So….this came up yesterday in a FB page that I am a part of…. This family is wanting to meet with a builder and have a home built, so she was asking the group members about a few different local builders. In our area, there are some really good builders, and some….not so great… builders. This woman was doing a great job in asking about others experiences with these builders, and doing research. The one thing that did, of course, come up is if she has her OWN Realtor, or if she was going to just use the builders Realtor/representative…. So, in doing her own research… she asked why it would be important for her to have her own Realtor….
In short, having your own Realtor during the build (or any purchase) process gives you someone in YOUR court. The builders rep (&/or sellers agent) works for the builder/seller…that’s their employer.
YOUR Realtor works for you. If something comes up during the build/buy process, the builder/seller is more likely to negotiate, or make things ‘right’ when you have your own Realtor working for you.
For example, one of my clients was having a new home built with a guest room & full bathroom on the main floor for her disabled mother who comes to stay/visit. This was very important to her…to have a shower her mother could easily access & maneuver in, and this was mentioned, and discussed, quite a few times during the beginning with a variety of the builders personnel…including the builders Realtor/Representative. Fast forward to the main floor bathroom & shower install, and it is a standard fiberglass shower install….you know…with the 2 ‘seats’ on the ends…and not enough room for her shower chair. My client was understandably distraught, and contacted the builders rep who told her that it was “too bad since it was already installed, and the builder wasn’t going to re-do it.” I like to drive by and check in on the my clients new build, and it just so happened that I went by that afternoon. I was in the house when my client called me…crying…, and told me about her conversation. Well, that was simply not going to work….. so I contacted the builders Realtor/Representative, AND all my other connections with the builder. The builder agreed that this needed to be corrected, and the builder had the standard fiberglass shower taken out, and replaced with a shower tray and a beautiful shower tile walls.
So, what was the difference? My client had her own Realtor who was able, and willing, to go to bat for her. Builders (at least most of them…but not all) do work well with, and prefer to have a Realtor on the other side as we can head off a lot of issues before they become issues. We are always looking for a win-win solution, and will bring more of our clients over to build with a builder who provides excellent homes, communication, and workmanship.
Think of your Realtor like the Genie in Aladdin. It’s like having some ‘power in your corner now … some heavy ammunition in your camp’, and after the sale is complete, you STILL have someone to turn to with questions, or concerns. Another bonus with having your own Realtor is that it is another set of eyes during the build who will be looking for things you don’t even know about, and that the builder might not tell you.
I’ve even built my own home…once with a builder, and once on my own land. With your own Realtor, you can ask anything…even something you might be embarrassed, or unsure about, to bring up with the builder. Your Realtor works for YOU…not the builder/seller. Most Realtors have worked with the majority, if not all, of the builders in our area. We know the ‘good’ ones, and the …well, not so great ones. We know which ones will charge you for Every. Single. Thing, and which builders include a lot of upgrades in their packages. Many times, we even know of upcoming developments. We will tell you the pros & the cons of all the builders because we, as Your Realtor, work for you…and not the builders.
I can never stress this enough… think of your Realtor as GPS… you have a destination in mind, and our job is to help you get there….and yes, sometimes Mayhem happens, and we have to re-calculate… We can do that! We got you!
…and having Your Own Realtor in the build, &/or purchase, process is at NO cost to you, the buyer.
So…what are you waiting for? Give me a call, or email today. Let’s make some magic happen!!
