For years, you’ve probably dreamt of your perfect home. The idyllic picture of children playing in sprinklers in lush, green grass and throwing gourmet dinner parties for friends from your state-of-the-art kitchen is irresistible. However, it’s not always likely that you’ll find everything you want in a home from the already-built options available to you. Building a home ensures that you don’t have to compromise on your dream, down to every last detail.
While the process can feel overwhelming, assembling an elite team of experts to guide your every step can take the guesswork out of building your home. A vital part of this team is a realtor. Once you’ve acquired your dream custom home plan from a resource like this, you should begin searching for a realtor. While it may seem out of a realtor’s wheelhouse to deal with custom home building, they can actually be an invaluable resource to you along the way.
An advocate for you
When you approach a builder for a job, you’ll often communicate mainly with the builder’s agent. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly assume that the builder’s agent is their own personal advocate. In reality, a builder’s agent works for the builder, ensuring that they receive the best deal possible from your project. The builder’s agent won’t be deceptive or treat you unfairly, but their priorities lie with the builder.
A realtor, on the other hand, would be working entirely for your best interests. They can ensure that you get the features you want for your home at the best prices, and they’ll guide you every step of the way through planning and building. You’ll also benefit from their network of contacts. For example, if you bring a realtor on before hiring a builder, they can connect you with trustworthy and experienced builders they’ve worked with before.
Negotiate contracts
If you’re unfamiliar with contracts, legal jargon can make your head spin. It’s not always easy to read through contracts and fully understand the documents you’re signing without an expert on hand. From top-of-the-line finishes to luxury features, your builder will try their best to sell you on their very best offers. It’s easy to feel swept away in the possibilities your builder will present, but once they put those offers into a contract, you could find yourself paying much more than you originally planned.
Having a realtor by your side means you’ll have an expert who can break down the parts of your contract and help you understand what kind of a deal you’re truly agreeing to. They can help you decide whether you need to hire legal representation for your contract or if you can save that money and put it towards more essential parts of the building process. A realtor can help you negotiate a fair contract that works for both you and the builder, ensuring you’re never taken advantage of.
Protect your resale value
When building your dream home, selling it is probably the furthest consideration from your mind. However, life is unexpected, and anything from a job relocation to family issues could cause you to leave your home to someone new to make memories in. Tailoring your home to your specific quirks and lifestyle could make it difficult to sell down the line. Additionally, building on an undesirable lot or in an unappealing neighborhood could also lessen your home’s resale value. A realtor can help you pick the best location for your home and help you make decisions about your home’s design or features to keep it an attractive option to potential future buyers.
Communicate with your builder
The last thing you want throughout your building process is to constantly play phone or email tag with your builder as they work on your home. Unfortunately, your builder may not always be readily available, and when you want updates on how your build is progressing, it can be a pain to have to drive out to your property regularly. Luckily a realtor can bridge this communication gap and take on the responsibility of keeping you in the loop.
If your realtor has a pre-existing relationship with your builder, they can use that relationship to their advantage to ease any tensions that may arise during construction. In the face of these contentions, a realtor can advocate for you directly to your builder and take onsite visits to ensure the building process progresses smoothly.
Prioritize your budget
Walking through your first model home and facing all of your design choices can make you feel like a kid in a candy store. It’s easy to lose self-control and attempt to maximize your budget with as many amenities as you can fit into your home. A realtor can keep you from going overboard with your design elements. Are vaulted ceilings more important to you than having a three-car garage? Or perhaps an extra bathroom is a non-negotiable for your family’s lifestyle? Your realtor can help you parse out what features are most important to you and what can be left behind on the cutting room floor.
There are also upgrades your builder will suggest that bring them large profits but increase your unnecessary expenses. While you may be tempted to take the word of seasoned construction experts at face value and agree to those upgrades, you could end up over-spending on features that aren’t priorities. Your realtor can keep you grounded and focused on realistic options while helping you let go of design fantasies that could blow your budget.
Part of the commission
It’s a common misconception that hiring a realtor when building a custom home will cost you more money than not hiring one. In fact, bringing a realtor on doesn’t mean having to write an extra check when you’re settling your final bill. It’s critical to read through your builder’s contract thoroughly, as most builders set aside a realtor commission in their contracts. Individuals looking to save money will sometimes not hire a realtor, thinking that they can reduce their spending costs by the amount of the commission. Unfortunately, any commission set aside for a realtor won’t go back into your pocket if you don’t hire one. The builder will keep the commission for themself. Involve a realtor as soon as possible in the building process, and you’ll benefit from expert advice, and they can help you begin saving money sooner.
The bottom line
Realtors do so much more than simply marketing and selling homes. If you’re building the custom home of your dreams, having a realtor on your team can help you save money and hold your hand through what can be a very stressful process. Realtors want to help you get a great deal and find your dream residence in the process.
