Should You Use a Buyer’s Agent for a New Construction Home?

Yes — and it’s one of the smartest moves you can make. When you walk into a builder’s model home, the friendly sales rep works for the builder, not for you. Having your own buyer’s agent when buying a new construction home means someone is finally looking out for your side of the deal.

Important: the on-site sales agent represents the builder’s interests — their job is to get the best terms for the builder. Your buyer’s agent represents you.

The builder’s rep is not your agent

The agent in the model home is paid by and works for the builder. They’re often friendly and helpful, but they won’t tell you the lot premium is steep, warn you that you’re over-improving for the neighborhood, or push for a better deal on your behalf. That’s not their job — it’s mine.

What a buyer’s agent does for you on a new build

• Pricing & comps: what nearby homes actually sold for, so you know the base price and lot premium are fair.
• Upgrades vs. resale value: which design-center upgrades add value and which you’ll never get back at resale.
• Incentives: finding and negotiating builder incentives — especially the ones tied to the builder’s preferred lender.
• The contract: builders use their own contracts, not the standard TREC forms, so I help you understand what you’re signing.
• Inspections: yes, you should still inspect a brand-new home. I’ll arrange independent inspections and a pre-closing walkthrough.

How your agent gets paid on a new build

Builders often still offer to cover some or all of the buyer’s agent fee — but since the 2024 industry changes, that’s negotiated and disclosed up front in your written buyer agreement, not assumed. I’ll walk you through exactly how it works before we tour anything. Here’s the full rundown on how buyer’s agent compensation works in Texas.

Bring your agent on your very first visit

This is the rule that trips people up when buying a new construction home: most builders require your agent to be with you — or registered — on your first visit in order to represent you. If you tour alone and sign in first, you can lose the ability to bring an agent on board for that community. So loop me in before you go. You can start on the home-buying page.

Last updated: June 2026 · Reflects current Texas new-home buying and post-NAR-settlement practices.