Can the New Homes Quality Board play a role in driving success and fostering growth for SME developers?
Q&A with Joanne Casey, Industry Representative Director at NHQB
With the shifting landscape of the housebuilding sector, it can often seem like a challenging market to navigate for small-to-medium-sized developers. This is exacerbated by the rising cost of living for prospective homebuyers.
In an interview with Joanne Casey, founding director and representative for SME developers at the NHQB, Joanne discusses the potential for NHQB in driving success and fostering growth for SME developers in a challenging housebuilding sector.
How does the New Homes Quality Board aim to drive success and foster growth for SME developers?
I believe the NHQB can drive success and growth for SME developers in a number of ways. With the Code’s framework, all developers work towards the same robust guidelines which in turn creates a more level playing field for developers of all sizes to follow consistent standards. This ensures that the services provided by each developer are as closely aligned as possible, encouraging SME developers to enhance their services and compete with larger ones.
Additionally, we support SME developers by providing them with an independent and impartial Ombudsman. The New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) helps resolve customer complaints when finding an in-house solution becomes too challenging. By offering this protection, the NHQB safeguards the reputation of SME developers and builds trust among potential homebuyers.
How does the New Homes Quality Board ensure that its actions are aligned with the needs and goals of SME developers?
The NHQB actively listens to our SME developers. Whether from conducting surveys, consultations, and feedback sessions, or directly engaging with them during visits to their developments, the NHQB gains valuable insights into their specific needs, challenges, and aspirations.
To further ensure alignment, the NHQB also includes dedicated representatives for SME developers on its board. These representatives, such as myself, serve as advocates for the interests of SME developers and ensure that their voices are heard during discussions and feed into our decision-making.
What challenges or obstacles could SME developers face in engaging with the New Homes Quality Board?
One challenge SME developers may face is their uncertainty when looking to join the NHQB; especially in what can often be a challenging climate for the housebuilding sector, it’s understandable to be hesitant.
However, we want to dismiss any of these fears and recommend any SME developer who is interested to just have a chat with one of our brilliant team members. The NHQB is here as a voluntary investment for developers’ success and growth. We are aware of the challenges SME developers could face and we have introduced several mechanisms to support these homebuilders throughout the process.
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