Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Owner’s Representative?

An Owner’s Representative is a person that represents the Owner on a construction project. The Owner’s Representative also watches over and coordinates the design team, architect, contractor, subcontractors, and all other players comprising the construction team.

When Do I know if I need an Owner’s Representative?

This is a great question that is somewhat difficult to answer. Theoretically, an Owner should hire an Owner Rep any time the Owner feels that they do not have the time nor the expertise to oversee the details and complexities of any construction project. Most of the time, the Owner’s Representatives end up paying for themselves by way of saving the owner money on project expenses such as:

1- Aggressively question the contractor on additional expenditures such as Change Orders.

2 – Questioning the Design Team, including the Architect, on money-saving alternatives for the project.

3 – Getting into the details on the way the project is being executed as far as safety is concerned and keeping an eye on the project schedule to ensure that the contractor is going stay on track to finish in a timely manner.

4 – Representing the Owner during meetings when there are issues. All construction projects have issues and problems. Issues and problems usually translate to money expenditures of one sort or another. The Owner’s Representative protects and fights for the owner to ensure that the contractors and design professionals do not take advantage of the Owner.

The question really comes down to this: “Is this construction project complex enough and large enough to warrant the additional expenditure of hiring an Owner’s Representative?”.

The reality is that most small and medium-size projects that are several hundred thousand dollars can be handled by the Owner themselves if they have the time. On the other hand, when a construction project is in the millions of dollars, the need for an Owner’s Representative increases significantly. The more expensive the job, the more the need for an Owner’s Rep.

What does an Owner’s Representative do for his/her money?

Let’s start by explaining something about all the players on a large construction project. The Architect is a licensed, registered professional that is hired to design a project and put plans together and to a certain extent assist the owner on some aspects of the job during construction. The Contractor is also a registered professional that is licensed to carry out the instructions on the plans and make them a reality. The relationship between a contractor and the Owner is adversarial in nature since the Contractor is typically under no obligation to protect the Owners’ interest.

The Owner’s Representative’s main duty is to protect the Owner’s interests against the Contractors, Subcontractors, Design Professionals, City Inspectors, etc. Therefore, it is imperative that the Owner’s Representative have an abundance of experience as it relates to construction, design, permitting, engineering, and implementation, and must be a well-rounded individual in all aspects of the industry.

What exactly does an owner’s representative do?

An owner’s rep acts as a direct liaison between the property owner and every party involved in a development: the general contractor, architects, engineers, municipal agencies, lenders, and consultants. My job is to protect the owner’s interests, keep the project moving, solve problems before they become delays, and make sure the owner only has to focus on the big decisions. I handle everything else.

Who do you typically work with?

I work with property owners and developers who are building new construction, managing major renovations, or navigating complex rehabilitation projects. I do a significant amount of work for out-of-state owners who own property outside of the state they reside in and cannot be on-site regularly. I become their eyes and ears on the ground.

What’s the value of hiring an owner’s rep versus managing the project yourself?

Every day a construction project sits idle costs the owner money: insurance, liability, carrying costs, staff, and the contractor’s standby rates all continue running whether or not work is happening. An experienced owner’s rep keeps those delays from happening in the first place. I clear municipal red tape, keep contractors accountable, catch problems before they become change orders, and maintain the schedule. In most cases, the cost of hiring me is recovered many times over in time and rework saved.

What markets do you work in?

I’m based in New Jersey and primarily focus on the Northeast: New York, New Jersey, and the surrounding region. That said, I’ve worked across the United States and spent several years on major developments in South Florida. I hold real estate licenses in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

What kinds of projects have you worked on?

Over nearly 30 years, I’ve worked on a wide range of projects: from luxury residential developments like The Mark Hotel and 165 Charles Street in Manhattan, to ground-up multifamily projects in Harlem and Brooklyn, to commercial and mixed-use developments in South Florida. I’ve handled everything from DOB filings and Certificate of Occupancy processes to construction loan management, subcontractor negotiations, and municipal permitting across multiple jurisdictions.

How do you handle problems when they come up on a job site?

That’s the job. When a problem surfaces (whether it’s a foundation issue, an RFI that needs an answer, or a conflict between the drawings and what’s actually being built), I want to be the person who gets called first. My goal is to resolve issues in real time, rather than letting them filter up through the owner and back down again over three days. I get the right people on the phone, get verbal approvals followed by written directives, and keep the work moving. Putting out fires is genuinely one of the more satisfying parts of what I do.

What does ‘boots on the ground’ mean in practice?

It means I show up when the GC shows up and I go home when the GC goes home. I want to be on-site, in real time, so that when the site superintendent hits a problem (and they always do), they can come to me immediately and get a decision. Not tomorrow. Not after the owner calls the architect who calls the engineer. Right now. That responsiveness is what keeps a project on schedule.