How did Sorento get started and how long have you been in business?
Sorento was formed in 2003. The founder, Mark MacLeod saw an opportunity in Red Deer to cater to clients that were looking for a higher end product, superior craftsmanship and luxury homes. He felt that transparency in the industry was lacking and wanted to find a way to offer a more customer focused company to provide what others were not. Sorento started with one employee (Mark) working out of his showhome and has now grown to 11 employees including a new business partner Bill Robinson. We now have a head office in Clearview Industrial Drive, multiple showhomes and have expanded our scope of services. In addition to our residential division we also have a commercial division servicing small business, retrofits, multifamily projects as well as renovations.
What is your business philosophy?
Who really wants to read a mission statement to get to know a business? Not us!
But… we feel ours sums us up pretty well. Simply put, we like to build homes that FEEL good to be in. There are a lot of talented, experienced people under our roof to help achieve this and we also believe our trade partners are a significant extension of who we are. Fostering long term relationships with our partners has a substantial impact on not only the quality of our homes but how they feel when you visit them.
Who we are:
We believe a home is more than a place; it’s a feeling.
A place where, comfort, security and pride accompany all the things you love and where your most cherished memories are made. Above all else, we believe everyone deserves an exceptional experience when building their new home. The result is we build amazing homes and provide happy homeowners A Place to Come Home To.
Describe two things your business has achieved that you are proud of.
TWO?! Well, if we had to narrow it down…
Our relationship with the Red Deer Hospital Lottery Foundation is top of the list. We are now currently under construction on our sixth home for the foundation. We love these projects; we love the support it offers our community, and all the creative control they give us! Coming up with the concept for these homes all the way through to opening weekend is an exciting opportunity for us. It’s all hands-on deck for this project. Our team, together with our trade partners and suppliers collaborate to build a home with the Sorento Stamp that ANYONE would love to win.
We have also had a successful year being recognized with industry awards, including local and provincial. However, nothing beats handing a set of keys over. Our team spends a lot of time with our clients during construction. We are in your back pocket for all those decisions revolving around drafting to selections and everything in between. By the time we are handing the house over friendships are made, inside jokes are floating around and we are just as excited as our clients!
WHY are you doing what you’re doing?
It’s pretty simple really, and it’s in our mission statement. We believe home is more than a place it’s a feeling. We have been operating in Red Deer for over 16 years and our business has been primarily build on word of mouth. We are proud of this accomplishment and proud of the homes we build. Building a new home, at times can feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster. All days aren’t easy, and there are things we are always looking at improving. At the end of the day we know we are a big part of the biggest investment people will ever make and we don’t take that responsibility lightly and we don’t take their trust in us for granted.
If you had to make a dating profile for your business how would it read?
Yes, we check all the typical boxes that make a good match. Honesty, integrity, quality builder, superior craftsmanship, blah blah blah. The difference with us is we look like our profile picture… and no we aren’t like all the others. Our construction style is responsive, our communication style is transparent, and our street style is cool. Our showhomes are worth the trip (unlike some of those coffees at Starbucks you’ve had to endure). We’re dog people, nothing against cats, but we’re dog people. In fact, you can usually find about 3 in our office. We’re awesome communicators and will never turn down a good chat and a beer. We speak 2 languages, English and Pinterest…sometimes our construction manager will pull out French if he’s feeling fancy. As far as building homes, we’re awesome at that too… we just don’t like to brag about it. Visit one and see for yourself.
Why do your clients use your services?
Our clients come to use because they want a well-built home. They want direction on design, and they want functional layouts. Some of our clients have been touring our showhomes and lottery homes for years and often we hear “when we build a home it’s going to be a Sorento one”.
For showhome information visit us online.
https://www.sorentocustomhomes.com
