Compass is a real estate brokerage and technology company with its own cloud-based software platform as well as title, escrow, and mortgage services. At the end of 2020, the company had a presence in 46 markets across the United States with plans to expand into new areas. The company’s growth continued and, in April 2021, it became a publicly-traded firm.
Watchdog was first engaged to oversee the build-out of two real estate offices in Philadelphia. Then, the scope of services expanded to manage Compass’ entire nationwide expansion. The team developed a 60-day rollout program, which focused on standards and best practices to enter 30 new locations. Watchdog secured long-term contracts with a national architect, signage vendor, and low voltage vendor to deliver a consistent office appearance.
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After completing the rollout program, the team established a 60-day implementation plan. This plan covered project documentation tracking practices and supplied details for regional and national vendors. Using Smartsheet®, an online collaborative software system, Watchdog produced data templates, a dashboard, and accounting system tools to capture consistent details across the project portfolio. This facilitated efficient reporting to Compass’ leadership team and allowed access to the budget and schedule status at any time.
The standards the Watchdog team created have been used on a large scale, and, to date, the team has rolled out more than 90 offices nationwide. Once Compass leadership identifies a new site and allocates funds, Watchdog determines the project’s budget and schedule. It oversees the local construction managers familiar with the ordinances and inspection process.
The selected sites are typically existing office buildings or retail centers. The team, along with the local construction manager, analyzes alternate construction methods and material selection to generate cost savings ideas to keep the project within budget. Project challenges, including existing tenants, layout constraints, and utility connections, are identified and resolved through active ongoing communication between Watchdog, the local construction manager, the architect, and the landlord.
