Do you need a realtor to buy new construction in Florida?
No law requires one. The question is who is on your side of the builder's contract. The sales consultant in the model is paid by the builder to sell the builder's homes, at the builder's price, on the builder's contract. A buyer's agent works for you on price, lot choice, upgrades, contract terms, inspections, and the walk-through.
On many new builds, that representation costs you nothing extra, because the builder pays the buyer's agent under its own broker policy. Akel Homes, for example, publishes that it generally pays 3% of the net purchase price: base price plus lot premium, not options. Since August 17, 2024, buyers working with an agent sign a written buyer agreement before touring (National Association of Realtors), and that agreement spells out how your agent is paid.
What is builder registration, and why does it decide who pays your agent?
Builder registration is the step where a builder records that you are working with a specific agent. Many builders tie their broker payment to timing: contact the builder first without naming your agent, and no agent gets paid for your purchase, so you lose representation the builder would have covered. Here is what four builders' published policies say, checked October 8, 2026:
| Builder | When your agent must be registered | What can cost you representation |
|---|---|---|
| Lennar | At your first contact with any Lennar employee, including online sales, or your first visit or tour; agent accompanies the first visit | Any earlier inquiry without registering your agent |
| Mattamy Homes | Before you are introduced to the community online, visit, or tour | Phone registrations not accepted; a website appointment is not registration |
| Taylor Morrison | Agent attends your first visit, calls the sales office before it, or you name the agent on the form at that visit | An earlier solo visit, an online or phone inquiry without an agent, or answering online that you have no agent |
| Akel Homes | In person at the sales center at your first visit; agent registers within 2 days | No online registration accepted |
Policies change, and some builders add community-specific terms, so we confirm each builder's current rules with its sales office before your visit. If you have already filled out a form, called, joined an interest list, chatted online, or walked in alone, tell us which builder and how. We will check that builder's policy and tell you honestly whether we can still be registered.
What happens at your first model visit when we register you?
You tell us which communities you're considering and when you'll be in town. We check each builder's rules, call ahead where the builder allows it, and go with you or register you inside the builder's window. Some builders accept a virtual first tour with your agent if you aren't local; Lennar's policy does. Registrations expire (Lennar's runs 60 days, extendable once), and we track every date for you.
Keep the registration card at the top of this page on your phone and show it at any sales center:
My agent: Brent Sharp, Sharp Real Estate Group LLC, (772) 272-9571. Please register me with my agent.
Don't fill out builder web forms or join VIP lists until we've registered you.
What does a buyer's agent do on a new build?
| Stage | What we do |
|---|---|
| Before you visit | Register you with each builder; narrow the communities that fit your price, monthly budget, and rules |
| Choosing the home and lot | Compare base price, lot premium, and options against nearby resales |
| Before you sign | Brent's Sharp Number on the home: the all-in price, the true monthly cost, and likely resale value |
| Contract review | Deposits, completion dates, incentive conditions, CDD and HOA disclosures |
| Pre-drywall | An independent inspector while framing, wiring, and plumbing are visible, where the builder's site rules allow |
| Final walk-through | Independent inspection and a written punch list before closing |
The Sharp Number is the same written valuation Brent prepares for Port St. Lucie homeowners, pointed at the home you are about to buy.
What should you check in a builder contract before you sign?
- Your deposit escrow right. Florida gives you the right to have deposits, up to 10% of the price, held in escrow unless you waive it in writing (s. 501.1375, Florida Statutes). Look for the waiver before you sign it.
- The CDD disclosure. If the home sits in a community development district, the contract must carry a bold disclosure above your signature that the district may levy taxes or assessments on top of county taxes (s. 190.048). Ask for the annual amount in dollars.
- The HOA disclosure summary. You must receive it before signing; if you didn't, you can cancel within 3 days of receiving it or before closing, whichever comes first (s. 720.401).
- Incentive conditions. Lennar's own legal page says its offers may require designated lenders and closing agents. Get every condition in writing.
- Your first-year tax bill. Improvements not substantially complete on January 1 get no assessed value that year (s. 192.042), so the first bill can reflect mostly the land. Set your escrow for the full assessment that follows.
Brent reviews the business terms. A Florida real estate attorney should review the contract itself; this is not legal advice.
Which upgrades and lot premiums hold value, and are incentives better than a lower price?
