Lombardo Homes

BUILDING A FAMILY OF HOMES FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

In the early 1960s, Cosimo Lombardo sold his electronics company in Canada and moved to Michigan so he could establish a building company to support his wife, Antoinette, and future family. Today, his legacy and company — Lombardo Homes — lives on through his oldest son and owner, Anthony Lombardo, daughters, Anna Lisa and Cathy Lombardo, and youngest son, Sebastian Lombardo.

What started over 60 years ago as a company specializing in attached and courtyard condominiums now builds apartments, single-family homes, condominiums and luxury custom homes that span all of southeast Michigan, as well as a range of prices. “Lombardo Companies offers homes for every stage of life — we’re one of the few homebuilders who do that,” said Vice President of Marketing Melissa Cervin, who’s been with the company for nine years. “With new single-family homes and condominiums ranging from the $170’s to over $500,000, we have a home perfect for a first-time homebuyer, a customer who’s on their second or third move-up home, or an empty nester looking to downsize into a condominium.”

Additionally, through Lombardo Apartment Communities, the company serves clients who prefer apartment living or aren’t quite ready to purchase their first home, as well as homeowners who have to move out of their existing homes before their new build is complete.

Lombardo clients — who have the option of building on their own lot or in a Lombardo Homes community — enjoy high-quality, new construction homes as a result of the company’s trademarked process: The Discovery Event by Lombardo Homes. Through this collaborative, home-discovery process, the Lombardo team closely works with homebuyers to identify their unique needs and build a home that not only complements their lifestyle but also continues to serve their needs as their family continues to grow. By working with the client to understand their family size, dynamic and lifestyle, Lombardo Homes can recommend floor plans to fit a family’s needs, explore options to maximize space and functionality throughout a home, and even evaluate a family’s circumstances to account for future life changes.

“Lombardo Homes takes the time to truly understand how you live in your home,” Melissa said. “Lombardo Homes knows they’ve done their job right when our customers are even more satisfied with their new home one year from closing than they were on the day they moved in.”

From the sales and construction teams — who Melissa describes as the “superstars on the front lines” — to the main office personnel, Lombardo’s approximately 150 employees work to make a customer’s dream home a reality. “Lombardo Homes has a great company culture — it’s the perfect balance of family-owned business infused with corporate culture best practices,” Melissa said. “The Lombardo family is a part of the day-to-day business and can be found bustling around the office just like the rest of our team members.”

Customer experience is also a cornerstone of Lombardo’s company culture, as well as the driving force of many of their internal decisions. By surveying each homeowner four times throughout their build experience, sharing the results in real-time with all employees and having the management team review the feedback on a weekly basis, Lombardo strives to deliver the best possible experiences to their customers. As a result of their stellar customer service and high-quality craftsmanship, Lombardo consistently ranks among the top 100 builders in the nation according to Builder Magazine.

The company’s commitment to their customers is enhanced by their ongoing support of the community and local charities. Lombardo has participated in several St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraisers, in which many team members shave their heads to raise money for a cure for childhood cancer. Additionally, the company has supported the Make-AWish Foundation — a portion of one of their donations funded a “Frozen”themed bedroom makeover for one lucky little girl. Lombardo Homes also donated the land for Lombardo Park in Shelby Township, contributed to the completion of the Veterans Tribute of Oakland Township, and deeded the land for and financially contributed to the Michigan War Dog Memorial in Lyon Township. Lombardo even sponsors several community events, such as fireworks, farmers’ markets, concerts in the park and Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies.

Lombardo has a lot of love for the real estate community, and it shows through their incentives and relationship building. One major incentive is the company’s tiered bonus system that financially rewards real estate agents — above and beyond commission — based on the number of Lombardo homes that they sell in a given year. “We are real estate agent friendly!” Melissa said. “We understand how vital real estate agents are to our day-to-day business and welcome them into our sales centers anytime.” From presentations at office meetings to hosting agent meetings at their model homes to one-on-one time with agents over coffee or lunch, Lombardo welcomes the opportunity to get to know local real estate agents and build relationships with them.

“We’ve partnered with Real Producers because we know they are integral to the real estate community, thus giving us a platform where we can continue to network and expand our real estate relationships,” Melissa said. “We enjoy the events we’re able to attend as a Real Producers Preferred Partner, but we never turn down an opportunity to host an event or to meet and greet the real estate professionals who are so vital to our business.”

As a forward-looking company, Lombardo continually evaluates and updates its floor plan lineup, as well as their available options, so that they meet homebuyers’ needs and wants. Lombardo recently added interactive floor plans, an exterior color tool and an interior room visualizer to enhance the overall build process, allowing customers to see their designs and color selections on digital renderings.

“We’re proud of our portfolio and our ability to offer a wide range of homes, and we intend to continue to diversify our portfolio as time goes on,” Melissa said. “We are always evaluating land opportunities across southeast Michigan so we can find those perfect locations for new Lombardo Homes communities in the township and school district our customers desire — being able to build what people want where they want is crucial to us … and to our customers.”

To learn more about Lombardo Homes, visit lombardohomes.com.

Partner Spotlight: Lombardo Homes