Today we’d like to introduce you to John Gioffre.
Hi John, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
Some may be surprised to learn this, but I learned construction differently. I went to law school, and people would ask why I was pursuing a law degree; I would tell them the truth: I wanted to be an entrepreneur and knew a law degree would be beneficial.
Before founding Revent Builds, I started GO Investments in Houston, a real estate investment company focused on purchasing and rehabbing distressed properties. Through this work, I gained a solid foundation in general contracting, and the company went on to own a sizable portfolio of single-family homes. The organization has grown in recent years and now includes some multifamily assets. Because of my work in Houston, I got the opportunity to become the CEO of a new real estate development company in Austin. This is where I got exposure to wide-ranging construction projects all over the city. While learning the ins and outs of the City of Austin code and building processes, I invested in relationships with experts and craftsmen and began building my team. Eventually, this opportunity didn’t pan out, but because I had worked hard to nurture relationships, I could launch Revent Builds.
I established Revent Builds in 2017 after becoming frustrated with the industry’s narrow focus on billable hours rather than engaging deeply with the families who eventually live in these homes. Since its inception, the company has completed numerous projects spanning the entire spectrum of construction and renovation and has evolved into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. The organization also launched Build Camp, a construction incubator meant to educate those who want to get involved in the homebuilding business. Through a hands-on approach, we provide actionable training and learning opportunities with civil engineering, construction, and architecture experts so participants can successfully work in the industry.
In addition to working in this space, I am super passionate about content creation, so I started The Outliers. In this online show, I interview guests with exciting careers and ask them one pivotal question: how did they turn their passion into a paycheck? I want to inspire the next generation of pit masters, pro wrestlers, and maybe developers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been gratifying and fulfilling. I recall the late-night conversations with my wife, debating whether opting for a career in construction rather than law was the correct decision and questioning if we would ever achieve financial success. I didn’t know if things would pan out, but I knew I was doing something exciting and filled my soul. I also knew that once the decision was made, I could only keep going. I kept believing I would end up on the right path if I did things right. I always say that construction is crisis management. When you are earlier in your career, these crises seem career-ending, like everything can come tumbling down. Every situation is different; there is a ton of pressure and overwhelming. But as you continue to work through these obstacles and find solutions, you get guidance from mentors and realize there is always a path forward. That is a mantra I still tell myself to this day.
Thanks for sharing that. Could you tell us more about your business?
Revent Builds specializes in luxury remodels, additions, and complete custom homes from the ground up in Central Austin. We are most known for building extraordinarily unique and ornate homes that stand out from much of the sterile white modern we see a ton of in Austin. We have won multiple local and national awards for our projects, but the Modern Victorian, a spec home we most recently completed and sold, gained particular attention. A spec home is a project where we buy a lot, build a house, and sell it. Most of the time, in this situation, builders play it safe to appeal to the broadest market they can. The Modern Victorian is the exact opposite. It was a daring and bold move to build such a unique home as a spec, but it paid off dearly. After restoring and renovating many older homes from the early 1900s, I fell in love with the Victorian aesthetic. But of course, an older home has many issues, such as fire hazards, outdated plumbing and electric systems, delicate materials that need tons of maintenance, and poor energy efficiency. So, I devised an idea to build a home that paid homage to the Victorian era while incorporating the most cutting-edge building materials, technology, and modern amenities we love. Also, the Modern Victorian was painted all black on the outside to be the opposite of the norm. There are so many ornate elements such as diamond scale steel roofing, cedar half moon shingles, walnut accent walls, picture mold, marble imported from Italy, fixtures curated from around the world, and a fully automated smart home system that made this home truly one of a kind. The home made a huge splash on social media, getting millions of views worldwide. The home has also become a staple in Austin. It is a home I hold close to my heart and one I’m very proud of having imagined and built. The best part is the new owners are smitten and give me unlimited access to give tours to new clients!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important characteristic of our success is our people. We are only as good as our people and have great people. I hold my relationships with our team and trade force in extremely high regard. Everyone who sets foot on our job sites is happy to be there, treated with respect, and paid accordingly. I always tell our tradesmen that we could not do this without them. We work hard, but we laugh, we have fun. We do things outside work, like team-building activities and birthday parties. We hold our people to a high standard, but all are highly self-accountable. Since I started my career in construction, my motto has been 100% satisfaction 100% of the time, and not once have we let a client down!
Another characteristic that is paramount to our success is blunt honesty. At the beginning of my career, I sought to make clients happy, to be a yes-man. But that isn’t always what the client needs. It felt uncomfortable initially, but I believe this is the only way to make it in construction. What the client needs is for someone to shoot them straight. The client is relying on me and my expertise to let them know if what they want is possible within their budget, or if there is an issue with their existing home that needs to be addressed, or if it is feasible to complete a project in their given timeline and so much more. Many builders feel they will lose work if they tell the client something they don’t want to hear. And that can happen, but the project was never a good fit. In my experience, it is the exact opposite. I earn more business by being upfront and telling people the unfiltered truth. It is a way to build legitimate trust. The same goes for good and bad news. I say to my clients that construction is never perfect. There will be many different setbacks along the way, but it is how we respond to these setbacks that counts. The result will always be excellent!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reventbuilds.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johngiof_builds/?hl=en
