Frequently asked questions.

MAOR provides owner representation and project advisory services. We’ve served homeowners, architects, general contractors, and developers on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. In owner representation engagements, we advocate for the owner and coordinate with the design and construction team.

Yes. We’ve provided services directly to architects, general contractors, and developers, as well as homeowners. We tailor the scope to the client’s needs and the stage of the project. Get in touch to discuss where our experience could support your team.

Not all owners will need an owner's representative. In fact, if an owner can dedicate the 20 hours a week or so that is required to handle the administrative tasks and site visits that would be required of them to protect this significant investment, they would likely be better served handling it themselves. But certain owners lead busy lives and do not have the time to review every contract and invoice, let alone travel to the construction site to complete inspections. Certain owners wish to build something unique and boundary-pushing, requiring construction methods that even seasoned homebuilders are not acquainted with. This can pose challenges for the owner in assessing the quality of workmanship.

Our expertise and experience allows owners to forge ahead on this journey with the confidence that they have the support and resources needed to execute the project to its fullest potential.

Architects, builders, and owner’s representatives have different responsibilities. An architect leads the design, and a general contractor manages the construction. In an owner representation engagement, we help the owner manage decisions, budgets, schedules, and coordination across those disciplines.

Our involvement complements the work of the design and construction team. We agree a scope that addresses the project’s needs and makes responsibilities clear.

We can provide general contracting and construction management services for select projects, depending on the location of the property.

For owner representation engagements, we work on your behalf to identify prospective general contractors that are qualified to build the type of home you desire. We then work with you to review bids, negotiate contracts, and ensure that your interests are protected. Once construction is underway, we collaborate with the builder to ensure that budgets and timelines are adhered to, that the architect's design intent is achieved, and that no deviations to the plans are made without your knowledge and approval.

In our experience, an owner rep can make economic sense for almost any size project, depending on the issues that the homeowner is trying to solve. However, as a rule of thumb, new-build projects in the $2M+ range typically are complex enough to warrant an owner's rep's involvement. But the true question is whether the homeowner has the time and the interest in dealing with the myriad of complexities that building a home will throw at them. A homeowner building a $750k off-grid cabin in the Catskills, but who works 80-hour weeks in New York City and has hired a non-local architect who is unable to do regular site visits, would be well served in hiring an owner rep. On the flip side, an owner with a $5M new build across the street from their existing home, may not need an owner's rep at all.

For projects that will require a full scope of owner representation services, our geographic area includes the Hudson Valley, New York City, the Hamptons, the Catskills, and Berkshires. Projects with a more limited scope (including owner-builder advisory work) that are outside of this geographic region may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Our fees are tailored to the scope of work and the needs of each client and project. In general (with our fees, as well as the fees for other professionals that we engage on behalf of our clients), we favor flat fee or hourly fee structures, over percentage-based structures, as percentage-based structures typically do not accurately reflect the work required, and create an incentive structure that runs counter to our client's interests.

We recognize that some of the most in-demand designers and architects can be difficult to engage. We will work with you to identify the right architect, designer and other professionals for your project, and assist with putting together proposals and with the outreach to these firms. Many top architects are selective about new commissions. We help you put together a compelling proposal and make the right introduction.

Yes — and we speak from experience. We've served as owner-GC on our own architectural build, so we understand the challenges firsthand. We offer hourly advisory engagements for owner-builders, including templates for budgets, takeoffs, and subcontractor agreements.