// BRIEFING — 2026-08-05
What does an owner's representative do?
The construction industry has a quiet structural problem: everyone at the table is paid by someone other than you, or paid more when the project costs more. The architect wants the design built. The contractor wants the change orders approved. The vendors want their invoices paid without questions.
An owner's representative is the one seat at the table that answers only to you.
01 // The role, in plain terms
The role, in plain terms
An owner's representative does not design and does not build. We hire, direct, and hold accountable the people who do. In practice that means six things:
- Scope
- Before anyone else is in the room, defining what you want, what it should cost, and how long it should take. Most overruns are born here, not on the site.
- Team
- Identifying, vetting, and interviewing architects, general contractors, and specialists — then presenting you the strongest candidates. You choose; we manage them.
- Bids
- Comparing proposals line by line against the same scope, so a low number can't hide a thin scope. Contracts negotiated in your favor before anything is signed.
- Budget and schedule
- Every invoice, cost, and change order reviewed before payment. The schedule tracked and held — not reported after the fact.
- Oversight
- Regular presence on site, quality checked against what was agreed, permits and approvals coordinated.
- Closeout
- The punch list closed, documentation handed over in order. Nothing is finished until you agree it is.
02 // Why the independence matters
Why the independence matters
A representative who takes a commission from a contractor is a salesperson. That is why the structure matters more than the promises: Jacomely holds no stake in any vendor we hire and takes nothing from anyone but the owner. When only one side pays, advice stays clean.
03 // Who uses one
Who uses one
In New York, owner's representation is common on three kinds of projects: renovations where the owner is busy or abroad; ground-up construction where the sums are serious; and any project where the owner has been burned once and doesn't intend to repeat it.
Our founder spent more than a decade running construction projects for international oil and gas companies — including a contract of nearly $1 billion — before bringing that discipline to New York property owners. The rigor doesn't change with the project size. Only the number of zeros does.
Begin with a conversation. Every inquiry is confidential.