The Good Builder Podcast

The Good Builder
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This week in home building news! Catch up with Az and a colourful array of guests, to hear about who's killing it, who's innovating, and who's getting into strife in the world of new home construction.

  1. The Daily Dose #279 | Future-Proofing the Industry with Toby Loft from BuildGrid

    4H AGO

    The Daily Dose #279 | Future-Proofing the Industry with Toby Loft from BuildGrid

    Productivity isn't a buzzword. It's the thing quietly costing builders more than they realise. In this episode, Az sits down with Toby Loft — co-founder of BuildGrid — for a wide-ranging conversation about what's actually holding the construction industry back, and what a smarter, more future-focused approach looks like. Toby has spent years inside the industry, including a long stint at Mitre 10, watching how builders, trades, and suppliers operate, where the friction lives, and what happens when procurement gets done properly. This episode covers: Why productivity — not labour or materials — is the construction industry's biggest problem right nowHow BuildGrid connects builders, trades, and suppliers in one place to cut duplication and reduce frictionWhy price isn't winning supply chain relationships — and what actually isThe real cost of an inactive job site, and how locking in procurement early protects your marginWhat future-proofing actually looks like for a custom home builder in 2025 and beyondHow a Brisbane custom home builder used technology to limit price rises to 10% when everyone else was copping 30–60%Why the apprenticeship crisis and the productivity crisis are connected — and what to do about itThe upcoming integration between BuildGrid and MyConstruct, and what it means for the industryBuildGrid is free for builders. If you're not using it, this episode will tell you why you should be. Sponsors This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built by builders, for builders. Fully customisable and locally owned. Start your 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com Also proudly supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 to unlock 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.

    44 min
  2. The Daily Dose #278 | Why Clients Choose a Builder (And What They're Really Looking At)

    1D AGO

    The Daily Dose #278 | Why Clients Choose a Builder (And What They're Really Looking At)

    Emily Pollard is back for her third Monday co-host session, and this one goes deep on something every builder needs to understand — how clients actually choose who they build with. Emily is the founder of Nesta Builder Brokers, a service that helps clients across South East Queensland find the right builder, assess contracts, and make smarter decisions before they sign anything. She works with a panel of 20 builders and pulls 135 data points on each one. She sees this process up close every single day. In this episode, Az and Emily break down: Why clients still pick builders off the back of a display home and a good feelingWhat Nesta actually looks at when assessing builders — and why most clients have no idea how to read a QBCC licenceThe difference between how everyday clients choose versus how an educated, data-driven process worksWhy customer service and communication still win or lose the job — even when the product is solidThe widening gap between volume builders and boutique custom builders, and what it means for the average Australian trying to build a homeWhy the mid-tier of the building market is quietly disappearingThis conversation is equal parts practical and honest. If you want to understand what clients are actually thinking — and what Nesta is teaching them to look for — this is worth your time. Sponsors: This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct — construction management software built for Australian builders. Check them out at myconstruct.com. Also supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to https://pay.com.au/tgb to get your points and learn more.. Connect with Emily Pollard: Nesta Builder Brokers | South East Queensland - https://www.nesta.com.au/

    45 min

  3. 4D AGO

    The Daily Dose #277 | 5 Questions Every Builder Is Asking Right Now

    This week's episode, we go straight to the source. Five of the most common questions coming in from The Good Builder community right now, answered in one hit. No fluff, just practical answers you can actually use. In this episode we cover: Where to find quality trades and subbies, especially when you're moving into a new area or scaling fastWhat to post on social media as a builder, and the types of content that are actually getting cut through right nowHow to better qualify your leads so you're spending time on the right enquiriesWhat to do about marketing when your budget is basically zero, including some genuinely underrated free strategiesHow to tap into supplier relationships to fund the marketing you need but can't currently affordWhether you're a volume builder or doing a few homes a year, there's something practical in here for your business. Sponsors This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct — construction management software built by builders, for builders. Fully customisable and locally owned. Start your 30-day free trial at myconstruct.com Also proudly supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 to unlock 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.

