Every Hire Is for a Purpose: What We Expect to Hear at The Summit by CBUSA
October 8th, 2026
SnapDragon Associates Newsletter · The Summit by CBUSA
What we expect to hear from builders at The Summit by CBUSA, and what we are telling clients about 2027.
Builder sentiment fell to 32 in September on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, down from 35 in August and the lowest reading since September 2025. NAHB pointed to higher mortgage rates, rising construction costs, and worsening labor shortages.
Next week, Cassie and Kalvin Fosher take that backdrop to Colorado Springs for The Summit by CBUSA on October 12 and 13. It is SnapDragon’s first time at The Summit, and our first time in front of CBUSA members as the network’s preferred recruiting partner.
Ahead of the trip, Cassie sat down with Kendra Barnard, our marketing and media specialist, to talk through what builders are facing, what she will be listening for on the floor, and what we are telling clients to do about hiring in 2027.
Why The Summit Matters
CBUSA brings together independent builders from across the country, and many of those companies are still owner-led. The owner is involved in hiring and in building the team, which means the conversations at The Summit happen with the person who carries the hiring decision.
“Recruiting is just as hard for our builders as anybody else we’ve recruited for. Being able to hear directly from builders about what they’re experiencing in their markets, with everyone under one roof, is next level.”
Cassie Fosher, President and Co-Owner
For SnapDragon, The Summit is less about new business and more about perspective: hearing from the end user how these companies plan to grow, and introducing members to what the partnership with CBUSA gives them.
What We Will Be Listening For
Cassie is going to Colorado Springs with a specific set of questions:
- How builders feel about 2027. Are they preparing to grow, holding steady, or hesitant about next year?
- The roles keeping owners up at night. Which positions they struggle to hire for, or keep losing to turnover.
- Leadership gaps. The positions they consider critical to their growth plan.
- Hiring goals for next year. What the strategic plan calls for, and whether the team behind it exists yet.
Caution Changes How Builders Hire, Not Whether They Hire
When confidence drops, the first reflex for many companies is a hiring freeze: wait and see what the rest of the year brings. We have heard that from building supply clients this year. What we are seeing in practice is different. Companies are still hiring. They are hiring with more scrutiny.
“You’re still going to see companies making hires. They’re just going to make sure it’s the right person, from a laborer to a site superintendent. Every hire is for a purpose.”
Cassie Fosher, President and Co-Owner
An Opening for Independent Builders
When larger organizations restructure, people come into the market who normally would not be looking. That gives regional and independent builders access to candidates they would not usually reach.
Independent builders may not have the biggest name, but they can offer what many strong candidates value most: stability, autonomy, real influence, faster decisions, and a direct line to ownership instead of layers of leadership above them. Positioned well, that is a compelling offer to the right person.
When the Buying Group Sets the Price
Buying groups like CBUSA set pricing for builders nationwide. When a rep is no longer negotiating price, the gap between a good salesperson and a great one comes down to everything else: service, reliability, product knowledge, responsiveness, and solving problems quickly when something goes wrong.
“The best sales rep is somebody customers actually want calling on them. Selling isn’t just taking an order. The best salespeople, no matter what part of the supply chain, become a resource to their customers.”
Cassie Fosher, President and Co-Owner
Stop Waiting for the 10 Out of 10
Many companies are holding out for a candidate who checks every box, and they lose strong people while they wait. In the current candidate pool, the right hire often checks seven or eight boxes and brings the traits that cannot be trained.
“What you don’t want to have to train a candidate on is how to be a good communicator, how to work hard, how to follow up, how to be hungry. Those things they need to bring to the table. The rest is pretty teachable.”
Cassie Fosher, President and Co-Owner
Part of a recruiter’s job is to look past keywords and walk the client through it: here is where this person needs ramp-up time, and here is why they are still worth the investment.
Build the Bench Before You Need It
Across the supply chain, leaders with 20, 30, and 40 years at one company are approaching retirement. When they leave, they take relationships, product knowledge, customer history, and business instinct that was never written into a manual. Succession planning that starts six months before a retirement is already late.
SnapDragon lives this. Cassie and Kalvin worked at different levels of the firm before becoming owners, which gave Mark Barnard years to teach them the business directly. That transition was planned for years, and the bench was built before it was needed.
The next generation is part of that bench, and they want something specific from an employer. Telling a 25-year-old to work hard and see what happens is not enough. Show them what the role looks like in two years and in five. Give them feedback, room to learn, and a clear picture of what they are doing right and where they can improve. Companies that manage early-career talent this way are the ones building real bench strength.
What We Are Telling Clients About 2027
Be strategic, and start now. If you know you will need someone in 2027, the conversation should begin this fall.
“Great candidates rarely become available exactly when it’s convenient for you. You don’t want to wait until a territory has nobody calling on it, or until a leader retires, and then make a rushed decision.”
Cassie Fosher, President and Co-Owner
Know what your team needs, know which leaders will best suit the business, and partner with a recruiter who knows the industry and knows your company. As for the mood we expect at The Summit, Cassie’s read is that builders will express some uncertainty heading into the fall, with a steady, watchful, strategic posture going into next year.
Find Us at Booth 22
Cassie and Kalvin will be at Booth 22 on the trade show floor at The Summit by CBUSA in Colorado Springs, October 12 and 13. Whether you are planning a search or want to compare notes on what you are seeing in your market, stop by. We will report back on what we heard from builders after the show.
CBUSA members can see everything the partnership includes at cbusa.snapdragonassociates.com
The SnapDragon Standard
Uncertainty is a condition of this industry. It is not a reason to stop building the team. We help our clients plan the hire before the need arrives, so the decision is never made in a rush.
Source: NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, September 2026 release.