Pros and Cons of Using a Realtor for New Construction

Pros and Cons of Using a Realtor for New Construction
  • Author: Samra Shah
  • Posted On: November 11, 2022
  • Updated On: November 15, 2023

Using a Realtor for the new building has many benefits that outweigh its drawbacks. Not close at all. Whether the home is being built from scratch or sold as a resale, buying without a realtor can be financial suicide. When you decide to purchase a newly built home, it may appear very simple.

Since you are in charge, there is no chance you will move into a house with many issues left over from prior occupants. Unfortunately, go with your home purchase hastily. You won’t be the first to learn that acquiring new construction is more difficult than you had originally anticipated.

After a gradual downfall in new home sales since the beginning of the year, the demand for new construction homes has started soaring again in the last quarter of 2022. Zillow expects the net home sales to close at 6.57 million by the end of the year, 7% higher than 2021.

beautiful house

Buying a newly built facility, however, is not a straight road. It poses many questions and requires extensive research at the buyer’s end. If you, too, are contemplating purchasing a new construction and cannot decide whether to hire a realtor, this blog could be your one-stop solution. To help you decide, let’s examine the pros and cons of using a realtor to buy new construction.

Is It Beneficial To Visi A New Construction Without A Realtor?

Many prospective buyers have questioned what happens when we tour a new construction without a Realtor.  You might not have much luck! Without a Realtor, when you sign up at a builder’s sales office, they cannot let you have one.

 A New Construction Without A Realtor

It might not be possible for the Realtor to get a commission, and you might not have much luck having a buyer’s agent act in your best interests. Sadly, there are situations when this information is completely absent from the builder’s sales center. Although it might be listed in several listing systems, only Realtors can access it. That does you little good.

When you go to a new development under construction, don’t sign your name or give any other contact information. Instead, discuss new construction with your Realtor. Return and take your agent on a tour of the house. The best action is to let your real estate agent handle everything.

Cons of Using A Realtor For New Construction

Cons of Using A Realtor For New Construction

There is barely any disadvantage to consulting and proceeding with a realtor while purchasing a new build.  In contrast, the number of benefits you may be reaping is humongous.

The only downside of using a realtor is that you might not get a discount on sealing a contract. This is because some builders offer individuals better perks than estate agents. However, this practice is uncommon and is confined to very few localities.

More often than not, real estate dealings go smoothly and straight with a realtor. His involvement, thus, seems redundant to the shopper. However, the reality is otherwise. Having an estate agent by your side while trading a home brings many benefits. The rest of the blog intends to enclose them all for you.

Pros of Using a Realtor for New Construction

It’s free of Cost

 It's free of Cost

Indeed, hiring an estate agent to buy a freshly built apartment or house does not cost you a dime. You might wonder why a realtor would be willing to take the plunge for you. The answer lies a little beneath the surface visible to you so far.

In the real estate market, the builder or seller is supposed to pay the Realtor, usually in a commission. He is responsible for bringing the builder a buyer for their property. In other words, your total Cost of purchasing a new construction will remain the same whether or not an agent chips in.

Count on Their Experience and Market Knowledge

Imagine that you have a sore throat. You reckon it might be due to the ice cream you had last night. You also conclude that, most likely, it’s an onset of a throat infection. You look up the internet and discover that Naproxen (an over-the-counter medication for sore throat) may be an instant remedy.

 Count on Their Experience and Market Knowledge.

You now know the problem, the cause and a feasible solution. However, you are not sure about any of your hypotheses.  To attain certainty in your diagnosis and prescription, you must see a doctor: an expert in medical matters.

Similarly, you can do your research and ask around about buying new construction, but to be certain about your knowledge and to proceed with clarity, you will have to rely on a realtor.

Realtors are well-versed in real estate operations and complexities. To obtain a realtor license, candidates must sit for an exam after completing the minimum required hours of training. This ensures that anyone working as a realtor in the U.S. knows the business in depth.

For most individuals, buying a home is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, realtors close several such deals every day. They are familiar with the market trends and intricacies of the buying process. Therefore, letting the Realtor steer the boat for you is optimal instead of sailing it alone.

