That’s according to the J. D. Power and Associates 2008 Canadian New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study, which was released last week.

Based on responses from 4,518 buyers of single-family detached homes, semidetached homes and townhouses within the GTA, the study measures customer satisfaction of home buyers throughout the purchase and early ownership experience.

Buyers are asked to evaluate their builder in eight factors (in order of importance): home readiness; construction/site team; warranty service; sales staff; price/value; physical design; home quality and design centre.

This marks the fourth time the study has been conducted in the GTA.

Mattamy achieved a top ranking of 893 (out of 1,000), scoring particularly well in all eight areas. The development company also placed first in the Ottawa-Carleton area, as well as Calgary and Edmonton.

Despite the challenges new-home builders in the United States are facing with the downturn in the housing market, as well as a slowing Canadian market, the study shows GTA builders are continuing to improve the home-buying experience for their customers.

Overall satisfaction has increased to 710 — up from 686 last year — while findings also reveal that the proportion of homes delivered defect-free has increased from eight per cent in 2007 to 12 per cent this year.

“Builders are recognizing the importance of providing defect-free products and are putting more emphasis on quality assurance mechanisms prior to home delivery,” said Marc Thibault, real estate practice leader at the Canadian office of J. D. Power and Associates. “This approach is a particularly efficient way to run their businesses. Not only are home buyers satisfied at the point of delivery, but eliminating defects also puts much less demand on builder warranty service teams.

For more information on the study, visit www.jdpower.com/canada .