ABSTRACT
The development of residential properties often requires the services of architects. With each service desired, a prospective client sets expectations, which may often de determine where and from whom he obtains the service. Architectural services are professional services which are characterized by intangibility and heterogeneity (Kugyte and Sliburryte, 2005). In addition, the product is often not available at the time the architect is commissioned, and prospective clients cannot compare alternatives before purchase is made. In this respect, prospective clients often have to make decisions based on factors other than the quality of the product. The case is often simpler for public clients who often have documented services providers’ selection criteria (Sporrong, 2011). More so, with public clients, experts are often part of the selection process. The case is similar with private organizations. In addition, private clients who have been involved in building projects before may also have the benefit of hindsight in determining the criteria to be used in selecting architects subsequently.
