SPEAKER_01: 0:42

My name is John Halleck, and I'm in uh custom home building business. And um, the name of my company is Classic Homes. But that is that company's been around for a long time. And I joined the company about seven years ago. But most exciting is we just launched a new brand called Maison 11. And I would say that we service a very broad range of clients, right? The Classic Homes brand really services what I would call that core buyer, right? The ones that are looking for great value, a quality-built home. But the Maison 11 brand that we recently launched, that services an entirely different buyer. You know, that's that's servicing a buyer who wants luxury, who wants a very curated, customized experience. And so it's super exciting now that we have two brands where we can really service a very broad spectrum of the of the housing market in this area.

SPEAKER_00: 1:40

Amazing. Really get that range of customers.

SPEAKER_01: 1:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 1:43

Very cool. So take me back to how you got started in all this. Tell me how you got to where you are today.

SPEAKER_01: 1:49

Yeah, so I definitely never expected to be in construction or even real estate. I actually went to college thinking I was going to go to medical medical school. And, you know, I went to college on an ROTC scholarship. And so after I graduated, I spent my four years in the army. But honestly, I loved it. I was in Germany at the time. I'd been there for a few years, and I just, instead of staying for four years, I ended up staying nine years. And then after nine years, I did decide it was time for me to leave the military, really enjoyed my service in the military. You know, I'm a real people person, and you know, when you're in the military, you have to be, right? And I met people from all walks of life, and but I knew at that point that it was time for me to move on with the next phase of my life. And at the time, this was in the early 2000s, and you know, the home building industry was just going gangbusters. And I had friends who had left the military and were in home building. They absolutely loved it. And so that's how I landed into home building. And I started with a a national builder in San Antonio, Texas. It was KB Home. They had a really big presence down there. But within a couple months, they asked me to move and relocate to the DC area and help start a new division in uh in Virginia. Um, so I agreed to do that. And uh, and that's really kind of how my career launched. And I've been in Northern Virginia now for over 20 years. You know, I actually consider myself a Virginian now, right? Because I've been here so long. Um, you know, after a couple of years at KB Home, I got recruited to go to another, at the time I think Poulte was the third largest builder in the country. And so I got recruited to go there. And I spent the bulk of my, let's call it public home building years at Poulti in various leadership positions. And ultimately I spent the bulk of my time there, um, you know, running construction operations for Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and DC. And um, you know, that, and I would say that's where I learned the broadest, I think, experience of, you know, I got involved with sales, marketing, land acquisition and development, obviously construction and and estimating and architecture. I had a pretty broad range of responsibilities, and I led a pretty large team of about 100 people, right? So again, I think I leaned heavily into my experience in the military, where I'd been a platoon leader, a company commander, and had led a lot of large teams in the military. So it wasn't that foreign for me, but I did learn that, you know, leading people in corporate America was different than leading people in the military, right? You know, in the military, you could just tell people what to do and tell soldiers what to do, and you expect it to get done, and largely it would. I did learn in corporate America that there there had to be other ways of motivating people. And there also had to be other ways I'd motivated myself. And you know, one of the things I discovered in my time in public home building is it largely became commoditized. Right? I found myself building the same neighborhoods over and over again in different locations, the same homes over and over again. And although it's um although it is fulfilling to a certain extent, building a thousand plus homes a year, because every one of those customers appreciates that, right? And I knew that something was kind of missing. And so, you know, even back 15 years ago, I thought about, you know, I would love to do something a little bit more entrepreneurial. And I didn't know exactly what that looked like back then, but you know, fast forward a few years and I had an opportunity to join a, you know, classic homes. The, you know, the owner at the time had been, yeah, I think the company was about 37 years old at the time. And the owner was approaching kind of mid-70s, and his son had been running the company for a while. And and, you know, they were at a stage where the son had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. And so with his physical limitations becoming, you know, more and more apparent, and then the father's age kind of needing him to kind of pull back, they're really looking for someone to come in and help run the business. And honestly, that's what it started as is hey, you know, we need someone to come help run the business. And I think we both went into it with the idea of let's try it out, let's see if the how it works out, let's see if we enjoy working with each other. And you know what? It was the honestly the best decision, the best professional decision I've ever made. And it turned out so much more fulfilling than I expected. You know, very quickly within a couple of years, they asked me to become an owner, which I agreed to do. And then, you know, a few years after that, they asked me if I would take 100% ownership of the company, which was shocking when they presented that to me. But, you know, they explained the reasons why it was important for them. And ultimately my wife and I agreed to do that. And so, you know, here we are. Fast forward, I've been in in home building now for, I guess, a little bit over 20 years. And my wife and I, we own a very successful, you know, semi-custom and custom home building company. And I couldn't be more blessed. Um, I have a fantastic team that, you know, some of them have been working for me for 18 years, right? So I have several employees that have followed me from company to company over the years, which I'll be honest, I think that's probably one of the things I'm most proud of. That I have individuals that um respect me enough and trust me enough to follow me to various companies that have remained working for me for almost two decades.

