Walk into any model home in Prosper, Celina, or McKinney and someone friendly will hand you a cookie and ask for your name. That person works for the builder. They are not your agent.
That one distinction changes everything about how the rest of the purchase goes. Here is how it actually works on a Texas new build, and why who you bring on visit one matters more than anything else you do that day.
Who the Model Home Agent Really Works For
The salesperson inside a model home is paid by the builder. Their job is to sell that builder’s homes at the best price and terms for the builder. Nothing about that is wrong. It is just the job.
But it means every answer you get inside a model home is builder advice. The lot premium is “standard for this community.” The incentive is “the best they have ever offered.” The timeline is “no problem at all.” Sometimes all of that is true. Sometimes it is not. You have no way to know which is which unless someone on your side of the table is reading the fine print.
When Luke tours a model home with a buyer, he is reading what the salesperson skips.
What Your Own Agent Actually Does on a New Build
Most buyers think an agent just opens doors. On a new build, your own agent does the work that protects your money.
Your agent compares incentives across builders instead of taking one builder’s word. A builder can offer upgrades, closing cost credits, or buydown structures, and the mix changes month to month. An agent who watches several builders knows when an offer is real and when it is dressed up marketing.
Your agent reads the builder contract and flags the parts that favor the builder. Builder contracts are long and one sided by design. Cancellation terms, earnest money rules, delay clauses, and warranty language all live in there, and most buyers never read a word of it.
Your agent coordinates independent inspections. Yes, even on a brand new home. A third party inspection before drywall and another at final walk through catches what the builder’s own quality checks miss.
Your agent negotiates the parts buyers do not realize are negotiable: lot premiums, design upgrades, closing costs, and timing on spec homes. For the full picture of where new build money hides, read our breakdown of the 3 costs North Dallas buyers do not expect on a new build.
And your agent registers as your representative, which is the step most buyers skip entirely.
Who Pays Your Agent on a New Build
Here is the part most people get wrong: do not assume the builder always pays your agent.
Some builders offer buyer agent compensation. Some do not. And since the August 2024 NAR settlement, offers of buyer agent compensation no longer appear in the MLS, so nobody can just look it up on the listing anymore. Compensation gets worked out in writing, off the listing, between you, your agent, and the seller or builder.
Since that same settlement, buyers also sign a written buyer representation agreement before touring homes with an agent. That agreement spells out exactly what the agent is paid and by whom, in plain language, before anyone walks through a front door. That is the new standard nationwide. It protects you, because you know the fee arrangement up front, and it protects the agent, because the terms are clear.
Know how your agent is paid before you sign anything inside a model home. Ask the question directly. There is no awkward way to ask it, and any good agent answers it plainly.
The First Visit Rule: The Step Most Buyers Miss
This is the single most important thing in this whole post.
Many builders require your agent to be present, or at least registered, at your very first visit. Walk in alone on a Saturday, sign the guest register solo, and that builder may not honor your agent later even if you hire one the next day. You would be buying without representation, through no fault of your own, because of one signature.
Builder policies differ, so confirm each builder’s policy before you visit. But the safe move is simple: talk to Luke before you set foot in a single model home. One call before the first tour protects your right to representation for the whole build.
This is especially true if you are buying from out of state. If you are still deciding whether to rent first or buy right away when you relocate, get the agent relationship in place first either way. It costs you nothing to have the conversation early, and it can cost you real money to have it late.
Questions to Ask the Builder Before You Sign
Bring these to every model home visit, and bring your agent with you.
- Which lots carry premiums, and how much are they? Ask for the number on the specific lot you like, not the community range.
- What incentives are on the table right now? Ask what changes if you use your own lender instead of the preferred lender.
- What is the timeline from contract to closing? Ask what happens to your rate lock and your lease if the build runs long.
- What are the monthly HOA dues, and what do they cover? Ask whether the dues are set or still in the developer controlled phase.
- Is this community in a MUD or a PID? These special districts change your total tax picture in a big way. Our explainer on how MUD taxes change your total rate walks through what to look for.
- What is the earnest money and cancellation policy? Ask exactly what you lose if you walk away at each stage.
- Who handles warranty claims, and for how long? Get the warranty company name in writing.
How We Would Do It
If we were buying a new build in North Dallas today, here is the order we would do it in.
Interview your agent first. Sign the written representation agreement so everyone knows the terms. Then tour, with your agent registered at visit one. Tour two or three builders before you fall in love with one. Compare the full picture: price, lot, incentives, timeline, HOA, and special districts, not just the pretty kitchen.
Corridor towns like Princeton TX are worth a look too. Fast growth, new communities, and prices that stretch further than the established suburbs. Wherever you land, the process is the same: your agent first, the model home second.
Ready to Tour the Right Way
Book a free strategy call with us before your first model home visit
We will walk through your timeline, your budget, and the builders worth touring for your situation, and Luke will be registered and ready before you ever sign a guest register. You can also download our Start Here guide: download our Start Here guide
Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146. Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)
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