In our recent blog posts, we’ve introduced you to the concept of an Owner’s Representative and discussed how an Owner’s Representative like The FGX Group can help commercial property owners hire the right teams at the right time. Now, we will review some common misconceptions about working with an Owner’s Representative, as well as the advantages that they can provide.
Misconception #1 – The Owner’s Representative is an additional, unnecessary expense to my project
The reality is that an Owner’s Representative should not increase overall project costs – in fact, the opposite is generally true. If hired early in the construction planning process, the Owner’s Representative will manage the entire project team, from design through move-in, facilitating reduced costs as a result of close coordination and careful attention to timelines and budget.
Misconception #2 – The other project team members view the Owner’s Representative as a “roadblock”
An Owner’s Representative has one job – to assist the owner in delivering a project that is within budget and on schedule, while creating a harmonious experience for all members of the project team.
Many team members (architects, contractors, consultants, and vendors) have aggressive profit margins. While assembling their proposals, they are also assuming a certain number of hours dedicated to each project. These team members rely on the owner to deliver information to them in a timely manner in order to stay on track with their own internal budgets. Part of the Owner’s Representative’s role is to assist all project team members by providing timely, two-way communication between the owner and the teams.
Misconception #3 – I don’t need an Owner’s Representative managing the entire project if I have internal support
For many owners, a major advantage of an Owner’s Representative is that they only work as needed. Depending on the firm, some Owner’s Representatives are flexible with the client’s needs regarding the project team. Some clients have previous relationships with architects and contractors, have internal IT support, and/or have already contracted with various firms prior to bringing in representation. An Owner’s Representative can be hired to manage any number of firms and concentrate on specific areas, complementing the client’s requirements.
Additional advantages of hiring an Owner’s Representative, like The FGX Group
- We are hired as part-time support. We bill for the time required to manage the project, thus saving clients money on their overall budgets because they do not have to hire full-time employees
- We can recommend top-notch design, construction, environmental, furniture, IT, and audio visual firms
- We can ensure expensive mistakes are avoided because we’re experienced, dedicated, and unbiased
- We can manage the many details of every project, such as assembling bid packages, reviewing proposals, conducting reference checks, providing design oversight, adhering to insurance requirements, issuing contracts, requesting lien waivers, and processing payment applications
- We can effectively translate the objectives of the creative process from the designers to the construction team, and vice versa, due to our experience and background
- We ensure that solutions to construction issues can be addressed quickly due to our frequent onsite presence on behalf of the owner
- We provide a better “work/life balance” for clients, managing all of the details so that they can concentrate on their own businesses
At The FGX Group, we act as an Owner’s Representatives to deliver projects on time and within budget, while meeting or exceeding owners’ expectations. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist with your commercial construction project.
