#1: The sales agent at New Construction sites works for the builder.

The salesperson works…FOR THE BUILDER AND DOES NOT REPRESENT YOU!  They don’t work for your best interests because they work in the builder’s best interests. So what this means is you’re not being represented at all if you don’t have a professional Realtor working on your behalf.  We know what you are thinking.  The salesperson with the builder is so nice.  We are sure they truly are nice yet we just want to make sure you know their interest is to sell homes for the builder and they are not representing you when purchasing a new construction house.  In addition, once you go under contract, you will not deal with that salesperson; you will deal with someone else entirely and that’s how it is designed.  So, the best action item here is to hire a professional Realtor to help you purchase new construction homes and then make sure you let each builder know that you are being represented and register your Realtor so they can guide you.

#2: On the contrary, a Real Estate Agent DOES represent you.

Think of it this way: what if you had to go to court and you thought, “You know what? I don’t want to be represented by an attorney, I’m going to represent myself.”? I can think of one that did not turn out well, and that was Ted Bundy. He represented himself and you probably know the rest of the story.  You want to be represented by a professional realtor. I get it, guys; not every realtor is professional, so do your research and find a professional Realtor who specializes in new constructions to look out for your best interests.  Someone who works with all the builders, they know all the ins and outs of what the builders do, what they don’t do, and what you can get away with; they know how you’ll be able to negotiate the best deal possible. We work with all of the builders and we’ve represented clients that have purchased with most builders. There are hardly any builders locally we have not worked with or that we don’t know. The action item is it’s really, really, really important that you have a realtor represent your best interests when purchasing new construction.

#3: With new construction, you don’t save money by NOT using a real estate agent.

A lot of people think, “Well, I don’t want to use a realtor because I want to save whatever that commission is. I want the builder to pass those savings onto me.”  I would think the same thing if I wasn’t a professional Realtor, so I wanted to clear this up.  The builder do not pass those savings on to you and they simply keep more in their pocket for themselves.  They figure that a realtor is going to be a part of every transaction.  If there is no realtor commission, they simply pocket it. So not only are you choosing not to be represented, but you’re not getting any incentive either not to have an agent.  The action item here is find a professional Realtor who is an expert at new construction before you start shopping.

#4: Your new construction Realtor is your advocate.

A professional Realtor is going to make sure that everything is set up properly. For example, the builder may be offering an incentive for paying your closing costs up to $7,000 if you use their preferred lender.  We’ve been able to get all your closing costs paid through negotiations. If the closing costs were $18,000 and we get all your closing costs paid for instead of just the $6,500 the builder is offering, that can be a huge win for out-of-pocket money spent to buy the house and then you can use the funds for upgrades, paying off bills, buying down the interest rate or whatever your heart desires.  Your new construction realtor will help you negotiate what’s important to your individual needs, so set up a buyer consultation so your professional Realtor can assist with getting what is most important to you.  Your action item here is to read reviews on who specializes in new construction and set up a buyer consultation to see if you want to hire this Realtor to help you.

#5: Your new construction Realtor should have an awesome network set up with referral sources.

A professional, well-connected Realtor will save you tons of time.  This is one of the most underrated things people do not consider.  If you are moving to a new area, do you really want to go with other random vendors that do not come highly recommended?  A professional Realtor should have a network set up so you can get connected with all the vendors you need.  For example, with new construction, it would be a home inspector, homeowner’s insurance, general contractor, flooring contractor, etc.  Most people do not get a home inspector for new construction. That is their choice but I will tell you home inspectors walk through the entire process as its being built and always find mistakes.  So it may be worth your peace of mind to make sure your house is built the way it should be in all aspects.  Another example may be you want to put new carpet flooring in but not until the carpet is worn, so you will need a flooring contractor later that is the best in the business.  The action item here is to make sure your new construction Realtors is a connector with amazing vendors they can refer to you to save you time and money.

#6: A new construction Realtor WILL hold your hand throughout the process.

If the builder can get 20% as a deposit then they would. It’s typical that we negotiate what the deposit amount will be. For the builder to take the home off the market or start the construction process, it may be $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 or 20% of the purchase price.  We’ve had builders take $1,000 through negotiations, but if they could get 20%, they will.  So the action item is to have a professional Realtor help you negotiate deposits, price, closing costs, upgrade allowance, and whatever else is important to you.  Also, the action item is your Realtor will be there for you along the way to get you to the finish line by answering questions, staying in communication with the builder, etc.

#7: Advice Regarding new home construction upgrades

What upgrades pay off later when you sell?  When you need to go to the Design Center, you will pay much more for upgrades with the builder than if you did it on your own.  Then again, you may want to consider what effort it would take later as part of the equation to make a decision.  Bottom line, it will be much more expensive with the builder as they mark up the costs more than most contractors or specialists would charge. We actually have vendors who can help you with what you need.  For example, pulling up all the floors is disrupted, so you may want to just go ahead and put the luxury vinyl floor or wood floors in immediately even though the cost is significantly more than carpet.  Only you can decide but it does not hurt to run it by your professional Realtor so you can weigh through all the options.  Bottom line, make sure you think with the end in mind with what the costs of the upgrades are, and if you need to sell in 2-3 years, can you still sell the house with all the upgrades you put in?  Of course, seek a professional Realtor to help you with making this decision and request them to go to the design center with you as well.

#8: An Agent WILL keep your Home Builder accountable to the contract and timelines

If the builder says the closing date is in 6 months, then we will do our best to keep them on their timeline and if they are not going to meet it, then you can plan for it well in advance.  So many people we go to sell their house and they already went through the Builder they were represented and we’re talking months of delay: three or four months after the projected closing day when they were supposed to close, they called me saying, “Tony I can’t put my house on the market yet, the builder is way behind.” So, the action item is to hire a professional Realtor to help keep the builder accountable to the contract and timelines.

#9: Assistance with selecting the PERFECT lot for your New Home

What lot do you choose? Are some lots worth the extra cost or not?  Would Paying 100k lot premium make sense for this neighborhood in the future or not?  The action item is an agent can assist you with making great decisions with lot premiums.