In a market where large builders can’t keep up with demand, G.J. Gardner has franchise opportunities along Front Range
G.J. Gardner Homes — with seven homebuilders along the Front Range who handle the sorts of onesie-twosie residential projects that large merchant builders won’t touch — is always looking for growth-minded homebuyers. But it’s also reaching out to builders, smaller and mid-sized ones who need more marketing punch and financing options, in a Colorado market where too many buyers are chasing too few homes.
“We’re the perfect opportunity for somebody who has good building experience, but doesn’t fit into a homebuilding operation run by a giant corporation,” says Brook Swientisky, president of G.J. Gardner Homes Colorado. For that smaller builder, the company and its widely known brand deliver marketing, purchasing and management support to individual franchisees, who serve the market across the state from Denver to Grand Junction, Fort Collins to Pueblo, and everywhere in between.
“Being a G.J. Gardner builder can jumpstart your operation,” Swientisky adds. “Particularly in a market like this, there are plenty of buyers out there who are searching for a building experience that big builders can’t provide,” he adds. That may be for a custom home on an acreage site; or a suburban home on a scraped site; or a new-urban design in a trendy city area. “We can give you the marketing power to reach those buyers, with production advantages that make your pricing more competitive and your build-times quicker, working smarter, not harder.”
That formula can be hugely effective here in Denver, Swientisky adds. One franchisee, he notes, will do around $15 million in gross revenues this year, with another $15 million in backlogged projects. In addition to marketing and branding support, G.J. Gardner helps with cost analyses and in getting suppliers to hold prices. It provides construction management software, training and discounts for title, escrow and financing.
There’s another reason for a builder to consider a franchise, Swientisky says. “In addition to gaining increased assets and earnings, we give a builder a chance to create an exit plan when it comes time someday to walk away from the business,” he says. “We encourage our builders to build value in their companies that at some point can be sold.” One G.J. Gardner builder, Swientisky says, recently negotiated a sale of his franchise at over $500,000.
G.J. Gardner builders enhance their visibility by opening “builder design centers” to serve their market (there are now six design centers along the Front Range, with the newest open at 5621 Mcwhinney Boulevard in Loveland). “Buyers who are looking for more than they’re finding at production communities can see a hundred different plans there, along with the wider range of financing and finishes that smaller builders can bring to a project. And they can talk to a builder who understands smaller projects, and knows the opportunities in their neighborhood.”
Swientisky has over a dozen territorial franchise opportunities around Denver and the Front Range. “Those include in urban markets, where big builders often have a hard time meeting needs; and in Douglas and Jefferson counties, where so many buyers are seeking custom homes.”
G.J. Gardner is perennially among Colorado’s top 25 builders and serves over 120 franchises worldwide, with some 30,000 homes to its experience. If you’re a builder looking for a more aggressive approach to the market, contact Brook Swientisky at 303-768-0101, or visit Gjgardner.com/franchise. You’ll find G.J. Gardner design centers in Adams County, 303-658-0146; Denver, 303-3276211; Cheyenne, 307-638-2030; Falcon, 719-495-7664; Fort Collins, 970-663-4428; Loveland, 970-669-0822; and Grand Junction, 970-245-7542.
– Mark Samuelson writes on real estate and business; you can email him at mark@samuelsonassoc. com. See all of Samuelson’s columns online at Denverpost.com/realestate