We were recently asked by an owner to compile a quick response to their stakeholders question of why should we spend money on an Owner’s Rep?
After compiling many reasons why an Owner’s Rep is an extremely important component of any team, we narrowed it down to the top 5 reasons why hiring an Owner’s Rep is a wise investment:
1. Independent advocacy (3rd party intermediary)
OAC acts in the best interest of the owner. We have no affiliation with the Contractor, Architect, Engineer, etc., but facilitate the team in a manner which advocates the best possible outcomes for the owner.
2. Expertise/Experience
The OAC team brings over 40 years and $1.5 billion of development experience to the plate for the owner.
3. Communication/Coordination
OAC is the “coach” of the team. We facilitate and administrate each of the “players” and act as the single source of communication to you, the “owner” of the team.
4. Money
Extensive planning, thorough team selection, and continuous guidance have proven to save the entire project and ultimately the owner time and money.
(Cost Benefit Analysis shows between 3% – 5%)
5. Quality
By implementing a Quality Assurance Observation program we verify that things are being built correctly – thus providing you a truly sustainable product. This is documented and presented to the owner on a monthly basis.
An owner’s rep is an essential tool which saves the owner time, money and the headache often accompanied with construction projects. As a third party intermediary between the owner and all other parties involved in construction, we advocate for the owner’s best interest throughout each phase of the construction project. Equally as important is the fact that our services lead the project team in bridging the gap between quality intent and quality delivered while being the single source of communication for the owner.
You might say, “well you’re a biased source because you are an owner’s rep”. While we are a little biased, we continue to see the number of owner’s reps increasing as well as continually increasing press, articles, and recommendations for utilizing the services of an owner’s rep. Here are just a couple examples:
Barry Lepatner in his book Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets –
“Without a doubt an owner who engages a design-build team must hire an independent owner’s representative to ensure that its design intent and quality expectations are properly executed.”
Ravi Bhatia in a recent ENR article –
“With the Poor economy forcing owners to make tough decisions about layoffs and budget cuts, one position they should not consider eliminating is the owner’s representative. That is because this job has become a vital tool in helping the owner save both time and money, especially as staff sizes shrink and the need for performance and quality-control monitoring rises.”
Don’t just take our word for it, ask your friends who have used an owner’s rep, ask our previous and current clients, and hear for yourself how integral an owner’s rep is to any construction project.