As realtors, your job—your passion—is to find your clients their perfect homes.
You know this.
But what you might forget at times, when deep in your quest, is how much more new-construction homes give both you and your clients.
In fact, there are so many benefits of new construction that we thought it was important to remind you so you can remind your clients.
As award-winning builders in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Prince William, and Augusta Counties, and Charlottesville and Fredericksburg, we at Atlantic Builders, as you would expect, know quite a lot about new-construction homes.
These are the biggest benefits that realtors need to know about new-construction homes so they can properly educate their clients:
With a resale home, your clients inherit all the technology from when the home was built and any upgrades (if applicable) that were made along the way. However, a new-construction home is built with all new technologies and all new systems: It’s a home written on a clean, fresh slate.
With a new-construction home, your clients will get new technologies inside the walls with advanced building materials. From insulation to siding to sheet rock, building materials are constantly being upgraded for strength and durability.
Plus, the processes to make these materials are constantly improving. For example, one of our trade partners, S.E.I., has worked on every Atlantic Builders home since 1988, as our interior trim and millwork carpenter. Their expert work is the result of the latest European machinery and computer technology that aides in the design and milling process.
Your clients will also enjoy light coming in through more energy-efficient windows, that also prevent heat transfer and harmful UV rays. In fact, energy efficiency is the name of the game! From new HVAC systems, to new insulation, to new kitchen appliances, with all these advancements in technology, new-construction homes can be up to twice as energy efficient as older resale homes!
And we can’t forget about all the smart technology that is often integrated into a new-construction home. Features like smart thermostats and smart lighting controls (to name just a few) give new-construction homes the ability to be more connected than ever, allowing you to do more with less effort and time.
In a new-construction home, every system meets the new and stricter building codes and standards, and this means new homes are healthier. For as home building technology has advanced, healthier building materials and systems have emerged and become the new norm.
Your HVAC will be more energy efficient (this we’ve just covered), but it will also have more advanced air filtration for cleaner in-home air, while also being more efficient. More hazardous materials have been eliminated from building products for new construction, including the use of low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) in sealants, adhesives, and paints. And surfaces used in new-construction homes are healthier too. Look in the kitchen, for example, at the countertops: sealed granite and quartz countertops are more microbe resistant than older surfaces in resale homes. All of these features come together to make new-construction homes healthier from the start.
upWhat homeowners want in their space changes over time. Because of this way wants change, new-construction homes have a better finger on the pulse of today’s homebuyer. They incorporate the features and finishes that are trending as most important. This knowledge of what homebuyers want continues outside the home, as new construction often offers homebuyers better and more amenities.
New-construction communities frequently have walking trails, playgrounds, and pools. Some include a clubhouse with lounge space, a fitness center, dog parks, and sports courts—all amenities that help homeowners stay happy and healthy without ever leaving their community. And new-construction communities often offer better and newer infrastructure than older communities, such as wider roads, sidewalks, and hook-ups to city amenities.
New-construction homes regularly include builder incentives you just don’t find with resale properties (and incentives “are still the name of the game for 2024,” says Ali Wolf, Zonda’s chief economist). Bigger incentives to help quickly turn the collection of homes into a thriving community. These incentives may include things like closing cost assistance, complimentary fees for a set time period, or bonus cash to apply to designer fixtures.
New-construction communities many times have quick move-in (immediate delivery) homes available. Atlantic Builders certainly does in many of the areas in which we build. These homes are either ready to sell or pretty far along in their construction process. And homebuyers get the benefits of a brand-new home without having to wait for a full new-home-construction timeline.
What this means for realtors is quick sales and quick commissions! Your clients will get a brand-new home in the time it takes to get a resale home, and you’ll get a commission that much faster. And if the community has multiple quick move-in homes, your clients can not only find their ideal homes swiftly, but also find themselves as new neighbors!
A study by Redfin earlier this year shows that people are staying in their homes twice as long as they did in the early 2000s. What that yields is less resale homes on the market. So, when your clients are looking for their new home, a new-construction home will be easier to find because there is more inventory of them in the market.
When you go to explain to your clients the benefits of new-home construction vs. resale, we’ve put together a little cheat sheet to help. And then you can explore all the new homes Atlantic Builders has throughout some of the best counties in Northern and Central Virginia!