Posted by: Cathy Follett, President of EM NARI, CEO of Renovisions
Are you ready for this New Year? I know I am and probably not alone in feeling this way.
As we head into 2021, have your business strategies changed? Are you able to adapt,
and adjust to our new normal since COVID-19? Have you received relief to stay afloat?
On January 6th, our EMNARI chapter had the pleasure of hosting Kermit Baker, who
serves on Harvard’s Joint Housing Council to speak to the post-pandemic rebound and
shared what he expects is in store for our remodeling industry as we go forward.
Despite this virus wreaking havoc in 2020, it is bittersweet to see many of our
businesses are thriving, while many were devastated and could not hang on. It was
enlightening to learn from Kermit, that both the residential and commercial remodeling
sects will be on the rise through 2021. The demand for home improvements remains
robust as the economy recovers from the impact of COVID-19. We are seeing
historically low mortgage rates, increased consumer confidence, buyer demands, and
gains in new home sales; overall, more people are investing in their homes. On the
other hand, unfortunately, many of us are dealing with price increases, delivery delays
due to pinches in the supply chains, and shortage of laborers which directly affects
scheduling, causing construction delays. Having said this, I believe this industry is not
for the faint of heart.
Now more than ever, it is important to leverage members of groups such as EMNARI to
help us navigate through this new normal, to help us focus on continued education,
learn about how to use the latest technologies (who would have thought we’d be ‘Zoom
Experts’?) and utilize members’ services in areas that will benefit and help guide us as
we continue to adapt and stay on track.
No one knows for sure what will happen in 2021 or what unique challenges we may
face, however, I am feeling happy to be busy and thankful that my company cultivated a
strong base of clients who trust us during a pandemic- for this I am grateful.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
–Winston Churchill
Catherine Follett
Renovisions
