Few people know every facet of the housing market as well as Tim Bailey. He has been a construction worker, carpenter, project supervisor, real estate agent, building materials sales rep and the vice president of a multi-division Canadian homebuilder. He has been in the trenches pouring concrete, at closings presenting customers with the keys to their new dream home, and in the field helping homeowners through the warranty process. He even served as general contractor when building his own home in 2008.

Now he’s putting his vast industry knowledge to use helping other homebuilders as General Manager of Canadian Operations for AVID Ratings. At AVID, Tim works with Canadian homebuilders to provide the services and training they need to implement the high-performance systems that will ensure their long-term success.

Tim was introduced to the construction industry at the young age of 15, when his summers were spent working alongside his father, a carpenter and site supervisor. “I quickly found that I really enjoy being part of an environment that allows ideas to materialize from concepts into realities,” he says.

The summers working in construction continued while Tim obtained his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. After seven years in management for a laboratory supply manufacturer, Tim returned to the home industry as a realtor with RE/MAX.

“I’ve always loved math and sciences,” Tim says, “but I guess I love the home industry more.”

Though chemistry may seem unrelated to housing, Tim’s scientific training has been a valuable asset in his work for homebuilders. “Science requires keen analytical skills and a passion for methods and systems — all of which are so important in today’s competitive home-building market,” Tim explains.

Successfully selling both existing and new homes made Tim even more aware of the special relationship between builders and homebuyers. “I truly believe that we’re building homes, not merely houses,” Tim says. “A home is created when you combine a structure called a house with a collage of very personal experiences. A homebuilder is given the opportunity to build a house, but more importantly a homebuilder is granted the privilege to assist in the creation of a home.”

Because of the emotional nature of home buying, builders need interpersonal skills and customer service knowledge unlike any other industry, Tim says.

Over the years, he has noticed builders becoming more professional and homebuyers becoming more sophisticated. “It used to be the little guy who lacked service could muddle through. The industry was more tolerant of mediocrity,” he recalls. “Now the market demands excellence, and a builder must be focused on moving from good to great to achieve long-term business success.”

Before joining AVID, Tim was vice president of Schout Communities in New Hamburg, Ontario, where he managed all functions —finance, operations, and customer service — for Citadel Homes Inc. and Stonecroft Homes Inc. Tim’s background in sciences allowed him to view the home-building industry from a different perspective. “Using a scientific method allows a repeatable conclusion to be created by following defined methods and procedures,” Tim explains. “This is the principle that guided my work and enabled me to develop and implement systems and procedures that focused on achieving consistent sales growth and delighted customers.”

Because success comes from exceeding each customer’s expectations, it’s important that homebuilders guide the development of those expectations and monitor their performance from each customer’s perspective, Tim maintains.

“There is nothing more rewarding than helping a homebuilder become more successful by helping them delight their customers,” Tim concludes. “AVID is able to provide the missing pieces to the puzzle that I was always trying to create while managing operations with a homebuilder, and it is very gratifying to help other homebuilders become their best with AVID.”

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