ARE BUILDER REFERENCES REALLY THAT HELPFUL OR JUST FLUFF?
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually think references can be more telling than we give them credit for—if you know how to read between the lines. I’ve had a few “they were fine, but…” conversations, and honestly, those are the ones I pay the most attention to. Sometimes it’s not what they say, but what they *don’t* say.
Funny enough, I once called a reference who spent half the time talking about how beautiful their kitchen turned out, then casually mentioned, “Well, we did have to chase them for updates a few times.” That was all I needed to hear. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it set my expectations.
I do agree with this:
But I’d argue even the fluffiest reference can reveal something if you listen closely. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather have too much info than not enough—even if I have to dig a little.“If all you get is ‘they were great!’ and nothing else, that’s a red flag for me.”
“If all you get is ‘they were great!’ and nothing else, that’s a red flag for me.”
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve had clients call my past customers and later tell me, “They mentioned your crew was tidy, but didn’t say much about timelines.” That kind of detail matters. The little stuff people mention offhand usually tells you what to expect day-to-day.
