Do you need a Realtor to build a new house?

This is a question we get fairly often here at New Era Homes. If you’re looking to build a brand new custom home on your lot, there are several important questions and concerns you should think through during the process. Hopefully, we can help you better decide whether or not you need to work with a Realtor.

So, do you need a Realtor or not?

Well… it depends

You can find many resources online that say you absolutely need to work with a Realtor on a new house build, but you might notice that these articles aren’t exactly unbiased. Before we can help you answer the question for yourself, let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros of working with a Realtor to build a custom home

A Realtor advocates for the buyer: A good real estate agent is there to advocate for the buyer. If you’re concerned about your ability to negotiate on expenses, home upgrades, lot choice, and all the other decisions that go into building a new home, you might want to have a Realtor help you out.

A Realtor is a professional: Even if you are confident in your negotiation and self-advocacy skills, you probably aren’t a professionally trained real estate agent! In any complex life situation, it’s normal to hire a professional who knows the situation better than the average person. However, if you have experience with real estate purchases, then you may be good to go without a Realtor.

Realtors can handle communication and details for you: Life can be busy and stressful enough without adding on all the minutiae of buying a new home. Having a Realtor on your side to deal with communication with the builders, bank, and all other involved parties can make the process a lot simpler. 

Pros of building a new custom home without a Realtor

Buying a home without a Realtor can save you money: The exact amount varies based on several different factors, but the expected average you’ll pay for the help of a Realtor is 5% of the purchase price. This may not sound like much, but consider that 5% of even a moderately priced $200,000 home is $10,000!

All the decisions are your own to make without outside influence: If you’re confident in what you want from a newly built home and don’t want your opinions swayed by someone else, you might work better without a Realtor. An agent’s job is to help you make decisions, so if you don’t want help in that regard you should go solo!

Freedom to work on your own schedule: If you’re planning on touring several lot locations for your new home build, working with a Realtor might limit you to their availability. If you eschew a Realtor, you only have to worry about your own schedule and the builder’s/lot owner’s.

Working with New Era Homes

Now that you have the pros and cons, you’re better equipped to answer whether or not you need to work with a Realtor to build a new house. No matter what you choose, you can rest assured that working with the builders here at New Era Homes will be an excellent experience! Thanks to our Uncommon Standards and the hard work we put into the entire home building process, your best interests will always be in mind, Realtor or no.