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Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
President’s Column By Walt Elias • 2015 President
Builder Professional Designations: One way to find a builder who goes above and beyond
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t’s a good time to be a in real estate and in Austin we have no shortage of talented home builders. The Home Builders Association (HBA) of greater Austin alone has approximately 800 members—many of our builder members are small, locally owned builders—who are all working together to protect every family’s right to home ownership. Our builder members construct 95 percent of the new homes in the greater Austin market. That’s a lot of builders to choose from. It is more important now than ever to seek out home builders who have voluntarily taken the steps to stay informed about the latest technologies and best practices in home building. Professional designations are an indication that a builder is staying current with his or her education. Having a professional designation means that the builder must pursue several hours of continuing education each year, ensuring that they are up to date on the latest standards and practices in the industry. Builders earn designations by taking nationally recognized courses with the HBA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
in topics ranging anywhere from green building techniques to remodeling to construction management. The training is rigorous, and while having a designation is not required by law, it’s one indicator that a builder has gone above and beyond to stay at the top of his craft. Some examples of professional designations include: Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) and Graduate Master Builder (GMB) - To earn one of these two top designations, a builder must complete a regularly updated curriculum of industry related topics. Builders are also required to pledge their commitment to a professional Code of Ethics. Certified Graduate Remodeler™ (CGR) - An exclusive professional designation designed to emphasize business management skills as the key to a professional remodeling operation. Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) – Teaches the technical, business management, and customer service skills essential to competing in the fastest growing segment of the residential remodeling indus-
www.myRealtyLine.com try: home modifications for the aging-in place. Certified Green Professional (CGP) -The National Association of Home Builders’ Certified Green Professional™ Designation teaches builders, remodelers and other industry professionals techniques for incorporating green building principles into homes—without driving up the cost of construction. To customers, designations show professionalism and a willingness to pay attention to changes in the industry. It’s also an indicator of how long someone has been working at their craft: You can’t even apply for the Graduate Master Builder (GMB) until you’ve been in a management position for at least five years; for a Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR), you have to have show 15 years experience in the remodeling industry. It’s not just about a string of letters behind a builder’s name. For one thing, designated builders have to take 12 hours of continuing education every three years to keep their designations. Some of those hours can come from valuable community involvement such as professional association membership, serving on a board, or teaching classes and seminars. There are some unexpected benefits of taking the classes. You sit in a classroom with builders from all over the country, learning what’s new and different, hearing what others are doing, and picking your instructor’s brain about real-life scenarios. You make connections and you find better, more time efficient ways of doing what you do, and you bring those benefits back to your client in the form of a better product. Some things you really can’t learn elsewhere, such as the proper way to build for aging baby-boomer clients. Learning new things helps builders expand with growing markets and gain a better understanding
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of their clients’ growing needs. Another important skill they teach is how to be a better facilitator: how to ask the right questions, shut up, and let the client talk. That’s a life skill too. Years ago homebuilding professionals had to travel to take these courses. Now builders don’t even have to leave Austin to stay up to date on the latest in industry education. Through the HBA, which has the best education plan in the nation among HBAs its size, professional designations are available locally. With access to affordable education and a growing repertoire of new skills in sustainable and affordable building processes, builders can pass those savings directly to your clients. Be sure to ask the next builder you work with if they have a professional designation through the National Association of Home Builders. Be sure they are a member of the local HBA. After all, while it won’t guarantee you won’t have challenges, it does ensure you are working with professionals who have taken the extra step to improve their skills, knowledge and professionalism.
Did you know? Professional designations in the housing industry are not limited to builders and remodelers alone. Designations also exist for sales and marketing professionals, construction managers, and leasing professionals. (To see a complete list, visit www.NAHB.org.) To learn more about how to choose a builder or buy a new home, visit the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin’s website at www.AustinHomeBuilders.com. RL
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