A variety of factors guide a multi-family developer’s choice of products and processes.

To Logel Homes, there’s no greater influence than the people who have purchased their condos.

“We as a company really drive a lot of our strategy based off of our customer feedback,” says Brayden Logel, vice-president, Logel Homes.

“That, in turn, helps us deliver such a strong experience.”

Logel Homes was crowned Multi-Family Builder of the Year, Large Volume at the BILD (Building Industry and Land Development) Calgary Region Awards earlier this year.

The company’s current developments include Seton West and Auburn Rise in southeast Calgary, and Sage Walk, in the city’s northwest.

Currently, Seton West and Sage Walk are selling into their third buildings, with Sage Walk opening six new show suites on October 16th, while Auburn Rise is down to its final few opportunities to buy.

A prime source of customer feedback for Logel Homes is its participation in the CustomerInsight survey program.

CustomerInsight is a company that provides customer experience analytics and performance services.

Customers of builders who use this program receive multiple surveys related to their level of satisfaction with their builder. This allows the builder to gauge and analyze their performance.

“My team and I conduct regular focus groups in addition to the feedback that we receive from the survey,” says Logel, adding the company also taps its sales and customer service teams for customer reaction.

“We then take that feedback and implement that into our products and our processes.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the industry average for customer satisfaction ratings dipped — at the one-month mark after possession — Logel Homes bucked the trend.

Ninety-two per cent of Logel Homes buyers said they’d recommend the builder, according to last year’s CustomerInsight surveys.

At the 13-month, which typically results in a substantial downtick, Logel Homes still had 87 per cent of buyers willing to recommend.

Logel Homes is a six-time winner of the Best Customer Experience honour at the H.O.ME Awards presented by CustomerInsight.

“It’s not one thing,” says Logel. “It’s always a team effort. It’s a lot of different departments coming together to deliver that experience. Your sales, construction during possession, and the customer service team.”

The trades who work for Logel Homes — which had a five-star Google rating at the time this was written — play an important role.

“We are not the type of builder that is going to go out and take the lowest bid on a tender,” Logel says. “We have some trades that we have been working with since we started. All of these factor come together to contribute to outstanding quality and a great customer experience.”

Another strength for Logel Homes is its emphasis on high-quality building envelopes. This is the exterior building system, comprised of exterior walls, foundations, the roof, windows, and doors.

“We have a number of things that lead to what we call a bullet proof envelope,” says Logel, whose developments are four-storey wood-frame construction.

This includes use of a building envelope engineer, who inspects the envelope at various stages of installation. Logel Homes also has each member of its construction site staff take a building envelope engineering course through SAIT.

Moreover, Logel Homes uses a platform called Multivista, which optimizes workflow in the installation process and confirms its level of quality.

“A number of different photographers come out to the building as the envelope is being installed,” says Logel. “They take those photos and put them into a technology called Matterport and that’s able to give us a 3D image of the exterior of the building. We are able to monitor the installation, not just through the engineer, but through Multivista. We have a record of the work and have engineers checking it.

“It is something we recognize as an important part of our brand going forward and definitely top of mind,” he adds. “With the weather you get here, such as horizontal rain, and the climate here, it’s critical you take these steps to ensure that you have a strong envelope.”

Another way Logel Homes contributes to a positive experience for its buyers is through its warranty provider.

“The Alberta New Home Warranty Program (ANHWP) has always been a strong advocate for the building industry in Calgary and in Alberta, and since they’ve been around for over 45 years,” says Logel. “They provide homeowners with a great sense of security.

“Recently the Alberta New Home Warranty Program began education programs for condo boards to help them understand their duties and responsibilities. These programs are a great support for multi-family builders like Logel Homes.”

Logel Homes’ customer centric focus and their industry leading construction standards is why their many projects have been so successful, says ANHWP account manager Lisa Tyhy.

“Their team approach, lead by president, Tim Logel, delivers a home that home owners are proud to live in and own,” she adds. “Logel Homes is a market leader, recognized throughout the industry with numerous awards and accolades. The ANHWP are proud to partner with them and support their continued success.”