Timing Is Everything
Steph Reed leads Embarq Signature Homes, a new custom home division.
Business practices, careers, even social habits have changed as a result of the COVID pandemic. In many ways, the pandemic has been the impetus for professional and personal transformations that might not otherwise have taken place over the last few years.
“Things got really crazy for builders during the pandemic,” says Steph Reed, former custom builder/owner with Partners by Design. “Between the pace of work, the shortage of labor, and the supply chain delays, small builders were really getting squeezed out of the market.”
Those factors and others had Reed contemplating the best approach to her custom home building business and the next phase of her professional life. That’s when Hubbell Realty Company called.
“The timing was perfect,” Reed says. “And the plan was just the answer I was praying for.”
That answer was Hubbell Realty’s new custom home building division, Embarq Signature Homes.
“We didn’t even have a company name in March. When I came on board in January, I was the only employee,” says Reed. Now, with a 4-member team, all with decades of experience in the industry, Reed says this first year as Director of Operations has seen the start of multiple homes, two of which were for clients she brought with her.
“The homeowners and I were so excited to be working with the support Hubbell company provides. Having the company’s partners and contractors was wonderful,” says Reed, “especially in a time when everything seems to take longer. The project went so smoothly.”
For Reed, the new opportunity offers a security she did not have as an independent builder, but it also provides greater support for her clients and new challenges for her at just the right moment in her career.
“I grew up in the industry, and my dad was a contractor,” she says. “Even though it took me a little while to realize this was the path for me, once I got started in the real estate and construction field, I knew this was what I was meant to do.”
Reed has taken that personal approach to every aspect of her life as a professional, from the names she has chosen for each of her home plans to the areas where she dedicates her volunteer time.
“Mentoring women in the industry has been important to me because I know how challenging that position can be. I serve as the Iowa rep for the National Association of Home Builders. Using that platform to represent women and our industry is something I did not want to give up.”
Reed’s experience in the industry and leadership on both local and national levels are what attracted Hubbell to her. And the company has encouraged her continued efforts in those areas.
“Hubbell has been very supportive. And as a company, Hubbell has led the industry in support of women in leadership roles. They have a team of women in key positions in the company, so I knew I would be able to keep those personal goals when I joined the team,” Reed says.
From the beginning, she says her role with Embarq has felt like a partnership. She and her team have sought to create that same relationship for their clients. Embarq has custom plans available. But Embarq and Reed’s team will work with homeowners to create or adapt plans, each with unique touches focusing on the little details that make a home ideally suited to the family.
“We spend a lot of time learning about how they live, what’s important to them, and then we can build in features that will make their lives better,” Reed explains. “For example, pets are so important to a family. We like finding ways that make it easier to care for them, like incorporating a pet shower in the mudroom or built-in, pull-out gates between rooms.”
The company currently has four spec homes under construction to showcase the quality of its work and numerous other custom home projects in communities around the metro.
Embarq also emphasizes full transparency in pricing with a cost-plus system. Budget details are one element of the company’s online feature accessible to clients, where homeowners can follow along as their project progresses.
“They have access to all their documentation of the project, including current photos, warranty information, everything,” Reed says. “And there is always a direct line of communication so they can get in touch. We want this to feel like a partnership, to be the ‘yes’ people who make their dream home a reality.”
That should be easy for Reed. The answer to her prayer looks a lot like a dream come true for everyone involved.