, so visits won’t be filled with service calls to fix malfunctions.

Next, the owner’s rep will use their skill and access to the client to consider ALL the needs of the clients so that meetings with the design team are productive and design is comprehensive from the very start -- considering lighting, audio visual, temperature, humidity control, artwork and furniture placement, etc. While the owner may not have as much time as the design team may want with them, the owner’s rep will be able to fill in those gaps and communicate the owner’s needs to the design team in their absence.

Professional owners’ representatives prioritise maintaining a positive, productive, communicative team.  They will thoroughly read emails, respond in detail, keep commitments regarding time, payments and decisions. The adept owner’s rep will find a way to facilitate the owner’s focus on their business and personal responsibilities, as well as choosing the doorknobs when the project requires it to keep on schedule.

Great owners’ representatives help owners, architects, designers, contractors and artisans build great projects. They provide the decisions, the encouragement, the timely payments and the pats on the back that foster a culture of trust, collaboration and accountability.

© Rusk Renovations, LLC

To see Rusk’s work and philosophy, please visit our website at www.ruskinc.com

For New York City project inquiries, contact John Rusk at +1 (212) 544.0986 or info@ruskinc.com