What can count as first contact
Builders do not all define registration the same way. A buyer should not assume that only an in-person model-home tour counts.
- Walking into a model home or sales center
- Signing in at a model or scanning a registration QR code
- Submitting a contact form on a builder website
- Calling or texting a builder's sales team
- Clicking a listing-platform contact button that routes to the builder
- Attending a builder event or open house
Why it matters
A builder may require an agent to be named before or during the buyer's first contact. Other builders allow a limited grace period. Some may have different policies by community. If the rule is missed, the builder may decline to recognize an agent added later.
This is not a reason to avoid looking at new homes. It is a reason to make the representation decision before entering the builder's sales funnel whenever possible.
What to do before a model-home visit
- Decide whether you want independent buyer representation
- Choose an agent with meaningful new-construction experience in the market
- Ask the agent to confirm the registration policy for the builder or community
- Have representation handled before submitting builder inquiry forms when possible
- If you already visited, ask immediately what options remain instead of guessing
Builder policies vary. There is no single registration rule that applies to every builder, community, state, or transaction.
Original research
See what major builders actually publish.
New Home Hero's builder policy tracker compares current public registration and broker-cooperation language from builder-controlled sources.
Open the Builder Policy TrackerExpert review
Reviewed by Scott Russo, a real estate broker with 20+ years in the Charlotte market, and Nicole Russo, a licensed real estate agent and co-founder who developed New Home Hero's agent-vetting and matching system. Read our editorial standards.