The process of selling a newly constructed home is fundamentally different from selling a resale, yet most real estate agent training does not address the distinction. Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update and chair of the RESO Data Dictionary New Construction Subcommittee, argues that treating new construction like a resale can hinder the sale.
In a resale, an agent typically shows a buyer multiple homes until one fits. New construction, however, presents a different scenario. A single community may have multiple floor plans at various stages of completion, from finished models to homes not yet built. “You go to a community, and there are twenty homes for sale, maybe three model A’s, six model B’s, eight model C’s,” Gaul explains. An agent who shows options in ascending order, as in a resale, is working against the format.
The stronger approach, Gaul argues, is to identify the best match for the buyer and present it early, rather than saving the best for last. This requires homework before the buyer ever appears. Agents should visit every builder in their market to learn price points, construction quality, community demographics, and selling points. It also means separating what a buyer needs from what they say they want. “Understand what they need, not only what they want, then deliver the product that best matches their needs first,” Gaul says. Homes shown after the best fit tend to meet fewer criteria, leading to buyer fatigue.
New construction also introduces the on-site sales counselor, who knows the builder’s product in detail. The agent’s role is not to compete with that expertise but to bring the buyer to the right community and provide trust. At its best, the agent, buyer, and on-site counselor work together toward the right home, sometimes one that has not been built yet.
To close the training gap, Builders Update has developed a training course specific to new construction. It features six self-paced modules of about thirty minutes each. The first module is free; the remaining five cost $149, or $129 for agents affiliated with participating MLS organizations. Agents who complete it receive a certificate designating them as a new home specialist. A more advanced tier is planned for agents who have closed a set number of new construction sales.
The platform reserves its detailed listing information for licensed agents, part of an agent-centric model. “We consider our information privileged, and we only make it available to licensed real estate agents,” Gaul says. As new construction grows as a share of inventory in many markets, the case for training agents to handle it only gets stronger.