    18 min
  4. The Daily Dose #276 | The Quiet Builder: Trust, Standards, and the Art of Saying No with Ash from Glenvill Homes

    5D AGO

    The Daily Dose #276 | The Quiet Builder: Trust, Standards, and the Art of Saying No with Ash from Glenvill Homes

    Most builders will take any deal they can get. Ash doesn't. In this episode, Az sits down with Ash, State Sales Manager at Glenvill Homes, inside their new Docklands headquarters in Melbourne. Glenville is one of Australia's quieter success stories. No marketing machine. No noise. Just a business built on sharp standards, deep trust, and a culture of doing things right. Ash's path into construction wasn't straight. A computer games degree, a stint at Telstra and Apple, and a cold call from a recruiter eventually landed him inside a business he's helped grow from a small Brisbane office to a serious retail and wholesale player across Queensland. In this conversation they cover: Why saying no to a client is sometimes the smartest business decision you can make. How Glenville moved from wholesale into retail and what it took to get 42 deals done in six months without a billboard in sight. The trust problem at the centre of every builder-client relationship — and why it's only getting harder to earn. How AI is already changing the way buyers research and assess builders, and what you should be doing about it right now. Why referrals carry more weight than any marketing spend — and the responsibility that comes with them. What makes a builder genuinely worth trusting in a market full of noise. Ash is exactly the kind of operator this industry needs more of. Thoughtful, transparent, and genuinely focused on getting it right. This one is worth the full listen. Sponsors This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, the all-in-one platform built for residential builders by builders. Try it free at myconstruct.com. And by Pay.com.au — use code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to https://pay.com.au/tgb for more. #TheGoodBuilder #GlenvilleHomes #AustralianBuilders #ConstructionPodcast #BuilderMindset #TrustInConstruction #BuildingBusiness #HomeBuilding #ConstructionAustralia #SalesStrategy #BuilderLife #ResidentialConstruction #AIInConstruction #MelbourneBuilder #QueenslandBuilder #WholesaleBuilder #BuildingIndustry #SmallBusinessConstruction #TradiesAustralia #GoodBuilding

    1h 13m
  5. The Daily Dose #275 | What Builders Were Never Taught About Healthy Homes with Zara D'Cotta

    6D AGO

    The Daily Dose #275 | What Builders Were Never Taught About Healthy Homes with Zara D'Cotta

    Most builders know materials, margins and project management. Very few know what the materials going into their homes are doing to the people living inside them. In this episode, Aaron sits down with Zara D'Cotta, building biologist, EMF specialist, and founder of The Healthy Home. Zara spent years navigating her own cancer diagnosis, environmental illness, and the search for a safe place to live. That experience became the foundation for her work helping builders, architects, and designers across Australia and New Zealand understand the relationship between the built environment and human health. This conversation covers ground most of the industry hasn't touched yet. Topics covered in this episode: Zara's personal journey through cancer, melanoma, and environmental illness — and what it revealed about the homes we buildWhat building biology actually is and why it was founded in post-war GermanyThe four areas that matter most in a healthy home: materials, moisture, air quality, and electromagnetic radiationWhy low VOC doesn't automatically mean safe — and what builders and designers should be asking insteadHow moisture gets trapped in walls during construction and why mold appears in homes less than two years oldWhat electromagnetic fields are, why the electrical code doesn't account for them, and how they can affect sleep, health, and wellbeingThe difference between a genuinely healthy home and one with a sauna and a dog bathHow builders can position themselves in the healthy homes space with integrity and transparencyWhat makes a good builder — Zara's answer will stay with youThis is bigger than building. But it starts with builders. Zara's work and upcoming workshops: https://www.thehealthyhome.com.au/ This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, the all-in-one platform built for residential builders by builders. Try it free at myconstruct.com. And by Pay.com.au — use code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to https://pay.com.au/tgb for more.

    44 min

  6. APR 20

    The Daily Dose #274 | AI On Your Website Is Working. That's The Problem.

