Who’s the best home builder?
Actually, that’s answered one home buyer at a time. And, in the Omaha, Nebraska, area, Sherwood Homes and Lane Building Corporation are raising the bar regarding what it means to be best. Part of that solution has been embracing Design Basics’ Woman-Centric Matters!® approach, which helps home builders focus on design, products for the home, and customer experiences from women’s viewpoints.
Though separate companies, Sherwood Homes and Lane Building Corporation build the same home designs, with the same tradespeople, using the same products; however, having two entities allows them to build in a wider variety of neighborhoods. Currently, the companies are building in 20 different subdivisions. Jerry Standerford explained, “Having building lots throughout the Omaha metro, buyers can get the neighborhood and school district they want. Or, we’ll help our clients find and secure a home site in one of Omaha’s other quality neighbor-hoods.”
A Better Experience
It is impossible to build a quality home without providing a quality new home experience. At Sherwood/Lane, that begins with a user-friendly website. But the customer experience gets into full swing when one of Sherwood/Lane’s three agents get involved.
“Our agents are really new home specialists and are very knowledgeable about home building,” Standerford said. “But even more important, our agents care. They’re focused on the buyer’s interests and helping each of our clients get the best home for their house-hold.”
Pre-construction, the agents assist with home plan and building lot selections, product decisions and finishes, and pricing. Communication is key, and with that, education. Home buyers don’t know what they don’t know.
Better Decisions
Sherwood/Lane offers dozens of different home plans, which, within reason, can be modified according to buyer preferences. The agents work out of furnished model homes that allow prospective buyers the opportunity to see the construction quality firsthand and experience the livability of the homes. Because it’s sometimes hard to visualize a home’s flow or perhaps a certain room size, being able to walk through the model home eliminates guesswork and avoids future remorse. Actually experiencing a dining area helps buyers know if it might need to be enlarged, for example.
Offering multiple move-in ready homes, Sherwood/Lane is also a market leader when it comes to buyers who are relocating to Omaha. Not surprisingly, many of those buyers are families with children who prefer traditional two-story homes. The company is seeing a higher number of multi-generational household clients and offers several popular two-story homes to incorporate a first-floor in-law suite. According to Standerford, “We’re also seeing the influence of websites such as Pinterest and Houzz among our clientele, which is helping them identify and prioritize what they want in a home.”
Sherwood/Lane opened their Personalization Studio in 2006 and it’s been very popular with their personalized clients. Akin to a “university environment,” prospective home buyers meet there with their agent to further appreciate the included features and learn about avail-able options.
Read more about Sherwood/Lane’s Personalization Studio and home building design process.