SPEAKER_00: 7:43

That's what makes the magic happen, right? Just having this amazing team here for you and and they stay.

SPEAKER_01: 7:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 7:50

And also your story, uh, it's you've been all around. It's very amazing. And the rest was history, right? After after all that.

SPEAKER_01: 7:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 7:59

Going back to Maison 11, it focuses on providing exceptional high-touch experience for every client. What does that elevated level of service look like? And why is that experience itself just as important as the finished home?

SPEAKER_01: 8:15

Yeah. So, you know, it started off as an idea probably about five years ago, right? And, you know, at the time, Classic Homes was known primarily for providing really high quality, but tremendous value, right? Tremendous value for the money that the buyers spent. And what that meant was, you know, the homes were large and spacious and provide a lot of room. They were larger than the homes that they were moving from. And the high value, a lot of people equate that to cost per square foot, right? In classic homes, we excelled at providing, you know, really large homes at a relatively low cost per square foot. But in order to do that, right, you have to um you have to have a team and everybody that understands and and looks at the cost of everything, whether it's the cost of copy paper, the cost of the copier and itself that we're buying, the finding tremendous value in negotiating cost of materials, right? The rent on the office. And so we've always been great at managing cost. And that's what enables us to provide that high value to our clients. But the experience is also like, I would say, geared towards that buyer, in that, you know, these buyers are primarily wanted a high-quality home. And the finishes they wanted were just, I would say, high quality, but I would categorize them as nice. But we started obtaining some clients who wanted more. Not only did they want like a high-quality finished home, but they wanted some really high-touch finishes, right? Finishes that we weren't currently offering. And so we started to have to explore, you know, new materials, new products, new subcontractors that could supply these materials in a high quality fashion. And what we found was that, you know, these clients that wanted this, they also wanted a different experience, right? They didn't want to be kind of passed from the salesperson to the construction manager. They wanted a more concierge-level service. And, you know, I equate it to, and the way I describe it to others is, you know, when you travel and you go and you're staying at a resort or a hotel, right? You can stay at many different hotels and you can choose hotels based off of price, amenities, service. Um, the classic homes buyer, a lot of them were choosing it based off of price and amenities. And I equate that to like a best western. You're gonna get a great price. You're gonna have a, you know, there's gonna be a gym, a fitness facility, there's gonna be Continental Breakfast. But our Maison 11 buyer, that luxury buyer, they really want that level of service where it's concierge-level service, like you get when you go to a Four Seasons or JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton, right? Where there is somebody there who greets you and you're not waiting in line for anything, right? All you have to tell your concierge is, hey, we'd like reservations to this restaurant, or hey, we'd like to go to this show and they make it happen for you, right? They're providing a level of service that really just complements the lifestyle that you want, right? That's the exact same thing with Maison 11, right? So we're providing this curated experience where there's a single individual that that provides that service throughout the entire process. So there is no handoff from salesperson to architect to the construction team to the warranty manager, right? There is a single individual that's responsible for providing that experience. And so that is the main distinction between the Maison 11 brand and the classic homes brand. Other than obviously, you can get a lot more selections and higher-level finishes, but it's really that experience that really differentiates that buyer and those homes.

SPEAKER_00: 12:10

Absolutely. That just seamless, um, seamless experience.

SPEAKER_01: 12:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 12:15

Perfect. And speaking of that, custom home projects can be complex. What steps do you take to help clients feel informed, confident, and supported through such a detailed process?

