Offer clients a choice between new and resale homes

Ron Croushore, PAR First Vice President

First-time and move-up buyers often contact a Realtor® to help them search for a home with the only thought to search for resale houses. And many times, the Realtor® moves forward with that thought in mind and he or she conducts a home search. I think that many buyers have an impression that purchasing a new-construction house is too complex and difficult. They often believe a new-construction house will be more expensive and the process will take much longer. In actuality, there are many benefits to considering new-construction houses in situations where resale-houses-only are being considered. Realtors® serve their clients best by presenting both options.

Some of the reasons your client might want to consider buying a new home versus an existing home include:

• Choices: When looking at a new home, your client gets to choose design, color and material options. Having the luxury to tailor a home to their tastes can be an attractive selling feature.
• Competitive pricing: Prices of new homes to existing comparably-size homes is often      similar.
• Convenient financing: It often takes time to secure financing to buy a home; however,      many builders have simplified and streamlined the process.
• Energy efficiency: New homes are built according to stricter energy codes which benefits consumers with enormous cost-savings.
• Low maintenance: New homes are nearly maintenance free for many years so consumers      don’t have to worry about costly repairs.
• New home warranties: Most new home construction offers a one-year warranty on the home and sometimes additional on the appliances.

As with any transaction, it’s best to offer your clients many options so they can decide what will best meet their needs.