By Maggie FitzRoy
Nationwide builder D.R. Horton’s has built a huge presence in Northeast Florida, with more than 40 communities.
Many of D.R. Horton’s site agents account for $10 million or more a year in revenue.
And the company won the Grand Award at the Northeast Florida Builders Association Laurel Awards in March.
“As always, it’s a compliment to the people here,” said Andy Fremento, D.R. Horton division president. “It’s industry acknowledgement for what they do so well every day.”
There’s more ahead for the builder. In July, the company will launch three “Freedom Homes” communities, a new brand targeting active adults.
The communities will be gated and include pools and other lifestyle amenities. The homes will be priced in the lower 200,000s.
“They are geared to be affordable, with low fees,” Fremento said. The communities also will have full-time lifestyle directors and lots of planned activities.
The three Northeast Florida communities will be Freedom at Azalea Ridge in Clay County; Freedom at San Salito in St. Johns County; and Freedom at Arbor Mill in Duval County.
At the Laurel Awards, 16 of D.R. Horton’s approximately 40 site agents received awards for bringing in $10 million or more in revenue.
“We have some of the best performers in the area, because we give them a lot of inventory to sell,” Fremento said.
Site sales agents are not confined to working in one community, but can cross-sell in other nearby communities to best meet customers’ needs.
“With a buyer, you want to fulfill their dream, find them the right home,” he said. “It’s relationship selling.” If you want to look at a nearby community, “we will take you there.”
Fremento, who has worked at D.R. Horton for 20 years, said the company has been retaining its employees.
“We have very little turnover,” he said. “Some really good people come in here, and start telling their friends. It’s a nice place to be.”
D.R. Horton offers a variety of price points and brands to keep its sales flowing.
Express Homes is the company’s entry-level brand, and Fremento said it is also attracting “move downs” as well as first-time homebuyers.
Priced in the low $200,000s, depending on location, the homes are more affordable because they are 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, with no options and not a lot of upgrades, he said. In the Jacksonville area, Express Homes now account for about a third of sales.
The D.R. Horton brand picks up from the low $200,000s to the mid-to-upper $300,000s, and the Emerald Homes brand is up to the $500,000 range.
The company also won Laurel Awards in other categories, including Best Facebook Page, Best Sales Center and Best Signage.
Marketing Director Memorie Carlo said she believes they won for best signage because they strive for community entrance signs that are “eye-catching, informative and consistent.”
With the Facebook page, she said they spend a lot of time and energy on it, highlighting Realtor events with lots of photos, and giving “shout-outs” to successful Realtors.
In the Sales Center category, she entered the office at Castlegate at Aberdeen in St. Johns County, although she said it is representative of all their “interactive” sales centers.
The centers feature large touchscreens that give customers the opportunity to explore communities and models on their own. With the touch of a finger, customers also can instantly learn about the company, including how founder Donald R. Horton launched it more than 35 years ago in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Horton is still running the company from there, and stays very much involved, said Castlegate site agent Robert Rogers, a top producer of more than $15 million last year. Horton makes it a point of visiting the First Coast communities on a regular basis, he said.
“Every year, he personally comes and thanks me,” Rogers said. “He is totally awesome to work for.”