Aren Bazzocco on Sacramento's evolution and the power of engagement

In 2015, at age 37, Aren Bazzocco became Taylor Morrison’s youngest division president. He was an accountant before jumping into the world of home building, and after a stint with Pulte Homes, he landed with his current employer and has worked as VP of finance for almost eight years. A restructuring of Taylor Morrison’s Northern California division opened the door for Bazzocco to become the leader of the Sacramento unit where he oversees five operational VPs, 75 division employees, and 17 active communities. The division has since grown from being the 8th largest in Sacramento, in terms of market share, to becoming the No. 2 builder there, with more than 500 sales annually.

Q: Some have deemed Sacramento unknown or misunderstood, since outsiders consider the state capital a government and military town. What’s been happening there lately?

A: I was born and raised here in Sacramento, and I’ve seen the region’s ups and downs firsthand. It’s been exciting to see how the city has worked to reposition itself as more than just a government town. And since the downturn, it has emerged as America’s Farm-to-Fork capital, with a solid job base in health care, hospitality, and technology.

I’ve really been impressed with the revitalized downtown centered around the new Kings arena [that is, the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings]. The urban infill living opportunities and relative affordability are attracting Bay Area and out-of-state buyers. I think this affordability—along with the abundance of recreation and a centralized location in the middle of the Bay Area, Napa, and Lake Tahoe—makes Sacramento an increasingly desirable place to live, and people are really starting to take notice.

Q: Taylor Morrison’s Sacramento division has scored high in employee engagement surveys for worker satisfaction. What are you and your managers doing to keep employees so engaged?

A: We are firm believers in servant leadership, and our management team carries out that philosophy every day. By putting the team first and ourselves second, we’ve created a positive environment that encourages collaboration, communication, and respect. All of our employees know that they can walk into my office with any question or issue and I will do everything I can to help. 

We’re also very careful when bringing new team members onboard, with character and personality carrying significant weight in the hiring process; you can never teach integrity or charisma. We live the company’s core values and place caring above all else—caring for our teams, our trade partners and customers, and our families and the communities where we live and build. 

The entire Sacramento team is incredibly passionate, experienced, and empowered, and I have complete trust in every person, allowing him or her flexibility and giving them the support to do their best work. 

Q: Taylor Morrison has been soliciting opinions through a Facebook survey to find out what amenities would be attractive for its next 55-plus community in Sacramento. Is this the first time the company has used Facebook to gather such input, and how is that effort faring? Any surprises in responses so far?

A: We have used Facebook in other markets for quick one-question surveys, but this particular survey was much more involved. The volume of responses has been overwhelming, so it’s a practice we will definitely continue in the future. 

Our consumers are highly engaged and eager to be consulted in the planning of this community. So, when we get to product development, we will 
be sure to include them in focus groups and further studies. Again, the volume of responses was a bit of a surprise, given the length of the survey, as well as the level of engagement, not only from Sacramento respondents but also from the Bay Area and Southern California. Respondents prioritized staying active outdoors with year-round living spaces, indoor-outdoor connectivity, and a resort-style clubhouse focused on fitness and social activities. 

Q: What else has Taylor Morrison done, or is doing, that fits in with the Homes Inspired by You branding message?

A: After analyzing our traffic data and researching some of the latest national trends from 2016, we recently created two programs: hours inspired by home shoppers and a TradeBark marketing campaign centered on pet-friendly amenities. Since 80 percent of our homebuyers work full time and over 80% are married with one child, we created special ‘After Dark’ hours that provided a weeknight solution for busy families to home shop after work. With 67 percent of Americans owning pets, home shoppers are increasingly considering them and their needs during the home buying process. This trend has resonated well with our pet loving team members, allowing us to better connect with consumers. We have even taken our enthusiasm for animals to a whole new level with the inclusion of new pet offerings at certain communities and a partnership with the Sacramento SPCA to raise awareness for shelter pets.

Q: Do you see anything afoot in California’s (or Sacramento’s) entitlement and permitting process that gives you some hope that the situation will improve?

A: That’s a tough one. The good news is it’s very apparent there is a shortage in California’s housing supply, including Sacramento. Both sides of the political table agree that we need more housing, but there are vastly different points of view in how we fix that problem. I’d like to be hopeful, but many of the proposals are increasing costs, which only hurts affordability. Special interests and organized labor continue to pull a lot of weight in our state government. On a positive note, many of the local jurisdictions in our market see the undeniable value of planned development, and are working to be better partners by creating a more supportive environment for us to do business.  

Q: What’s next for Taylor Morrison Sacramento in 2018?

A: We are very excited to be opening seven new communities in the Sacramento area in 2018, including locations in Elk Grove, Roseville, Woodland, and the first new home offerings at Folsom’s highly anticipated master planned community of Folsom Ranch. In addition, with the influx of Bay Area buyers and the local Sacramento baby boomers, we see tremendous opportunities for growth in age targeted communities for move-down buyers and empty nesters, and will be expanding our line-up of home designs to reach this affluent market.