A Realtor Can Help You Secure an Ideal Deal

realtor selling house

Cost is crucial in purchasing, the most important in many cases. While buying new construction, you must remain within your budget, ideally still extracting maximum value from the transaction. Your Realtor can alleviate this concern to a great degree.

It isn’t easy to bring down the Cost of new construction. Most builders, however, are inclined towards offering packages to realtors (that you, as an individual, are unlikely to get).

Moreover, they can negotiate and coax the seller to lower your price. Since they are an active business member, estate agents can also introduce you to builder promotions you were unaware of.

Contact Details and Their Apprehension

Real estate contract

Real estate agreements are interminably long and quite demanding of time and comprehension. They usually cover finance terms, property inspection, closing dates and deal-breakers. Although they are no legal experts, estate agents still have enough grasp over the state laws and best practices for the trade of new constructions.

A good realtor will elaborate on the jargon in the document, summarise its crux for you, and ensure you are on top of everything.  On the other hand, without a realtor, you might unwittingly accept conditions that put you at a disadvantage. A realtor can also go beyond his basic duty and suggest additional terms that may prove favorable for you.

Assistance in Home Inspection

Assistance in Home Inspection

Like resale houses, new construction can also have defects and blemishes. But how do you identify them? Right! Through a property inspector. On average, getting a professional home inspector can cost between $200 and $500. To benefit from it to the fullest, you need a realtor.

Not only can he recommend you a reliable inspector, but he also can negotiate the examination cost for you. Attending a home inspection is a part of his job, giving you an edge over having someone knowledgeable by your side.

Help in Landscaping

Buying a personal house is probably one of a person’s biggest dreams. Everyone wishes to have it designed and built as per their needs. A realtor may prove helpful in having your new construction home customized to your tastes.

He can suggest what could be best upgraded through the builder and what you can do more cost-efficiently. Additionally, he can always recommend companies that are best in the business of home improvement.

For DIY home improvement and adornment guides, you may wish to read more.

Open Doors for Financing

Open Doors for Financing.

Financing your purchase could be the most crucial stage of all.  Often, the builder chivies the buyer to sign the mortgage with the lender that commissions him. On the other hand, the estate agent would recommend you price shopping to land the ideal mortgage deal.

Whether you choose a bank or a financial institution, he will guide you through the loan agreement’s interest rates, repayment span, and terms and conditions. He can also help in getting your loan pre-approved.

Conservation of Time and Money

Conservation of Time and Money

It is evident from the discussion above that purchasing new construction is demanding in all possible ways. It is nearly impossible for a working person, whose time is already thin, to undertake the fuss alone.

From making recommendations to closing, an estate agent can keep the journey hassle-free for you. And not to forget that you can benefit from all his services without paying a single additional buck!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it good to buy new construction?

New construction often uses less energy than older construction, but because they frequently sell for more money, they might be more expensive than comparable older homes. You can encounter delays while your new home is being built, which could affect the completion date.

Why do you prefer an old construction more than a new one?

Older homes are built with higher-quality materials. Most likely, even the walls are different. Older homes typically have plaster and lathe construction, which makes them structurally stronger than drywall-built homes. These more traditional materials also serve as stronger soundproofing and insulator.

Conclusion

The advantages of working with a Realtor when purchasing new construction ought to be clear. Going to a builder representative directly makes little sense. It would be comparable to having your divorce settled by your spouse’s divorce lawyer.

Real estate lawyers are prohibited from representing parties with competing interests for a reason. When purchasing new construction, do yourself a favor and always work with a Realtor.

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Author: Samra Shah

Samra is a seasoned editor-in-chief at ConstructionHow. She has done her MBA in Marketing and has 5 years of experience under bandwidth as an editor for different platforms. She has prior experience working as a strategist for organizations. Summer provides her services independently in the major niches including home improvement and real estate alongside travel and leisure, business, and software. Her editorial skills focuses on making articles more balanced in terms of information - but never at the expense of compromising the entertaining read.

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