    Az is back from Melbourne with something every builder using AI on their website needs to hear. The AI isn't broken. That's actually what makes it dangerous. In conversations with Gavin Sloan from Live Chat Monitoring, one of the world's largest live chat and AI agent providers with over 4,500 clients, a clear pattern emerged. Builders who deployed AI agents on their websites found those agents happily recommending competitors, quoting prices, outlining timelines, and answering every question so thoroughly that prospects never felt the need to book. The fix isn't expensive. It's not technical. It's guardrails, a few clear sentences that tell your AI what it can and can't say, who it works for, and when to hand the conversation to a real person. In this episode, Az breaks down what guardrails are, why they matter, the five things your AI should never do, and the moment a conversation stops being an AI job and becomes a sales conversation. Three practical actions you can take this week, starting with a test you can run in the next five minutes. This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct. Go to myconstruct.com for your free 30-day trial. Thank you to this month's monthly sponsor Pay.com.au — get 20,000 bonus points when you go to pay.com.au/tgb. Head there for terms and conditions.

    12 min
  7. The Daily Dose #273 | What Your Building Contract Is Costing You (And You Don't Even Know It)

    APR 19

    The Daily Dose #273 | What Your Building Contract Is Costing You (And You Don't Even Know It)

    Your contract could be killing deals before they even start. This week on the Monday episode, Az is joined again by Emily Pollard from Nesta Builder Brokers — and she brings the heat. Emily has read hundreds of building contracts. What she finds inside them would surprise most builders. And what clients think when they read them? That might surprise you even more. They cover the contract clauses that are quietly blowing up sales, how provisional sums are being used in ways that cost clients tens of thousands they never saw coming, why some special conditions may not even hold up in court, and how simply showing clients your contract early could save months of wasted time for everyone. This is not about attacking builders. It's about understanding what's happening right now — with banks, with clients, with trust — and what a smarter approach to contracts actually looks like. If you're signing jobs, chasing finance approvals, or wondering why clients are pulling out late in the process, this episode is for you. Episode Co-Host Emily Pollard | Nesta Builder Brokers nesta.com.au This episode is brought to you by MyConstruct. Go to myconstruct.com for your free 30-day trial. Thank you to this month's monthly sponsor Pay.com.au — get 20,000 bonus points when you go to pay.com.au/tgb. Head there for terms and conditions.

    38 min
  8. The Daily Dose #272 | What Builders Don't Know About Underpinning | Nicole Rosenthal, Foundation Solutions

    APR 16

    The Daily Dose #272 | What Builders Don't Know About Underpinning | Nicole Rosenthal, Foundation Solutions

    Most builders don't talk about underpinning. Most homeowners are scared of the word. And most of the industry doesn't understand what actually causes a foundation to move — or who's responsible when it does. Nicole Rosenthal is the Director of Foundation Solutions, a specialist screw pile underpinning company based in Southeast Queensland. With 31 years in the construction industry — starting as a receptionist at an engineering firm and working her way through operations, marketing, and business ownership — Nicole brings a depth of knowledge that's rare in this space. In this episode, Nicole breaks down what underpinning actually is, why it's not always the builder's fault when foundations move, and what builders can do right now to protect themselves and their clients. She also calls out the misleading tactics being used by some operators in the underpinning market, advocates for proper documentation to stay with the home for its lifetime, and explains why screw pile underpinning is simply not comparable to the alternatives. This is one of those conversations that fills a genuine gap. If you've ever had a client call you about cracks in a slab and not known what to say, this episode is for you. What we cover: Nicole's 31-year journey from receptionist to business owner. What underpinning is and when it's actually needed. Why the builder is less often at fault than the media suggests. The difference between screw pile underpinning and alternatives — and why it matters. Misleading marketing in the underpinning space and what to watch for. Why foundation documents should stay with the home forever. Foundation Solutions' proprietary Lift Rig Max system. What makes a good builder — Nicole's answer. Connect with Nicole: https://foundationsolutions.com.au/ Sponsors:  This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, construction management software built for Australian builders. Visit myconstruct.com and get your 30-day free trial.  Also supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.

    56 min
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About

This week in home building news! Catch up with Az and a colourful array of guests, to hear about who's killing it, who's innovating, and who's getting into strife in the world of new home construction.

Information

  • Creator
    The Good Builder
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    279
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Good Builder
  • Show Website
    The Good Builder Podcast

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