Real Estate Agents: To Increase Sales, Builders Need to Be More Flexible

Real estate agents want home builders to work with them more on new homes, according to a recent study conducted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Agents say they would sell more new homes if showing them to prospective buyers was easier, according to HomesUSA.com. If new homes could be shown outside of regular builder hours, 86% of the 4,000 agents surveyed say they’d sell more. Electronic key boxes and an online scheduling service are two key features agents want to see from home builders. The survey also found that builders focus on the wrong incentives. Instead of bonuses or trips, builders should consider simpler choices, such as more flexibility.

“Real estate agents are nearly unanimous in what builder can do to help them sell new more homes. Agents need more flexibility scheduling and showing new homes,” said Caballero.

Agents pay additional fees to use these digital products, as these showing technologies enable them to be more productive. However, builders do not use these digital services with their new home offerings. This puts an unnecessary obstacle that discourages agents from showing new homes, the survey found.

“The first rule of selling is to make buying easy,” Caballero, who has sold more new homes than any other real estate agent in history, said. “Every impediment an agent encounters in showing a home reduces the foot traffic in that home. Unfortunately, some builders tell me that they would rather lose a sale than lose control of access to their homes.”

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