The real estate industry has long treated new construction and resale as similar transactions, but a growing chorus of experts argues that selling new homes requires a distinct skill set rarely taught in traditional agent training. Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update and chair of the RESO Data Dictionary New Construction Subcommittee, emphasizes that new construction sales differ fundamentally from resale, and agents need specialized knowledge to succeed.
Gaul points out that while a resale involves showing a buyer multiple homes until one fits, new construction communities often have multiple floor plans at various stages of completion. “You go to a community, and there are twenty homes for sale, maybe three model A’s, six model B’s, eight model C’s,” he explains. This variety means an agent cannot simply follow the resale approach of showing options in ascending order and gauging reactions. Instead, a new construction specialist must identify the best fit for the buyer and present it early.
“Understand what they need, not only what they want, then deliver the product that best matches their needs first,” Gaul advises. This requires pre-visit homework, including visiting every builder in the market to learn price points, construction quality, community demographics, and selling points. By separating needs from wants, agents can present the most suitable home immediately, avoiding buyer fatigue from seeing less relevant options.
Another key difference is the presence of the on-site sales counselor, who possesses deep knowledge of the builder’s products. The agent’s role, Gaul stresses, is not to compete with this expertise but to guide the buyer to the right community and build trust. “At its best, the agent, buyer, and on-site counselor work as allies toward the right home, sometimes one that has not been built yet,” he says.
Despite the importance of these skills, most agent training focuses solely on resale. To address this gap, Builders Update has launched a specialized training course. The course consists of six self-paced modules, each about thirty minutes long. The first module is free, while the remaining five cost $149, or $129 for agents affiliated with participating MLS organizations. Completing the course earns agents a certificate designating them as a new home specialist, and a more advanced tier is planned for those who have closed a set number of new construction sales.
The platform also restricts detailed listing information to licensed agents, reflecting what Gaul calls an “agent-centric model.” “We consider our information privileged, and we only make it available to licensed real estate agents,” he says. As new construction grows as a share of available inventory in many markets, the need for agents trained in this niche becomes increasingly critical. This training not only enhances an agent’s ability to serve clients but also positions them to capitalize on a growing segment of the housing market.
