When buying new construction, here’s what your real estate agent will help you with that you might miss out on if you stick with the builder’s agent:
✅ Negotiating extras: Want upgraded counters or appliances in that new home? Your agent can help you with all those extra perks, amenities, and upgrades. We can often negotiate with the builder on things like appliances, AC, paint color or even the style of garage door, especially if the housing development is in the beginning stages.
✅ Recommending financing: A builder typically will have a “preferred” lender that it will try to steer you to, but your real estate agent can help make sure that you’re getting the mortgage that works best for your situation. Shopping around is always wise, and you don’t want the builder’s agent pressuring you into using their suggested professional unless it’s right for you.
✅ Taking advantage of builder incentives: Most builders offer some sort of incentive for using their lender. Sometimes, it's not really worth it. For example they may only offer a $5K credit toward closing costs and their rates may or may not be competitive with other lenders. However, sometime they may offer incentives that are too hard to pass up, i.e. a "rate buy down" if you use their lender. This can be huge if you're able to get them down to 5.5% or less (when rates are now pushing 7%). Your buyer's agent may also be able to negotiate some free upgrades, get closing costs plus a big price reduction!
