Walking Into a New-Home Sales Office Alone? Read This First
You found the community. The model homes look perfect. The brochure says everything you want it to say.
So you pick a Saturday, drive over, and walk into the sales office by yourself.
That first visit feels harmless. It isn't.
I'm Felix Trujillo. I live in Cedar Park, I work all of Austin, and I came up in construction. So I know who a builder's sales office is built to serve.
The Person at the Desk Works for the Builder
They're friendly. They're good at their job. And their job is to sell the builder's homes.
That's not an insult. It's just the chair they sit in. Lennar says it plainly on its own FAQ page: its consultants represent Lennar, not the customer.
That desk isn't set up to be on your side. So who is?
"Do I Really Need a Realtor for New Construction?"
Fair question. Builders will tell you that you don't need one. They're right that you can go without one. The better question is whether it's smart.
Think about what you're walking into. A large purchase, usually written on the builder's own paperwork, with the builder's people explaining it to you. I don't think you should do that alone.
I represent the buyer. Only the buyer. From the first visit.
The First Visit Is the One You Can't Redo
Here's the part most buyers learn too late.
A lot of builders put their rules about buyer's agents in writing. Lennar's policy says the buyer has to name their agent at the first contact, and the agent has to be with the buyer on the first visit. Tri Pointe's says the agent has to register the client in person on the first visit to each community.
Policies vary by builder and by community. That's exactly why I check them before you go, not after.
Walk in alone once, and a door can close that doesn't reopen. You can't un-visit a sales office.
"Isn't That Going to Cost Me?"
I'll answer that straight, and I'll do it before you tour.
When you open a file, I go over my fee with you. Up front. In writing. No guessing and no surprises. I won't tell you here who pays what, because it depends on the builder and the community, and I'm not going to hand you a half answer in a blog post.
What I will tell you is this: the cost of walking in alone is the one you don't see on a price sheet.
Where This Is Happening Right Now
New-home communities across the area are selling today, according to the builders' own sites. A few, as of this writing:
Crestline at Brushy Creek, Toll Brothers, in Cedar Park
Horizon Lake, Pulte, in Leander
Santa Rita Ranch, in Liberty Hill, with a long list of builders in one place
Parkside on the River, in Georgetown, with eight builders
Firefly Pointe, Lennar, in Hutto
Double Creek Crossing, David Weekley Homes, in Round Rock
I'm naming them so you know where I work, not to push any one of them. Your community might not be on this list, and that's fine. Round Rock, Leander, Hutto, Liberty Hill and everything in between: the same question applies. Check the rules before you walk in.
"I Already Looked Online. I'm Just Going to Peek."
I get it. Just a peek. Just a quick walk through the models.
Before you go, send me the community name. Text me at 512-775-7574 or open a file. If you've already been in, tell me that too, and tell me before you sign anything. I'd rather know now than find out at the table.
The Longer You Wait, the More Likely You Walk In Alone
Weekends are when everyone tours. The model homes are busy, the reps are talking to ten people, and it's easy to say, "I'll just go and see." Opening a file takes a few minutes. Your first visit only happens once.
Open it before you go.
