Do I Need an Agent on a New Build?
Why would you need a buyers agent on new construction? When you work directly with a builder’s site agent you forfeit your right to representation. The site agent works for the builder, so you are flying solo. What could go wrong? From delays and mistakes to unmet expectations and unfinished punch lists, navigating a home build can be tricky without a buyers agent to guide you.
When things go sideways, it’s usually unmet expectations: the builder says one thing and does another (or buyer hears another). An experienced agent knows when those things are happening and can either educate to reset buyer expectations or call the builder on the error and get it straight.
Ex: our buyer on Johns Island was originally told she was getting a $10k design credit and a $10k price reduction, but when we got the contract, only one incentive was reflected. We reminded the site agent that the house was technically a “spec home” since the previous buyer had backed out and asked that they honor the additional $10k incentive. They agreed, but then didn’t communicate the correction to their preferred lender and attorney, so we had to get everyone on the same page.
We can also help with construction issues and potential pitfalls. Ex: we realized the proximity of the driveway to my client’s house wouldn’t allow for their car doors to fully open and successfully got the builder to move it over.
We’ve had to get builder’s regional sales managers involved when something wasn't right for our buyer and we couldn’t get help from the site agent. The individual consumer isn’t going to have the same level of influence as Carolina One with its large footprint in the market and the number of homes we sell.
Now, we’re not saying we can work miracles, and not all builders make these mistakes, but there is great value in having an advocate along the way. We are well versed in helping you decide which builder-offered upgrades are worth it for resale vs those that are better/cheaper to do after closing, and on the other end…. we’ve had to step in as the medium to prevent a hotheaded, unreasonable buyer from alienating a builder whose patience was wearing thin.
Our client Stacey Sellers built a new home in Park Circle and describes having her own agent as “an extra layer of protection, an extra set of eyes, someone to keep everything on track, a reality check when I needed it, and ultimately a teammate.” Specifically she noted:
Experience - “B.V. and her team know the Charleston market - she provided professionally curated data during the build to help me make informed decisions (stats, pricing, comparables, ROI projections, etc).”
Guidance - “There are so many decisions to make even with non-custom builds. I was glad to have B.V.'s advice on where to spend versus save.”
Follow Up - “She not only worked with us through the building and closing process, but continued to follow up after we moved in. Inevitably there will be 'punch-list' items that need addressing. Having her help navigating that was super helpful.”
Our team has sold hundreds of new builds from volume and custom builders. It’s well worth it to have the benefit of our reputation, experience, and tie-breaking opinion on all those fancy design options!