SPEAKER_01: 12:28

Yeah, so it starts way before the home is even kind of conceived, right? I love to meet with clients at the lot that they're considering building on. And what I like to do is I like to paint that vision of where the home could be could be sighted, what the orientation is going to be, you know, how high the home's gonna sit on the lot, whether they're gonna have a walkout basement or steps up from the basement. So it starts very early on with painting that picture of what can be, right? And at that point, we're not even talking about floor plans. We're just looking at the land, and I'm describing what that land is is capable of, right? Now, that's just not my opinion. I look at a lot of data online to see, hey, what are the zoning restrictions for that area? What size home can be built? What are the limitations when it comes to utilities? Is it public utilities, private utilities, right? Are there any resource protection areas, any conservation easements? There's there's so many details about the land itself. And it really starts there. And once we've determined that the land can support what the buyer wants, then we can move into, okay, well, let's look at different floor plans that are available. And whether it's a floor plan that we already have that exists that fits their needs, or we need to start with something completely custom, you know, we have the ability now to do both of those. With the classic homes brand, you know, we have a set number of floor plans that that services majority of customers' needs, right? But for that buyer that wants a truly custom home that nobody else has, that looks unique and supports their unique lifestyle, we have the ability to do that with Maison 11.

SPEAKER_00: 14:09

Absolutely. And I to kind of go off of that, I know you guys integrate 3D visualization and modeling into the DeBrind design process. Could you tell me a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_01: 14:19

Yeah. So that really started with our classic homes brand just a couple of years ago, where we were we got feedback from clients that, hey, it would be great if I could kind of see what this would look like before I decide where I want the partition for this room or you know, what material that we want on the exterior of the home. And so we went and looked for what capabilities were out there, and we found a great program. And it's called Chief Architect of all things, right? It's a great company, and really that's all they do is they have this software where you can design your home and you can model it both the inside and the outside, and you can provide 3D views. So the the great thing about this software is you can meet with a client and actually move walls, move cabinets, and they can see it in real time on a TV screen that we have. And so they can see it's almost like an A-B kind of thing. Do you like this better or do you like this better? And it really helps speed up the decision-making process for a lot of our buyers that they're very visual in nature, right? They have difficulty looking at a 2D piece of paper and deciding, well, is this room going to be big enough for what we want? Versus when you see it in 3D and you're able to walk through it, you really get a better sense of that space. Now, what's next is I'd love to explore the you know the VR capabilities, right? Where you know someone can wear VR glasses and actually walk through a home. And we're not quite there yet, but that is on the horizon.

SPEAKER_00: 15:50

How fun and how fascinating to be able to really just visualize exactly what it would look like and to walk through your potential home.

SPEAKER_01: 15:58

I would say that um you know there are many industries that that use technology much better than construction and home building. You know, I feel like you know, home building in general is a very antiquated industry. Like we largely build homes the same way we did 100 years ago. Obviously, we use like nail guns instead of a hammer, but essentially homes are constructed the same. And I find that many builders utilize old technology when it comes to selling homes too. And you know, I I want to I want to be at the forefront of that, right? Use technology, whether it's AI-driven assistance or AI-driven kind of modeling, virtual reality, 3D views. I believe that if we can offer those kind of tools to our clients in the future, that that's really going to help you know make them make faster decisions, know what to expect, and really love their home even more at the end.

SPEAKER_00: 16:50

I'm so excited for you guys in this this a uh this future with all the technology happening. Yes. That's awesome. So you've worked with everyone from architects to interior, interior designers to real estate professionals. How important is collaboration in delivering the kind of elevated experience Maison 11 promises?

SPEAKER_01: 17:12

Yeah, it's it's probably the cornerstone of what makes Maison 11 um successful is that it is a seamless process, whether it's an outside architect, our interior designer, the client's interior designer. So there has to be that collaboration and communication so that the customer really understands what they're getting because they're gonna solicit feedback from their interior designer, right? They're gonna solicit feedback from the architect they're working with, from the engineer who's designing where the home is gonna be placed on the lot. So there are many people that are involved in making a successful um, you know, new home project. And that that homeowner is gonna be listening to all of them. And so if we're not all collaborating successfully, sharing information appropriately, then that homeowner is gonna get potentially mixed information. And that's gonna do a couple things. One, the group, everyone involved is gonna start losing credibility with that client. And that's the type of client where credibility really does matter a lot, right? Because again, they're not purchasing the home because it's a certain price or because it's a certain design that they saw. You know, they're purchasing it because it's truly a lifestyle decision. And what I find with the many of the higher and let's call it luxury buyers is they don't need to build a house. They're not doing this because they need a new home. They're doing it because they want it. And when somebody wants something versus need, they need to be shown and they need to experience a great, seamless process. Otherwise, it's gonna start putting doubts into do we really need to do this? Is this gonna be better than what we have? And so at every step of the way, you have to show them and convince them that this is gonna be better, that this is going to be an improvement over what they currently have.

