Builders have their own sales staff and their own lawyers working in the builder's interest — not yours. A Realtor costs you nothing extra (builders use single-price policies, same as resale, where the seller pays the commission), and protects you through contract review, the pre-delivery inspection, and everything in between.
Buying a brand new or pre-construction home? The question isn't whether you need protection — it's who's providing it.
The advantages of having a Realtor on a new-build purchase are the same as buying resale:
Knowledge of the local new-home market
Help finding the right builder and floor plan faster
Skilled contract review and negotiation
Support through closing and the pre-delivery inspection
Builders have professional representatives — licensed and unlicensed — whose job is to protect the builder's interests. Who's protecting yours?
Lawyers can't represent both sides of a transaction for a reason. The same logic applies here: your interests need independent protection when you sign a legal contract for a semi-custom or build-to-suit home. These contracts are complex, and the details have to be exact — for your protection, not the builder's.
Is there any advantage to skipping a Realtor and going directly to the builder?
No. Most ethical builders — including many in London, Ontario — use a single-price policy. You pay the same price whether or not a Realtor represents you. If the builder pays the Realtor's fee, it is not added to your purchase price. If you skip having a Realtor, the builder simply keeps that money — it does not come back to you as a discount. There is no financial upside to going in unrepresented, only added risk.
Builders who are not registered with Tarion are the rare exception, not the norm — fewer than 1% fall outside that protection, and they're the outliers you should be most cautious of.
The contract was written by the builder's law firm.
Who do you think it favours?
Do you know exactly what to look for during your pre-delivery inspection? If something's wrong, what recourse do you have beyond a verbal promise?
If you're buying a condo, you should also know:
How many units are currently sold?
How many are rental units?
How many were sold to investors rather than owner-occupiers?
Buying from a builder is more complex and takes longer than buying resale. It requires familiarity with subdivision plans, floor plan variations, new-home warranty coverage, and builder purchase contracts most buyers never see until closing day.
Most builders require that any Realtor representing you attend your first visit to the sales office or model home together. This protects your right to representation from day one — if you show up alone on that first visit, some builders will treat you as unrepresented for the rest of the transaction, even if you bring a Realtor in later.
Before you walk into a builder's sales office, one question:
Do you know which upgrades add resale value and which ones the builder marks up 100% for nothing? Most buyers find out after they've signed.
I've walked buyers through new-build contracts for 24+ years in London, Ontario. I'm not here to sell you a house — I'm here to make sure the one you're about to buy actually protects you. If you're planning a visit to a builder's sales office, call me first. It costs you nothing, and it's the one call that can save you from a contract written entirely in someone else's favour.
📞 519-435-1600 — Ty Lacroix, Broker, The Envelope Real Estate Group
Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless
