It’s exciting for a buyer to be the first to live in a home! All new appliances, warranties, and the new house smell... so nice! 

Building your dream home from the ground up can be exciting. You get to choose your lot, the floor plan, the exterior design, the interior finishes, and any upgrades. But it’s a common misconception when you’re buying a newly constructed home that you don’t need to work with a Realtor®. However, that’s not necessarily true. Below are some good reasons why it makes sense to have a real estate agent represent you when building your new home.

1. The sales agent works for the builder. When you walk into a model home, the friendly salesperson who greets you is employed by the builder. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but in the end, they’re trying to generate sales for their boss – the builder. Therefore, they may not work to your advantage.

2. We can be your advocate. We are obligated to work toward your best interest. The Realtor is going to make sure the buyer knows what their rights are, so they don’t feel like they have to be forced into something.”

And we can give you perspective on things that may affect future resale as well.”

3. Hiring a Realtor comes at no cost to you. When working with builders, there is no additional cost for working with a Realtor. The builder will pay your the sales commission.

4. We can help you choose the right builder and neighborhood. We can show you what the neighborhood values are currently for resale, which will help give you perspective when it comes to building your house, so you’re not necessarily over-building for the neighborhood. 

5. Budget -New construction can be overwhelming because there is an endless number of choices to select. A good Realtor can help guide some of your decisions within your budget. And they can help make sure that your budget is in line with what you’re trying to accomplish.”

6. We have the expertise to help with lot, floor plan, and upgrade selections. The Jodi Kent Team can help guide you by making recommendations on items that appeal to a larger number of future buyers if you think you may sell your property in the future. For example, the lot you may be thinking about buying may save you some money upfront, but it may not be the best lot selection when it comes to resale value.

7. We as your Realtor will be aware of builder promotions and may be able to help you help negotiate a better price and terms. Negotiating the home price depends a lot on supply and demand as to whether the builders will negotiate or not. Currently, there is less inventory out there for buyers to choose from. And the demand is strong. That usually creates a situation where there is a larger demand for new construction as well. So if the builders are busy, they are less likely to want to or be willing to negotiate.

8. We as your agent will guide you through the building process if needed. We are happy to attend the selection process, the walk-through, and other meetings with the builder.

9. We can help with your lender selection. Builders will try to offer some incentives so you will work with their lender. But it’s always a good idea to talk with another preferred lender to make sure what you think you’re getting, you are in fact receiving. At the end of the day, you need to compare apples to apples. And the incentive is not always the best option in all cases.

Here is a link to look at the current new home inventory.  https://www.showingnew.com/jodikent2

With over 26 years of experience, you are getting a great team to help you with your new home selection. Elena's design background and Jodi's new construction experience will give you a great advantage.