Leveraging Supplier Relationships to Stretch Your Budget
PERSPECTIVES
BY NICK HERNANDEZ, AAMD SUPPLIERS COUNCIL CHAIR
Friends with Benefits:
Leveraging Supplier Relationships to Stretch Your Budget
After nearly two decades in the multifamily industry, I’ ve learned that budgets aren’ t just about numbers, they’ re about people. From supervising nine communities to managing multimilliondollar renovation portfolios, I’ ve seen firsthand that the right supplier relationships can make or break your financial success. I’ ve sat on every side of the table, as a Regional Maintenance Director navigating the day-to-day needs of a portfolio, as a Renovations Project Manager breathing new life into aging assets. Now, as a Director of Project Management with JNJ Construction, I lead and oversee largescale transformations. Across every role, one strategy has consistently delivered results: treating suppliers as strategic partners, not just vendors. Though budget season is over and a new year has dawned, I want to share the bad, the good, and how you can help both yourself and your suppliers succeed in 2026.
THE BAD
When suppliers are treated as nothing more than order-takers, the relationship becomes purely transactional, and that’ s where problems start. Communication slows, deadlines slip, and costs quietly creep upward. Without trust and open dialogue, suppliers may quote higher“ just in case” prices, skip offering cost-saving alternatives, and show little urgency when your needs compete with those of clients who value them more. Over time, that lack of partnership doesn’ t just strain your budget, but it can derail your project completion. I’ ve seen this happen time and time again. Fortunately, it’ s a problem that can be fixed.
HOW TO FIX IT
The difference often comes down to how you view and treat the relationship. When it’ s purely transactional, the cracks eventually show, timelines fall apart, budgets swell, and solving problems feels like pulling teeth. But when it’ s built on trust, open communication, and mutual investment, the dynamic changes completely. Suppliers start looking out for your interests as if they were their own, anticipating needs before you have to ask and finding creative ways to save you time and money. They become a true extension of your team, aligned with your goals and ready to step up when challenges arise. In the multifamily industry, where budgets are tight, timelines are critical, and resident satisfaction is always on the line, a partnership built on trust and collaboration can be nothing short of transformative.
THE GOOD
When suppliers are treated as true partners, everything changes. Communication flows easily, deadlines are met( or beaten), and cost-saving
opportunities naturally surface. Trusted partners are more likely to share insider tips, offer favorable pricing, and prioritize your needs when demand is high. Over time, that relationship becomes a two-way investment, and you gain a reliable ally who helps you protect your budget and keep operations running smoothly, while they gain a loyal client who values their expertise.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In our industry, suppliers can be one of your greatest assets or one of your biggest challenges. The difference lies in how you approach the relationship.
Treat them as trusted partners, and you unlock a network of support, cost-saving ideas, and priority service that can stretch your budget further than you thought possible. As budget season approaches, remember, success isn’ t just about the numbers on the page. It’ s about the people who help you make those numbers work. Invest in those relationships, and you’ ll both enjoy the benefits.
Nick Hernandez is Director of Project Management at JNJ Construction
4 | TRENDS JANUARY 2026 www. aamdhq. org