Brent's test is simple: does it show up in the resales? He checks what similar homes in the same and neighboring communities resold for, and whether the lake lot, the preserve view, the extra bedroom, or the pool appears as a price difference in those sales. If it doesn't, treat it as something you're buying for your own enjoyment, not your next sale. Monthly resale numbers are in the TC Pricing Report.
For incentives, ask the builder to price each option in dollars. A price reduction shrinks your loan and payment for as long as you keep the loan. A closing-cost credit is spent once. A rate buydown helps only while you keep that loan and may require the builder's lender. We lay them out side by side.
Should you buy new construction or resale in western Port St. Lucie?
West of I-95, Tradition and newer master-planned communities farther west are still building, and several of those communities are 55 and older communities. Not every new community there is age-restricted; we confirm 55 and older status from each community's own documents. In general terms:
| Question | New construction | Resale |
|---|---|---|
| What you see before signing | A model, a floor plan, and a lot, unless the home is move-in ready | The actual house, inspected before closing |
| How price is set | Base price plus lot premium plus options | Negotiated against closed sales |
| Monthly cost | HOA, plus CDD assessments where a district exists | Same assessments carry over |
| First-year taxes | May reflect mostly land if not complete on January 1 | Reset to just value the January 1 after the sale (s. 193.155) |
| Insurance | Current Florida Building Code; insurers must offer discounts for qualifying wind mitigation features (s. 627.0629) | Roof age and past updates drive the quote |
| Resale benchmark | Newer sections may have few resales yet | Plenty of local comparables |
Selling a home here before you buy? Start with how to price and sell it from closed sales.
Before your first model visit
Call us before your first model visit
- We register you with each builder the right way
- Brent puts the builder's price to the test before you sign
- Many builders pay the buyer's agent. No rebates.
Brent Sharp, Broker / Owner
Call or text (772) 272-9571 Get My Sharp Number Text Brent
Licensed Florida real estate brokerage, DBPR license CQ1051669. Port St. Lucie, FL.
Questions buyers ask about new construction
Do I need a realtor for new construction in Florida?
No law requires one, but the builder's sales team represents the builder. Many builders pay the buyer's agent who represents you, as long as that agent is registered before your first contact with the builder.
Does the builder pay my buyer's agent?
Often, yes. Many builders pay a buyer's agent under their own broker policy, and some publish the amount; Akel Homes publishes generally 3% of the net purchase price. Payment usually depends on registering your agent before your first contact with the builder, and your written buyer agreement spells out how your agent is paid.
I already filled out a builder's web form. Can you still represent me?
Maybe. Some builders' policies exclude any agent once you have contacted them without naming one; others allow registration at the first in-person visit. Tell us which builders you contacted and how, and we'll check each policy honestly before you sign anything.
Can I register my agent after my first model visit?
Usually not with the same builder. Many builders require your agent to attend the first visit, or to be named on the sign-in form at that visit. That is why we ask buyers to call us before their first model visit.
What is a CDD in Port St. Lucie?
A community development district (CDD) is a special district that can levy taxes or assessments on homes inside it, on top of county taxes. Florida requires the initial sale contract to disclose it in bold type above the buyer's signature. Ask for the annual amount in dollars before you sign.
When should I get an inspection on a new construction home?
At least twice: pre-drywall, while framing, wiring, and plumbing are visible, and before your final walk-through. Builders set their own site-access rules, so we confirm them in writing first.
Can you get me a rebate or cash back from the builder?
No. Some builders' broker policies prohibit agents from rebating commission to buyers, so we don't offer rebates. We offer the valuation work instead: what the builder's price includes and what the home should be worth.
Sources
- Lennar, Legal Disclaimers: Broker Participation Policy and offers language (page dated May 7, 2024). Accessed October 8, 2026.
- Mattamy Homes, Legal Disclaimers: Broker Participation (updated January 15, 2021). Accessed October 8, 2026.
- Taylor Morrison, Terms of Use: broker registration terms (last updated September 24, 2025). Accessed October 8, 2026.
- Akel Homes, Realtor Policy (in-person registration, generally 3% of net purchase price, no rebates). Accessed October 8, 2026.
- National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements. Accessed October 8, 2026.
- The Florida Statutes: section 501.1375 (deposit escrow), section 190.048 (CDD disclosure), section 720.401 (HOA disclosure summary), section 192.042 (improvements not complete on January 1), section 193.155 (reassessment after a sale), section 627.0629 (windstorm mitigation discounts). Accessed October 8, 2026.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Have a Florida real estate attorney review any builder contract.
Last updated · Reviewed by Brent Sharp, Broker