At Roots Management Group, building strong communities starts with the homes themselves, and that’s where Max Demke, Director of Home Procurement, plays a critical role.
Max is part strategist, part relationship builder, and part trend watcher, helping to make sure the homes placed in Roots communities are not only high-quality and affordable but also the right fit for the people who will live in them.
His role highlights one of the many unique career paths within the manufactured housing industry, an industry that blends real estate, design, development, logistics, and collaboration across multiple teams.
Max is approaching five years with Roots Management Group, though working in manufactured housing wasn’t necessarily part of his original career plan.
“I never would have imagined I would be working in this space,” Max says. “I’ve always loved real estate, business, development, and working with people. After college, I wanted to find a young company that was excited about growth. I was lucky enough to come across Roots, and it checked all of my boxes.”
Today, Max oversees all new home procurement for the company, meaning he helps determine which homes will ultimately become part of Roots communities across the country.
“This role is vital to our growth because it ensures we’re not only filling our communities with homes, but selecting the best homes for our residents,” he explains. “We want residents to feel happy and proud of the homes they purchase in our communities.”
Choosing the right homes for a community isn’t as simple as picking a floor plan from a catalog. It requires deep knowledge of the manufactured housing industry, the available products in different markets, and the needs of future residents.
Max works closely with Community Managers and Regional Managers to refine those decisions.
“At Roots, we strongly believe in empowering our Community Managers,” he says. “I like to think of my job as working for them. I want to get them the homes they believe are the best fit for their communities.”
Because at the end of the day, those managers are the ones responsible for helping residents find the right home.
“If they don’t feel confident in the product, that makes their job much harder.”
Another key part of Max’s role is maintaining relationships with the manufacturers Roots works with.
Manufactured housing is a surprisingly tight-knit industry, and the partnerships between operators and builders play a major role in delivering homes that meet residents’ expectations.
“With the volume of homes we order, we spend a lot of time together,” Max says. “Some of these manufacturers even know my wife and kids. It’s great to do business with people you trust and genuinely enjoy working with.”
Trade shows and industry events are also important opportunities to stay connected and keep a pulse on the latest trends.
“When you attend these events, it doesn’t feel like you’re surrounded by competitors,” he explains. “It feels more like being among colleagues discussing what’s working and what needs improvement in our industry.”
Manufactured housing has changed dramatically over the years, and Max has seen firsthand how the industry has embraced modern design and construction practices.
“Over the past few years, the industry has really shaken the dust off and caught up with modern building trends,” he says. “Builders have worked hard to eliminate the stigma around mobile homes and instead highlight the benefits of offsite-built housing.”
That shift has helped blur the lines between manufactured homes and traditional site-built houses. Today’s homes often include modern layouts, updated appliances, stylish finishes, and energy-efficient construction, often at a much more accessible price point.
Fortunately, manufacturers have also worked hard to ensure those features exist across multiple price ranges.
“Even entry-level homes now come with modern styling and finishes,” Max notes.
When Max evaluates potential homes for Roots communities, the most important factor is always the end user, the residents.
Homes placed in family communities may look very different from those selected for Active Lifestyle 55+ communities. Everything from the number of bedrooms to small design details is considered with future residents in mind.
“We want our residents to feel happy and comfortable in their homes,” Max says.
And that process requires input from multiple teams across the company.
“At Roots, we don’t work in silos,” he explains. “Ordering the closest or most convenient home might technically check the box, but if we don’t involve operations, sales, marketing, and other teams, it could create challenges down the road. Our mission is much bigger than any one individual.”
Max has also seen the manufactured housing industry evolve in exciting ways during his career.
One of the biggest shifts has been the increasing investment and attention from larger operators working to improve and expand affordable housing options.
At the same time, policymakers are beginning to recognize the role manufactured housing can play in addressing the housing shortage. For example, the Housing for the 21st Century Act recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. You can view it on MSNBC here.
Legislation like this aims to modernize regulations and remove outdated barriers that have limited the industry’s growth.
One example involves a long-standing requirement that manufactured homes be built with permanent steel frames, an outdated rule that could soon change.
“If that requirement is removed,” Max says, “it could have significant positive implications for the industry.”
Despite the industry’s progress, Max believes many people still hold outdated views about manufactured housing.
“Manufactured homes are built to very tight, highly regulated standards,” he explains. “In many cases, they’re constructed in climate-controlled environments and protected from the elements during the building process.”
Some homes are even more energy efficient than traditional stick-built homes, often at a fraction of the cost.
“I wish more people would let go of the stigma of older mobile homes and see what the industry has evolved into,” he says.
Once a home is selected, the process of getting it from a factory floor to a Roots community involves many moving parts across multiple departments.
While Max helps lead the procurement process, he’s quick to point out that the final result is always a team effort.
“A lot of hands touch the project along the way,” he says. “No new home could be completed without the help of many teams across the company. I’m grateful for everyone at Roots Management Group and the way we collaborate across departments.”
While Max doesn’t always get to see the moment when a resident receives the keys to their new home, he knows the impact his work has.
Last year alone, Roots sold nearly 1,000 homes across its communities.
“Knowing that part of my work helped nearly a thousand individuals and families move into homes feels pretty awesome,” he says.
As the demand for affordable housing continues to grow, Max sees tremendous opportunity ahead for the manufactured housing industry.
With modernization efforts underway and growing recognition from policymakers and communities, the future looks promising.
“I hope to see more local municipalities get on board and make the process of developing and placing affordable housing easier,” Max says.
For Max, and Roots Management Group, that mission is clear: helping more people find high-quality, affordable homes and building communities where residents are proud to live, and call home.