Absolutely, the Builder is looking out for their best interest and you need a professional representing you who is looking out for your Best Interest. Just as you would want an attorney to represent you in court, you want a Realtor to represent you when purchasing a home! (new or resale)

Hi Heather,\n\nI would absolutely recommend using a realtor during your negotiation with a Builder for new construction. I\'ve personally worked with a lot of different Builders with Buyer clients of mine (and on the flip side, sold homes in which the Seller purchased new construction going directly through the Builder and lost money on the sell). A couple of things to consider: \n1) Is the neighborhood a brand new development, an extension of a newer/recent development, or a neighborhood where the Builder is nearing completion and there are a mix of resale and new construction? The answer to this is extremely important when looking at list price and formulating a purchase price, considering most importantly, the appraisal!! As the owner of a residential appraisal company, we work frequently with new home communities. Many times they have access to comps/sales that aren\'t disclosed in the MLS. This is so important when looking at what price you want to be at in the neighborhood.\n2) Builders aren\'t necessarily selling what they used to sell a couple of years ago. There are more inventory/spec homes on the market than there were before and typically there is more room to negotiate on these.\n3) Is your purchase contingent on selling your current home? This makes a difference and you\'ll want to be informed of the specifics of the Builder\'s contingency contract.\n4) You should be advised how the earnest money works on new construction, the new construction/Builder contract, inspection period, working with the Builder\'s Lender, etc. Builders are not going to divulge all this information. The sales associate is simply looking to get you contracted on a house and push their in house lender. \n\nPlease feel free to reach out with further questions. I\'m always happy to help. I\'d gladly share my experience I have with various Builders and my thoughts on the communities you are interested in. \n\nDarby Grimmett / KW / darby@darbygrimmett.com / 936-827-9217\n