How Matt Wilson Custom Homes has adapted to unpredictable market shifts with innovative custom designs and strategic property development
With more than 40 years of experience in residential and commercial construction, development, and property management, Matt Wilson Custom Homes has established a strong reputation in Edmond, Oklahoma’s homebuilding landscape. To learn more about the company, we converse with Thomas Shaw, General Manager, who has been working at Matt Wilson Custom Homes for over 30 years.
“I joined the business during its early days in 1993, when Matt had around 12 homes under construction. Matt’s business had initially started out constructing wood decks and selling fiberglass spas. Matt then started building pools, and after a few years of building pools, he built his first house. Following the Oklahoma oil bust of the 1980s, business slowed down, but a friend gave Matt a second start by entrusting him with another homebuilding project. Over time, the focus shifted from pool construction to homebuilding. Matt’s father Pete joined the company, to oversee the pool construction from 1991-1999. In the 2000’s we experienced such
growth that at one point, we had 54 homes, most valued at over a million dollars each concurrently under construction. During the last 30 years, I completely took over the responsibilities of the custom home construction. Matt continued to work actively acquiring commercial and residential properties. As a result, our operations now encompass luxury custom home construction, commercial construction, property development, and property management. Despite our diverse portfolio, we are most well-known as homebuilders. At present, we build eight to twelve high-end homes simultaneously, typically priced between $1.2 to $4 million,” Thomas states.
Focusing on Matt Wilson Custom Home’s building endeavors, Thomas talks us through a current project that is dear to his heart. “My passion project is an 8,000 square feet rectory home intended for the priests at St. John the Baptist Catholic church. I have been going to St. John’s for the last 20+ years. Originally, there was a different design for the project. Father Novak, the Priest at St. John’s who is in charge of the construction project, has an eye for architecture and we bonded over our mutual love of mid-century design. After a few meetings, I was asked to redesign the rectory’s interior and exterior. Being granted the freedom to undertake such significant design renovations gave the rectory lots of character.”
Market insights
Next, Thomas proceeds to describe Matt Wilson Custom Home’s homebuilding approach and style. “Clients used to enter the office with a set of blueprints under their arm, seeking estimates. Nobody does this anymore, with most clients now preferring to create new designs from scratch. When a client arrives with a vision for a new home, we focus on finding the ideal location first. Subsequently, instead of a conventional wish list, I request clients to give me an ingredients list including the number of bedrooms, studies, and closets they want. From these core requirements, we custom draw a preliminary plan in-house, which fosters extensive collaboration and communication. This approach not only aids in gaining a deeper understanding of the client’s needs early on but it also establishes us as a team working together. After we have our preliminary plan, we proceed to outline the costs and then begin construction of the home. 
“When it comes to style, I personally favor mid-century modern, although I do not push this preference on our clients, as we build all kinds of styles. Presently, we have ten houses under construction, including two extremely contemporary homes and a very remarkable traditional, almost Old World looking home spanning an impressive 8,000 feet. Consequently, it is safe to say that we do not specialize in a fixed style, as each house we build is custom tailored to our clients’ taste,” he adds.
As our conversation nears its end, Thomas provides valuable insights into the current state of Oklahoma’s, and more specifically Edmond’s, homebuilding market. “With a population of approximately 100,000, this city has always been a unique upscale residential area catering to a mobile and prosperous demographic. Oklahoma is a relatively small state with a population of four million people, resulting in a limited market size. Over the years, we have observed a gradual annual growth rate ranging from two to five percent. Although we experienced a downturn following the crash of 2008, we managed to recover and return to a stable trajectory of growth. What substantially changed our market was the pandemic.
“Before the pandemic, in our price range there were 500-700 homes on the market whereas today, the number has reduced to 30 or 40. Consequently, our market supply has declined, which happened at the same time as a sharp increase in prices which caused a decreased supply in speculative homebuilding. In fact, many builders transitioned to a hybrid model of both custom and speculative projects. Presently, the demand for custom homes is surging, feeding a trend towards new, one-of-a-kind properties and prototype builds. While spec builders still exist in the region, their numbers have decreased due to the 20 percent price increase of 2021. Nonetheless, the market is more stable now as prices have leveled off and everyone has grown more used to current price levels and interest rates,” he concludes.
Matt Wilson Custom Homes expertly blends custom design, exceptional craftmanship, and strategic property development to deliver unparalleled residential masterpieces that redefine luxury living. A relentless pursuit of excellence and a talent for navigating evolving market trends have established the company as the premier option for homeowners seeking the best of custom construction.