They know the language and practices.
Architects, contractors, their subs, city and county officials, utility companies all have their own language and their own way of doing things. The acronyms and terminology can be stifling. A great owner’s rep knows that languages and translates for you. They are deeply experienced in the various practices of the team members so they can scope out the work to be done more effectively.
They are strategic.
Who holds the big picture? Your owner’s representative. They know the owner’ concerns, the architect’s, the General Contractor’s, along with all the subs, demolitions teams and the utility companies. They hold all the points of view, at all times, so their choices are much more strategic than those of any company operating in one discipline.
They have the networks.
It’s all about people. And they have the relationships. They have estimators on staff to get you estimates in a very timely fashion. They know who is doing what, who is having trouble with labor, or if the good construction superintendent just left that contractor. They probably have worked with your architect or GC before and may know them from past experience. They know contracts and who to hire to meet your project’s goals. And if they don’t know, they know who to talk to to get the answer. They have solid connections that you can tap into.
They reduce costs.
Great owner’s reps know that there are four components of cost – time, energy, money and lost opportunity – and they manage them all expertly! They build the timelines and track budgets, schedules, people and risk. They do the heavy lifting regarding the management of the project and guide you along the critical path get you to the finish line.
They assure quality.
They “hold” the right level of quality for your project. Every contractor along the way is going to want to give you too much, or too little, and it is a great owner’s rep who keeps their eye on the prize and delivers the right level of quality & risk to produce a great return for owners and all the stakeholders in the project.
