Why Do Business With a Member?
NAHB is home to more than 140,000 Builder and Associate members working together to strengthen the home building industry. The camaraderie between both groups is vital for the continued growth of the Federation.
“It’s an understanding that we’re all working towards the same goal and in the values NAHB has,” said Eugene Graf, founder and owner of EG Construction. “We find a lot of value in doing business with a member, and we recruit members we want to do business with and encourage the ones we do business with to become or stay members.”
Graf won the 2022 NAHB Builders Engaging Associate Members (BEAM) Award. The award is given to the builder or local entity that embodies the motto “It’s good business to do business with a member.” The award is also meant to encourage Builder members to use the goods and services offered by member companies.
“Membership isn’t something where you’re automatically going to get more business,” says Graf. “You get out what you put into it. But it’s automatically an icebreaker knowing you both belong to an organization that’s looking out for your best interests.”
“Associate members make up a huge portion of our membership, and if an Associate company is willing to belong to a Builder’s association, we should reciprocate and appreciate that through doing business with them,” Graf added. “I think everybody can gain value from each other as long as you’re in an environment where you’re willing to spread information freely.”
If you know a builder who deserves recognition for their efforts working with other NAHB members, please nominate them for the BEAM award. Applications are due by Oct. 6.
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Overall housing starts decreased 2.6% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.28 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Women accounted for 11.3% of the construction workforce in 2025, according to the Current Population Survey (CPS) data. The number of women employed in the industry rose to around 1.37 million.
Latest Economic News
Single-family permitting activity continued to weaken through the first seven months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year.
In 2025, the number of women employed in the construction industry rose to around 1.37 million, an increase of about 31,000 from 2024. Women accounted for 11.3% of total construction employment, the highest share in the past 20 years.
The market value of households’ real estate assets rose in the second quarter, reaching $49.8 trillion, according to the most recent release of U.S. Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts. This level is 2.3% higher than in the first quarter and is 2.5% higher than a year ago.