New construction
Buying new construction? Bring your own agent.
North Texas builds more new homes than almost anywhere in the country, and every model home has a warm, helpful agent waiting for you. Here is the part nobody says out loud: that agent works for the builder. I work for you, it usually costs you nothing, and there is one rule that decides whether you get to keep me.
The thing nobody tells you
The model-home agent works for the builder
Builders have a professional sales team, a contract written by their lawyers, and a lender ready to quote you a number. Every one of those people is paid to get the builder the best deal, not you. That is not a scandal, it is just whose side they are on. The line I want every buyer to remember is simple: the builder has a team, and so should you.
Bringing your own REALTOR® does not make the home cost more. The price in the model is the price either way. What changes is whether anyone in the room is reading the fine print, checking the lender incentive against the real market, and pushing for the upgrades and credits on your behalf.
The one rule that matters most
Register me on your first visit
This is the mistake that costs buyers their representation, and it happens every week.
Most builders will only recognize your agent if I am with you, or named on their sign-in, the very first time you walk into a community. Tour alone, hand over your name and email, and the builder can later decline to let an agent represent you there at all. So before you visit a single model, tell me the communities you are curious about. I register you, come along or send my information ahead, and your representation is locked in at no cost to you.
In North Texas the builder usually has a budget to compensate a buyer's agent, so my representation typically costs you nothing out of pocket. We confirm the arrangement in a short written agreement before we tour, so it is clear from the start.
Where I earn my keep
What I do for a new-construction buyer
The builder handles the building. Everything that protects your money and your timeline is my job.
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Register before your first visit
Most builders will only recognize your agent if I am with you, or named, on your very first visit to the model home. Bring me in before you tour and you keep representation at no cost to you. Walk in alone and you may forfeit it.
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Negotiate what actually moves
Builders rarely cut the base price, because a low recorded sale hurts the whole community. They negotiate on upgrades, design-center credits, closing-cost help and lot premiums instead. I know which levers they will actually pull and when.
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Read the builder contract
A builder contract is their paper, written for them, and it is not the standard Texas promulgated form you would use on a resale. I read it with you so you understand the deposit, the delay clauses, and what happens if rates or your loan change before closing.
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Use your own lender, not just theirs
Builders dangle big incentives to use their in-house lender. Sometimes that is the better deal and sometimes the rate is quietly worse. I help you compare the real all-in cost so the incentive is actually an incentive.
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Inspect the new home anyway
New does not mean flawless. I bring in an independent inspector at framing and again before closing, then turn the findings into a punch list the builder fixes while it is still their problem, not yours.
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Hold the timeline
Build delays are normal and they cascade into your rate lock, your lease, and your move. I track the schedule, keep the builder honest on dates, and plan your financing around the real timeline.
Where it is being built
The North Texas new-build corridors
New construction in our area clusters north and east, where the land and the master-planned communities are. The fastest growth right now runs through Celina, Prosper, Frisco and the US 380 corridor across McKinney, plus Aubrey, Melissa and Princeton a little further out. Each builder and community has its own incentives, lot premiums and pace, and I help you weigh them against resale before you commit to a year-long build.
Moving in from out of state? My relocation guide covers buying remotely, and my property-tax guide covers how new-construction appraisals and your tax bill work that first year.
Common questions
New-construction questions
Do I need my own realtor for new construction in North Texas?
Yes, and it usually costs you nothing. The friendly agent in the model home is the builder's sales representative and works for the builder, not for you. Having your own REALTOR® means someone is reading the builder's contract, comparing the lender incentive to the real market, negotiating upgrades and credits, and making sure the home is inspected, all on your side of the table.
Does using a buyer's agent make a new home cost more?
No. The model-home price is the same whether you bring an agent or not, and in most North Texas communities the builder has a budget to compensate a buyer's agent, so my representation typically costs you nothing out of pocket. We confirm the arrangement in writing before we tour, so there are no surprises either way.
When do I have to bring my agent to a new-home community?
On the first visit. This is the single most common, most costly mistake I see. Most builders require your agent to register you on or before your first time touring the model. If you walk in and give them your information alone, the builder can decline to recognize an agent later, and you lose representation on one of the largest purchases of your life. Tell me which communities interest you and I will get you registered first.
Can you really negotiate with a builder?
Yes, just not usually on the sticker price. Builders protect the recorded base price because it sets the comp for every other home in the community. Where they do move is on design-center upgrades, closing-cost assistance, rate buydowns through their lender, and lot premiums, and those can add up to real money. Knowing where a given builder has room is most of the job.
Should I get an inspection on a brand-new home?
Absolutely. New construction still has missed steps, rushed trades and warranty issues, and the time to catch them is before you close, while the builder is still responsible. I bring in an independent inspector, often at the framing stage and again before closing, and turn the report into a punch list the builder completes.
Can I use a VA loan on new construction?
Yes. A VA loan can be used on a finished new-construction home, and the home goes through the VA appraisal and its property requirements like any other. If you are a veteran or military family, my VA guide walks through how I handle a VA purchase, including on a new build.
Before you tour a single model
Let's get you registered first.
Send me the communities you are eyeing, even if you are months from buying. I will register you so you keep your representation, then help you compare builders, incentives and resale with someone on your side of the table.