It's a beautiful day, you're thinking of buying a new home, so you drop in on the new community with its flags flying. Once a buyer visits a model home, without a real estate professional, the buyer has lost the right to have representation, unless the buyer pays for it.

The cost of the new home is the same whether the buyer's interests are professionally represented or not. What have you lost, without professional representation?

Time: What is your time worth? A licensed real estate professional can show only those subdivisions which have homes which most closely match your needs.

Value: Not all new homes and locations are the same. The quality of the home's construction and subdivision's location are both critical to enjoyment and resale value. A Realtor has the knowledge, experience and obligation to make the buyer aware of construction and location information, which may affect the buyer's decision to buy.

Advocate: The home builder's representative works for the builder and is not representing the interests of the buyer. While the builder's representative will be "nice", "friendly", "helpful" and ooze a myriad of other warm and fuzzy traits, the representative's job is to sell a property (any property) under the most favorable terms and conditions for the home builder. A Realtor, on the other hand, would be working as a Buyer's Broker, with full responsibility to represent the buyer's interests.

Assistance: A buyer's agent can help clarify wants and needs, when the buyer is deciding issues relating to the numerous construction questions, which are inherent in a new build, including lot selection, site orientation, amenities, upgrades, financing, etc.

There are numerous other related advantages to using a licensed real estate professional, which may have significant tangible and intangible impact on the ultimate success and enjoyment of the new home purchase.

The new home builder pays the buyer's Realtor a commission, with no change to the offered price of the home. The buyer receives professional help, for no additional cost.

The question is probably better asked: Why Not Use A Realtor When Buying A New Home?