Business View - March 2015 27
CONSTRUCTION
“It gives us a true understanding of our buyers to maxi-
mize the efficiency and, ultimately, the livability of a
home,” Leslie said. “The more we can understand the
different personalities and the lenses through which
people look at houses, we can then better articulate
how that home will be livable for them – it makes a
significant difference. Compared to how most builders
sell and how we sell now, we’ve really hit the mark.
Customers feel that they’re being heard. We’re build-
ing a home around how they live.”
The company and its methods sprang from the Cana-
dian-born Leslie’s lifetime in and around real estate
and construction, which began when he’d accompany
his father to job sites as a 6-year-old. He ultimately
chose to eschew college and head first into the family
business and later into a stint with the second-largest
homebuilding operation in Western Canada.
His mother, father and brother moved across the bor-
der from Winnipeg to Fargo to open a Ramada Plaza &
Suites location in 1992, then started Heritage Homes
as a side business in 1995. Leslie himself headed
south in 1998, with intentions to transform the com-
pany from a dabbling interest to a full-blown operation.
He purchased the company outright in 2006.
And these days, the mere mention of his 26 team
members yields a torrent of pride.
“Our company is not about any one person,” Leslie
said. “It’s about a team of people that is passionate
about what they do, love what they do and celebrate
each other’s involvement all the time. When we win,
we celebrate our wins. When we lose, we understand
that we all lose. It’s not about pointing fingers. We ask
why did we lose and what can we learn from it.”
