No law says you need one. But the person in the model home works for the builder, not for you, so the practical answer is yes: bring your own agent, and bring them before your first visit. Many builders pay the buyer's agent, and since July 1, 2024 Indiana requires that arrangement to be in a written buyer agency agreement before you sign anything.
12 questions to ask the sales rep, eight builder-contract red flags, and a pre-drywall checklist you can print and take to the site.
I'm Wes Johnston, a Realtor with Trueblood Real Estate in Fishers. Before real estate I spent about ten years designing homes and managing their construction for a custom builder in Hamilton County. I drew the blueprints and ran the jobs, so I know what goes on behind the drywall and what to check before it's covered up.
Here's the part builders don't put on the sign out front: the sales rep is excellent at their job, and their job is to sell that builder's homes on that builder's paper. Nothing wrong with that. It just means nobody in the room is reading the contract for you unless you bring someone.
The builder. They're an employee or a licensed agent of the builder, and the purchase agreement you'll sign is the builder's own form, not the standard Indiana purchase agreement a resale uses. The rep can answer product questions all day. What they can't do is tell you the lot backs to a planned road, that an upgrade is overpriced, or which clause in the contract lets the builder push your closing date.
On a resale, a lot of my work is finding the house. On a new build the house is right there on the price sheet, so my work shifts to everything around it:
I spent ten years on the construction side before I sold houses, so the inspections and the framing walk are the part I enjoy most.
It depends on the builder, and the answer has to be in writing. Many builders in central Indiana offer compensation to a buyer's agent; the amount and terms are set by each builder and usually depend on your agent being registered with them from the first visit.
Since July 1, 2024, Indiana law requires a written agreement between a buyer and their broker, with an expiration date, before the broker represents them (Indiana Code 25-34.1-12, per the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency). That agreement is where my fee is spelled out, including what happens if the builder pays some or all of it. You'll know the number before we walk into a model.
Because builders set their own rules, and a common one is that an agent who wasn't with you, or registered by you, on your first visit doesn't get recognized later. Some builders accept a phone call or an online registration ahead of time; some want the agent physically there. If you've already walked through a model on your own, call me before you go back. Sometimes we can still fix it, and sometimes we can't.
In my experience, no. Builders publish one price list for a community and it doesn't change because you brought an agent. If a rep tells you otherwise, ask them to put it in writing and send it to me. What does change is who's reading the contract and the upgrade sheet on your side of the table.
Three things. Call or text me so I can register with the builder. Get a pre-approval from a lender of your choice, so you can compare the builder's lender offer against a real number instead of a guess. And read the New Construction Playbook, which has the 12 questions to ask the rep and the contract red flags. Then go look at models. That part is fun.
More new construction answers: How Long Does It Take to Build a House in Indiana?, Can You Negotiate With a Home Builder?, What Are the Closing Costs on New Construction in Indiana?, Should I buy new construction or a resale home?. Everything I've written on buying new is on the Resources page, and every builder's available homes are on New Home Builds.
Call or text me before your first model home visit and I'll register with the builder, pull the plat for the lot you like, and read the contract with you before you sign it.
There's no cost to ask, and the registration takes two minutes.
Fishers-based. Ten years designing and building custom homes. Committed to your success.
Tell me your budget and where you want to live. I'll show you both sides.
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Send me the communities or builders on your list. I'll let you know what I've seen there and get registered before you go.
Found a specific builder home? Send me the address and I'll check on it.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Builder policies on agent registration and compensation vary by builder and change; confirm them in writing with the builder.