How do I find out whether an architecture firm’s projects were won by referral or tender?

Begin with a simple table. For each recent project, ask the seller to record who made first contact, whether the firm competed against others, and whether the client had worked with the firm before. Seller memory can be generous, so test a sample against proposals, emails and signed agreements.

Then read the pattern. Work that arrives through the owner’s friendships and reputation may not follow the owner out the door, or may leave with them. Work won through open bids depends on the firm’s record, its team and its pricing discipline, which a buyer can often keep. Neither is better in every case; the question is which one you can sustain.

Ask about the bids the firm lost, and why. Talk with a couple of clients, with the seller’s consent, about how they chose the firm. Their answer often differs from the seller’s account. Ask too who actually prepares bids, because a person who leaves with that skill takes the capacity with them. Compare what you learn with how the firm describes itself publicly, and note any gap between the two. Ask how much marketing effort the firm puts in, and who does it, because that affects how easily new work arrives.

Key takeaways

• Record how each recent project was won, then verify a sample against documents.
• Separate work tied to the owner’s relationships from work the firm wins on record.
• Ask clients, with consent, why they chose the firm.