How He Became the Remodeler People Trust | Leo Lantz

Leo Lantz started working on his father’s rental properties as a kid. That early experience grew into a remodeling business, a reputation homeowners trust, and a place in the national leadership of his industry. In this episode of Building Market Leaders, Leo joins Darriel Kelly to share the story behind Leo Lantz Construction in Richmond, Virginia. He talks about his journey from leading his local home builders association to serving on the national board of NAHB Remodelers, becoming vice chair, and preparing to become national chair. Along the way, he’s earned the nickname “the house whisperer.” His story about finding a problem four HVAC companies missed gives you a pretty good idea why. We get into the details behind that reputation: how he educates homeowners before they ever call, the care his team takes inside someone’s home, and the relationships that changed how he runs his business. Leo also opens up about surviving the Great Recession, holding on to employees too long, and learning to stop doing everything himself. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Leo Lantz 00:35 Sponsor: Next Level Sports Nutrition 01:14 Growing Up on His Father's Rental Properties 04:53 The House Whisperer 05:57 Four AC Companies and a Roof That Was Bleeding 07:15 How Leo Lantz Construction Started 08:29 Why Experience With Older Homes Matters 09:29 Old Homes vs. Modern Materials 10:39 Surgery and an Interview With the Devil 12:48 Over 100 Five-Star Reviews and the Process Behind Them 15:54 From Pencil Drawings to 3D Design 16:41 A Big Year of Systems Upgrades 18:52 Getting Found Through AI 20:21 AI as a Communications Revolution 21:34 Can Robots Remodel a 100-Year-Old Home? 24:19 3D-Printed Buildings and Modular Homes 26:51 The Great Recession and a 67% Revenue Drop 28:50 Negativity Sells Newspapers 30:20 To Be My Best, I Had to Learn From the Best 31:58 How Networking Brought the Work Back 35:50 Building a Business That Runs Without You 36:40 Holding On to Employees Too Long 39:24 Running Lean: You Can't Beat a Man at His Trade 41:13 Find a Mentor and Join Your Industry Association 44:46 Why Now Is a Great Time to Be a Remodeler 45:38 Where Leo Lantz Construction Is Headed 46:23 Advice for New Contractors: Get Your Contract Locked Down 48:08 Where to Find Leo 49:27 Closing Thoughts CONNECT WITH LEO Learn more about Leo Lantz Construction and their remodeling work throughout the Richmond, Virginia area: https://leolantz.com/ OUR SPONSOR Thank you to Next Level Sports Nutrition for supporting Building Market Leaders. Visit one of their nine stores across Kentucky and Indiana or shop online: https://nextlevelsn.com/ ABOUT BUILDING MARKET LEADERS Hosted by Darriel Kelly, Building Market Leaders features conversations with entrepreneurs about the decisions, relationships, setbacks, and experiences behind the businesses they’ve built. Explore the show: https://marketleaderspodcast.com/ Connect with DK Marketing: https://dkmarketingagency.com/ If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another business owner. #BuildingMarketLeaders #Entrepreneurship #RemodelingBusiness