SPEAKER_00: 19:03

Having that just exceptional experience from beginning to end.

SPEAKER_01: 19:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 19:07

And also it's just really interesting how many moving parts are going on behind the scenes to just make this whole process come together.

SPEAKER_01: 19:14

And the key though is that that should all be like kind of opaque to the client. The client doesn't need to see all the moving parts and pieces. And I kind of equate it to this, right? Like the client doesn't need to see how the sausage is made. Because there's a lot of messy things involved with building and designing and building a home, right? They just need to know and trust that at the end it's gonna look and taste great.

SPEAKER_00: 19:38

Said I love that analogy. So you're about to launch Maison 11's first completed luxury home with a ribbon-cutting celebration. What does this event represent for you and your team?

SPEAKER_01: 19:51

Yeah, so this is really the launching pad, right? We've spent years, you know, kind of designing what we want this brand to look like. And, you know, we've we've successfully launched a great uh website and landing page. This is kind of the culmination of that, right? So, but it's the launching pad of the brand, right? It's our ability to say, here we are, come look at what we've built. We have other projects that we're going to be building in the near future, but it gives clients, real estate professionals, all the consultants we work with, a very clear understanding of this is what Maison 11 is. Come see it, come join us for a celebration. Because we want them to be super excited about what they see and experience, because we want them to tell their clients, other, you know, whether it's title companies, banks, other real estate agents, hey, you have to you have to come see this home. You have to come experience this this new luxury brand because it is different than what's currently out there.

SPEAKER_00: 20:56

Absolutely. I'm so excited for you guys. And so when clients think of John Halleck, whether through Classic Homes or Maison 11, what do you hope they associate with your name and your work?

SPEAKER_01: 21:09

Yeah, I I hope what they associate is, hey, what when John says something, like he means it, right? My reputation is really important to me. I tell clients up front, hey, I'm I'm a transparent individual, right? I'm gonna tell you when we can do something. I'm also gonna tell you when we can't do something or when you shouldn't do something. And so I want people to have a lot of faith and trust in me. And I think that's really important when when clients are willing to spend, you know, three, four, five, six million dollars to build a home, they have to feel like they can trust the individual that they're talking to, right? And I think that's probably you know my my strength is, you know, I'm I'm completely transparent when I deal with clients, actually when I deal with anybody, right? Like that's really the only way I know how to be. And I think clients, any client you speak to will tell you, you know what, John is a stand-up guy. He's up front, he doesn't sugarcoat things. Like it's not always good news, but it's the truth, right? And I like to set you know realistic expectations and then deliver on.

SPEAKER_00: 22:14

I love the point you made about setting realistic expectations and having that transp transparency and and excellent communication because in the end that is key.

SPEAKER_01: 22:23

I tell every client up front this is going to be a stressful process, right? It it will. There will be points of stress, and at some points it'll be much higher than others, and at some points it'll be low stress, right? But it's going to be stressful, and my job is to try to minimize that for you, but also to let you know it's coming. I don't want to sit here and tell you that it's going to be easy and it's going to be great and it's going to be fun all the time. There will be points where it will be a lot of fun, but there's going to be points where it's going to be pretty stressful too. But my job is to minimize that for you.

SPEAKER_00: 22:56

Perfect. And as we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on today?

SPEAKER_01: 23:03

Gosh, it seems like we've talked about a lot of different things. No, I mean, your questions were really were really kind of on point for I don't I didn't know what to expect actually, but this is was um like you said, it was pretty easy, right? I'm just talking about what I'm doing and things that that uh that I know like the back of my hand.

SPEAKER_00: 23:23

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: 23:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00: 23:25

Well, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. It was a pleasure to hear your story, a very inspiring story. And I wish you guys the best of luck in all that comes in the future.

SPEAKER_01: 23:36

Thank you very much. This was this has been great.

SPEAKER_00: 23:38

Thank you.