Upon graduating in 1975 from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in the school of real estate, Jerry Konter moved to Atlanta, Georgia and pursued a career in commercial real estate sales. In 1977, Jerry joined his family's residential brokerage business in Savannah, Georgia with the goal of starting a homebuilding company. Now on the eve of its 30th anniversary in business, Konter Quality Homes, along wit its sister company Konter Development, is one of the most respected development and building companies in the greater Savannah area with home sales between 120 and 150 homes annually.
Konter Quality Homes specializes in the development of life style communities. Concentrating on the entry level and move-up segments of the homebuilding business, Konter offers a wide variety of attached and detached homes with both passive and active amenities ranging from extensive trail systems to modern fitness centers. Preservation of green space and trees has always been a hallmark of a Konter community.
Konter Quality Homes typically builds homes in two to three communities at one time. With Konter Development providing its home site inventory and Konter Homes acting as the sole builder in the community, architectural continuity is always preserved. The company employs about 15 individuals including a director of field operations, six field superintendents, a director of sales and marketing, a design center coordinator, and three administrative assistants. Marcy Konter, wife and partial owner of the company, acts as the customer service director and certainly contributes to Konter's success in attaining the Guildmaster with Distinction award.
President Jerry Konter comes from a family entrenched in the real estate industry. Following in the footsteps of his parents, Jerry has always understood the importance of business and civic leadership. He is a past president of the Savannah Homebuilders Association, which has twice named him builder of the year and inducted him into their hall of fame. He is also past president of the Georgia Homebuilders Association and served on the executive committee of the National Association of Homebuilders in conjunction with his chairmanship of its land development committee. Jerry served three years on the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan planning commission. Jerry served as president of the Jewish educational alliance, Savannah's Jewish Community Center, and has chaired the Savannah Federation's annual campaign raising funds for Jewish organizations both locally and internationally. He is a past director of the Humane Society. Jerry enjoys boating, snow skiing and golf.
Jerry considers his family his greatest accomplishment. His wife Marcy has worked side by side playing an integral role in the company's success. In addition to long hours working in the business, involvement in their children's life has always been their first priority. They take great pride in their son Mark and daughter Tess. Both children attended the University of Georgia, Marcy and Jerry's alma mater. Mark graduated in 2004 and has worked for large builders in the metro Atlanta area. Tess graduates in the spring '07 commencement. Mark and his wife, Allison who is a teacher, plan to move to Savannah in the near future so Mark may join the Konter Homes team.
Each purchaser participates in a final home demonstration on the day of closing. Typically, this meeting takes place with Marcy Konter, or another member of the support staff. The relationship with the customer has already been established at the preconstruction orientation, so each purchaser feels comfortable and familiar at this meeting as well. The main focus of the demonstration is to orient the person to their new home. Explaining proper use and maintenance of mechanicals, fixtures, appliances, etc is of utmost importance during this onsite meeting. It is, however, the follow-thru after the demonstration and closing that separates us from many of our competitors in our market place. At Konter Homes, we know the importance of taking care of warranty needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our customers are not required to complete lengthy paperwork or fill out work orders in order to receive warranty service. We have found that our customers prefer direct communication with someone in the customer service department, making it as easy as placing a phone call to request warranty service. A friendly follow-up phone call from the customer service department, even when warranty work has not been successfully completed is critical toward reinforcing good relationships with new owners. Cultivating a satisfied customer takes constant communication and a pleasant demeanor.
The company currently offers four distinct collections of home types: carriage square homes representing the company's entry into semi-attached town homes, villa collection emphasizing an entry level product line, classic collection featuring our move-up product, and dream homes representing semi-custom homes located in select communities. Price points start in the low $130's and typically top out in the mid $300's. Konter is known in the marketplace for including many features found in the competing marketplace. With buyers in all of these different segments, affordability has always been Konter's primary concern.
We have found that it is important to establish a good working relationship w/the customer right from the very beginning of the building process. Customers that are comfortable wit the process tend to be happy with the process, and subsequently, most often turn into satisfied customers after the closing.
Each customer attends a pre-construction orientation with customer service director Marcy Konter shortly after signing his or her sales agreement. It is at this meeting where customers learn the basics about how the construction of their new home may be scheduled, when and how change orders may be written, opportunities for viewing the progress of construction, identifying and reporting possible problems, etc. After attending this meeting in the Konter Homes office, each purchaser can feel comfortable knowing that they now have a specific contact person in Marcy Konter. The lines of communication during the construction process (and beyond) are clearly outlined between customer and customer service director, allowing the customer the comfort of knowing exactly who to contact for support.
Konter Homes is taking the big step of updating the computer software in our office. The new system will have a construction-scheduling module that will allow us to continue to deliver houses on time as we increase our volume. The new program will also allow the purchase orders to be more seamlessly tied to our budget and accounts payable system. Both field superintendents and administrative staff will be positively impacted by the upgrade in technology.
Prior to GuildQuality, we had no formal avenue for tracking the satisfaction of our customers. Now, with the information we gleam from the completed surveys we are better equipped to track our areas of strength and areas where we need improvement. It is our plan to begin promoting our Guildmaster status in our marketing program.
Our more experienced field personnel work side by side with our newer supervisors as mentors. Each supervisor has an opportunity learn about all aspects of construction from others in the company. Additionally, each supervisor, regardless of experience level, has direct access to senior management at all times. Jerry Konter meets regularly with the administration staff so each member of the in-office team is constantly getting the most updated information and assistance to work effectively.
Because of the personal involvement of senior management with all of our staff, each employee feels they are an important part of the whole company. Our employees take pride in knowing that quality is the most critical component of each house we build, and they strive to reach a goal of zero defect house. They are consistently moved to work toward that goal when they realize that the public recognizes our product as one of superior quality.
The creative process has always drawn Jerry Konter to the building business. A well-built house is something tangible meant to stand the test of time. There is also the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped someone realize his or her lifetime goal of homeownership.
Every profession has its own exhaustive demands, and each person must find their own way of keeping it all "fresh"! Jerry Konter is one that likes to take advantage of relaxation time by boating, golfing, and traveling. Sometimes just taking a quick weekend getaway with family or friends allows for the much-needed down time that he needs to start fresh again on Monday.
We are proud to exclaim that 28% of our sales are a direct result of personal referrals from our many existing homeowners. We believe this referral rate is exemplified in our having received the 2007 Guildmaster with Distinction Award! We also work continuously to cultivate our co-operating broker base as an avenue to successfully market our product lines and communities.
The traditional use of the printed medium, both newspaper and magazines have proven successful. Radio advertising for special events including grand opening celebrations has also proven beneficial. Good community signage and our continuously updated website contribute greatly to our successes.
The single biggest challenge facing our company and our industry as a whole is the constant barrage of new government regulatory requirements. No sooner do we have our systems in place for building or development, than a new set of requirements are imposed on our industry. Also challenging to any builder/developer is the search for a ready supply of land in desired locations on which to build one's product in a competitive price point.
It is important that we not grow too quickly. At Konter Homes we put our staff and our systems in place in anticipation of future growth. As we increase volume, we are already prepared for the change, and do not have to sacrifice quality as we grow.
Konter Homes is anticipating the addition of Jerry's son, Mark Konter, to the company. There is excitement in the prospect of entering new markets with new product lines to design and build in the not too distant future. Konter Quality Homes will continue to grow, and work to support the people who work here as they pursue their own personal and professional goals.