Thinking About Building a New Home?
Having a Real Estate Agent on Your Side in Critical
When you’re buying a new home, a real estate agent can help you navigate
each step of the buying process, from helping you decide your needs vs. wants to touring homes with you, handling negotiations, and assisting with paperwork. But what about when you’re building a new home? While the process may look a little different,
the bottom line is the same: having a professional real estate agent on your side is critical. Here’s why:
A real estate agent is on your team
The most important thing to remember when walking into model homes is that the friendly and welcoming sales assistant that greets you at the door is NOT on your team. He/she is there to advocate on behalf of the builder, and their goal is to upsell. This is why you need someone on YOUR team. This is not to say that you all can’t work together, but coming in with a real estate agent ensures that someone has your best interest in mind from the beginning.
Before you meet with the builder, you’ll sit with your agent to discuss your wants and needs, your budget, and your design preferences. Armed with this information, your real estate agent will be able to tell the builder what you’re looking for and aid with negotiations. A real estate professional is an expert who can advocate on your behalf throughout the process when building a home.A real estate agent is a teacher and a guide
If you’ve never bought a custom home before, you will quickly realize that there’s a lot to learn. It can be easy to become overwhelmed with your options, your design plans, and your upgrade choices. There are contracts to sign and timelines to adhere to and for a first-time buyer, it can add up quickly. Working with a real estate agent will help you understand each part of the building process and ensure you are involved in the decision-making process.
Agents help you understand key steps, like choosing upgrades that are worth the extra cost and managing negotiations while staying within your budget from start to finish. They’ll be able to explain lengthy contracts and break down common home buying lingo. Walking into this process with education and information on your side will help you make confident and informed decisions.
A real estate agent has connections
When you’re serious about building your dream home, you’ll want to start by researching builders in your area. A real estate agent who has worked in the area for a while will have relationships with local builders and give their honest and professional opinion on who to work with based on your wants and needs. Ideally, your real estate agent and the builder will work hand-in-hand to ensure you get the house of your dreams. This professional relationship will work to your advantage. When builders and real estate agents work together, everyone wins.
Aside from builders, real estate agents can connect you with:
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Interior designers
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Moving companies
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Painters
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Landscapers
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Electricians
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Plumbers
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And general contractors
that you may need to help you bring your custom home vision to life. Instead of searching for these contractors on your own, you can take advantage of your real estate agent’s expansive professional network to find the services and products you need.
A real estate agent knows the market
Just like buying an existing home, certain times are better for building homes than others. These times depend on the local economy, the weather, and the number of new homes being built in your area. Working with a local real estate agent will help you decide when to start planning and designing, and can give you insight into plans for future developments that may line up with what you’re looking for. Other things real estate agents can tell you about the market include:
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Mortgage rates
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Median home values
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Supply and demand
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The local economy
Bottom Line
If building is the right choice for you, work with a trusted real estate professional who can help you successfully navigate the path to your dream home. And not just any real estate agent will do. You need someone who has experience with new builds and connections with local builders. This will make all the difference. Ready to find the right advocate for you? Let’s connect today!
