Do Realtors Get A Commission On New Construction?

Do realtors get a commission on new construction

Most of the time the answer to this popular question is yes. However, there are a bunch of factors that go into what gets paid to a Realtor and what builders offer.

While some home buyers looking at homes for sale in Clermont Fl are wondering if they will have to come out of pocket, most are asking for another reason. Generally speaking, when a home buyer asks, “do Realtors get a commission on new construction?” they are typically asking because they want a discount. We’ll cover if that’s a good idea or not as well. Then, we need to understand how builders make money and where their money goes.

 

Who Pays a Realtor a Commission on New Construction?

In most cases, the builder or seller pays the Realtor's commission on new construction, not the home buyer. This commission is usually included in the sales price of the home, ensuring that the buyer doesn't have to come out of pocket for these costs. The commission amount is typically prearranged between the builder and the Realtor, and it is paid to the Realtor’s brokerage upon the closing of the home sale. This payment structure helps facilitate the sale process and provides the buyer with valuable representation throughout their home-buying journey.

Do I Have to Pay a Realtor’s Commission?

The answer 99% of the time is going to be no if you’re the home buyer. In almost every instance, a new construction seller will include a buyer’s agent commission in the sales price. The other 1% of the time is with what we call “hostile” sellers who claim that they openly hate real estate agents. In these cases, it’s important to talk with your agent about what will happen. In the end, it’s unlikely you’ll have to pay any commission even in that scenario.

How Much is a Realtor’s Commission on New Construction?

Realtor commissions on new construction typically range between 2.5% and 3% of the home's sale price. This percentage is generally the same as it would be for a resale home. However, the exact amount can vary depending on the builder, the market, and the specific terms of the sale.

How Do Builders Make Money?

You might think that builders build a home for less than they sell it, and you’d be right. That’s the big picture. However, there is more to it than that. How a builder makes their money often depends on whether they are local or a tract builder.

This is important to understand. Knowing how builders, build can often reveal how the commission is built-in, planned for, and often not given to the buyer.

Local Builders Vs Tract Builders

Track builders are you big name builders that come in buy up hundreds of acres and build homes that are usually predefined. They buy the land cheap, develop the land themselves, have a national marketing team, and in some cases don’t even hire licensed real estate agents to sell their properties.

Selling homes is a numbers game for them. As such they’ve built in the cost of a Realtor in their sales. However, some of these builders know the value of an agent and will encourage you NOT to use one. The reason is that an agent will often slow down their process by asking questions that protect the buyer.

Tract builders aren’t bad. Buying a home from them is like buying one from a department store. Just like the department store, there might be coupons or discounts, but they aren’t there for personalized service. Department stores have employees and deal with mass production, just like a tract builder. This is important because having employees do the construction keeps costs low and profits even higher. Essentially, a tract builder typically has built-in costs that won’t change no matter what you negotiate so bringing a Davenport Realtor is always a good idea.

Local Builders can appear to be like tract builders. However, there is often some key differences. Local builders often don’t have the funds to buy the land. They buy from a developer that bought it, put roads in, and then sells lots to a builder for a profit. The builder often hires subcontractors to do each job and then has to organize their schedule. Because of this juggling and trusting smaller businesses to finish the home, the builder often is either way ahead or way behind. Like the tract builder, the local builder has included commission in the price. However, unlike the tract builder, the local builder doesn’t have a huge budget. The local builder will likely pay a real estate agent to market the property, which (usually) by default means there is a commission for a buyer’s representative.

Can I Get A Discount Without An Agent?

In almost every case the builder includes a buyer’s agent commission for the sale of one of their homes. This means you can bring an agent with you to view these new construction homes and get represented. However, if you want to try and save the commission you might end up paying more in the long run.

In most states, the seller’s agent isn’t just “supposed” to represent the seller, they have a legal duty to get the very best deal possible for the seller. Legally speaking, the selling agent (the agent you meet at the new construction place) can’t give you a better deal. Instead, they are obligated to get you to pay the maximum.

Contrast that with buyer’s agents, who also have a legal duty to represent the buyer. In many cases, a buyer’s agent will insist on closing costs, discounts, upgrades, and home inspections. None of which will be on the table for discussion if you don’t have an agent.

It’s true, some builders do offer a “bonus” if you come without an agent. However, it’s almost always less than what they offer to pay the buyer’s agent. On top of that, you’ll likely only get any other discounts by jumping through their hoops such as being forced to use their lender.

In the end, whether Realtors get a commission on new construction or not should be the concern of the agent and less of the home buyer. Home buyers should focus on getting the best possible representation before buying.

 

Posted by Florida Realty Marketplace on
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