Meet Pella’s Partners: An Interview With Robert Leslie from Designer Homes of Fargo-Moorhead

At Pella, we value each of our home builder partners and the way they enhance and strengthen their communities with the homes they build. In this blog, we’re highlighting one of our long-time partners — Designer Homes of Fargo-Moorhead.

Designer Homes is a full-service custom home builder dedicated to designing, building, and furnishing luxury custom homes that tell their clients’ stories. They describe their team of home builders, decorators, and design specialists as dreamers and creative professionals who are passionate about bringing their clients’ ideas to life through the homes they build.

We sat down with Robert Leslie, President of Designer Homes, to learn more about their history, the work they do, the clients they serve, and why they’ve chosen to partner with Pella.

Robert, tell us about the history of your company: How did you get your start?

I got my start when I was 17 years old working for the second-largest home builder in Canada. I was still in High School, but I got my real estate license and was working in new construction. I knew right away that new construction was where I was going to focus my energy. There’s something special about being able to tailor what you do for each client to give them the very best experience. It’s a really fun process.

I built the first three years of my career with that company. Then I started another business with family members, and that company is still alive and thriving. In 2007, I went out on my own to start Designer Homes, and since then we’ve built it up to where we are today.

What is your specialty and who is your ideal customer?

We specialize in luxury custom homes. We have three different collections, so we provide homes at three different price points. Our projects range from very lightly customized to highly customized.

Our work is geared toward people who are really passionate about the design, look, and style of their homes. We’re probably not the home building company for someone that’s just looking to put a roof over their head and who doesn’t put much thought into the end result. We’re definitely structured for the client who gets very excited about everything that a home encompasses.

That’s why we have products at three different price points, but they’re all geared toward people who are really passionate about their homeownership experience. 

What sets you apart from your competitors?

I think it’s our people. Everyone here puts their heart into every project. They’re really excited about being a part of the process and how important it is to our clients when they choose to build a new home. It’s a very exciting time in our clients’ lives, and we feel lucky to be a part of that. Everyone here is very proud of the work we do.

We obviously have excellent trades and quality as well, but all of that is driven by our people. Without them, none of that really comes together. So I would say it’s our people that make us different from the rest.

What do you love most about the work you do?

Meeting new people and new families every day, and learning more about what makes them tick. Working with someone on their home really brings out their personality, and we get to have a lot of fun with our clients.

Also, the projects we do are all so different. We get to work on something that’s constantly changing. Like I always say, it never gets boring! I think that’s what makes it exciting and keeps the interest level high. We have a lot of fun doing what we do.

How long have you partnered with Pella, and why did you choose them?

We’ve worked with Pella for the entire life of Designer Homes, and long before that with the previous entity that I was part of…so well over 20 years. 

Pella is great to work with. We love that we don’t have to go through a second party — we’re able to work directly with the manufacturer. Obviously the Pella name is a perk as well. They've built a great brand, and they give our clients a lot of great options. But when clients go in to meet about their windows, they’re meeting directly with Pella representatives, and I think that makes a big difference in their end experience.

Our Pella representative, Wayne, is a phenomenal human being. When we talk on the phone or in a meeting, it feels like we’re meeting with a member of our own company, a part of our own family. To me, that’s huge. I know I can count on him, I know where his principles lie, and he’s always exemplified excellent integrity. 

I don’t feel like we’re working with someone outside of our organization when I work with Wayne, and that’s truly what a team is all about. He embodies everything that we stand for and that Pella stands for. Again, it all boils down to people. 

How has your partnership with Pella impacted your business?

Pella really aligns with our values and principles. We try to make sure that whoever we work with on our homes (contractors, suppliers, etc) has a vision and principles that align with ours. Otherwise, there’s no way we could produce what we need to for our clients. 

In building, problems can happen. But if the people we’re working with have good principles and care about the end result, they will always do the right thing and make it right. So we always make sure we align ourselves with people who do the right thing so we can protect our clients and make sure they get the right outcome. 

To learn more about Designer Homes of Fargo-Moorhead, visit their website.

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