Before the recession of 2008, CornerStone Homes was like most homebuilders in Florida.
They built homes in subdivisions, often 60, 70 or even 100 lots at a time. It wasn’t until after the recession that CornerStone grew into the business it is today.
Founded by Mark Downing, CornerStone Homes now offers customers a unique homebuilding process.
Downing refers to CornerStone Homes as a semi-custom homebuilder, which means it designs the plan but allows customers to make changes as they see fit.
While not completely custom, this environment offers customers the opportunity to be a part of the building process.
When the market corrected itself following the 2008 crash, CornerStone Homes positioned its model to be a process that can operate on a lot less cash, according to Downing.
“This method revolves around a construction-perm loan, which means the bank pays us directly as we’re building the house,” said Downing. “This means we don’t have to fund everything up front.”
Downing said the model allows CornerStone Homes to be a flexible homebuilder, and subsequently, a success with customers.
But that’s not the only reason Downing believes CornerStone Homes is effective in the eyes of customers. In fact, he attributes a lot of the success to the company’s customer service and has the awards to prove it.
The company has won five consecutive Golden Laurel Service awards from the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
“These are the awards I’m most proud of,” said Downing. “They’re given out by the industry to the builder who proves that they do the best job at taking care of customers.”
Downing himself is no stranger to awards.
While working his way up to NEFBA president, Downing received an award for outstanding leadership. Two years later he was heading the association.
“You’re the industry spokesperson at that point,” said Downing. “Our industry is affected a lot by government and it’s always important to keep it updated on what changes are coming.”
Downing founded CornerStone Homes but feels it’s the team he’s built that keeps the wheels turning, a team that thrives on customer service.
“The problem with customer service is that it’s easy to talk about it, but tougher to deliver,” said Downing.
When selecting new team members, Downing looks for people who are first and foremost, customer driven.
He also wants employees who will provide equal respect to everyone involved, from plumbers and builders to fellow teammates.
“If you can’t do these things, you’re not a good fit for CornerStone,” said Downing.
At the company, it’s not about being better than others on the team, but rather, recognizing everyone’s strengths and respecting their differences.
“I always give a sports analogy,” said Downing. “If you have someone who is seven feet tall, you’re not going to make them point guard. You’re going to make them center, because that’s where they’ll be good.”
Downing strives to put those on his team where they best belong.
CornerStone Homes can be found mostly in St. Johns County, but also in Nassau and Duval counties.
The average price point is about $400,000, though some reach the $1 million mark.
“While our building process, prices and other things makes us different, what really sets us apart is our commitment to the customer,” he said.