Tarion recently announced the finalists for the 2016 Homeowners’ Choice Awards, the only awards that give Ontario new home buyers the ability to recognize their favourite new homebuilder for customer service excellence.
The awards, formerly called the Tarion Awards of Excellence, recognize excellence in customer service by builders in the categories of Small, Medium, Large Volume and High-Rise Homes. However, the process of choosing finalists remains the same as in past years.
“These awards have always been about new home buyers in Ontario and their level of satisfaction with their individual builder,” said Tarion president and CEO Howard Bogach in a press release. “Changing the name to the Homeowners’ Choice Awards simply reflects the importance of the customer’s experience in the new home buying process, and how each and every home buyer can have a say in whether a new home builder receives recognition.”
Finalists were selected using the survey responses of over 12,000 Ontarians who took possession of a new home between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015. Survey results were tabulated by Crunch Research and Nielsen.
The survey questioned participants’ satisfaction with their builder across every stage in the homeowner-builder relationship, from the signing of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, through construction, the pre-delivery period and after-sales service.
“This year marks Tarion’s 40th anniversary of protecting new home buyers in Ontario,” said Bogach. “Throughout the decades, we’ve witnessed home buyers having an increased impact on the new home buying experience based on the decisions they make. The Homeowners’ Choice Awards reflects the importance of their opinions and champions excellence in customer service.”
To qualify for a nomination, builders are required to have at least five new home possessions during the survey timeframe, as well as a specified number of received completed questionnaires.
Award winners will be announced at a luncheon in Toronto on Thursday, April 28, 2016. The full list of finalists can be viewed here.
