The FORT Podcast: Antonia Botero

On today’s episode, Antonia Botero, the Founder and Principal at MADD Project, joins Chris to discuss her experience in large scale multi-family conversions and ground-up development construction in Manhattan. They’ll discuss project & construction management in the real estate industry, how to hire a General Contractor, how to make a great contract, early things to do to make a project more successful, ways to save on project costs, holding contractors accountable, negotiating and much more.

Listen on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube

(02:35) – How did you become a wizard in project & construction management?
(06:31) – What does studying architecture mean from your perspective and do you recommend others do the same?
(09:57) –  How has technology opened the ecosystem for people to quickly study architecture?
(11:45) – What does ‘getting into the field’ mean to you? Why were you drawn to it?
(12:37) – Designing Feasible Buildings vs. Buildings that Simply Look Good in a Rendering
(15:29) – What is MADD Project?
(15:57) – Why is having an owner’s rep useful?
(19:45) – When is the best time to hire an owner’s rep in a project?
(22:35) – What is it like getting a project done in a mega-city like New York and dealing with community boards?
(27:32) – What’s the difference in breakdowns on the consulting side of MADD Project?
(30:53) – What’s the best way to hold contractors accountable to their timeline?
(33:29) – What are three things that make for a really strong contract?
(35:32) – Are you usually the GC on a project or do you help hire a GC?
(38:25) – What does bonding mean?
(39:29) – Which incentive structures work best with contractors?
(42:42) – What is a GMP?  (Guaranteed Maximum Price)
(45:20) – When entering a brand new market, what are things you want to hear from a GC before doing business with them?
(47:08) – What do drawings look like in a good place vs. a bad place?
(48:40) – How do you know who’s worked on a certain project when talking to GCs?
(49:25) – Have you learned any major lessons following big mistakes?
(58:07) – How do you deal with change orders if there’s ambiguity in the contract?
(1:00:12) – What next-gen construction form do you see having the most viable cost savings over the next 5-10 years?
(1:02:41) – Are you seeing signs that construction costs will come down?
(1:04:30) – Do you have a morning routine?
(1:06:03) – What’s the best advice you’ve received?
(1:06:22) – What is the best book you’ve read recently?
The Art of Asking – Amanda Palmer

(1:07:05) – How has twitter impacted you and your business?
(1:09:14) – If you owned a billboard on the side of the road, what would you put on it for the world to see?
(1:10:12) – Antonia’s Contact Information
Antonia’s Twitter