Display Homes – Understanding the Builders Rep

Display Home

Going into every Display Home the first person you see is the Builders Representative.

When talking to the representative it helps to understand a little about them, so here are some thoughts;

Pay

We all work for money but the Representative’s conditions of employment might be a fair bit different to you.

  • Most Representatives will receive minimal, or even no basic pay.
  • Their commission on each sale will be several thousand of dollar, but they may not get it for months.
  • Although they may get a partial payment for your initial signature they usually won’t be paid the full amount until the slab goes down.

This means their main driver is to get you committed as soon as possible. . . . So don’t be rushed. Take your time to understand exactly what you are buying. (The current ‘Limited Offer‘ will be replaced by a different offer of similar value)

Priorities

Because of the way the rep is paid their main interest will be in people who are committed to buying a house rather than ‘Tyre Kickers’.

If you don’t:

Just tell them “you are starting to look at houses”, take some brochures, and have a look around.

When you have a good idea of what you want, and just as important ‘How Much Can You Afford’ then make an appointment to go back.

It’s probably best to do this midweek when it will be quieter and your children will be at school.

Length of Employment

Because of the lack of a basic wage, weekend work, and the wait for commission, turnover of representatives can be high.

This means that it’s really important to make sure that all offers, and agreements, are clearly put down in writing.

You don’t want to get further down the track arguing for an upgrade that was verbally agreed by someone who you are then told is now an ex-employee.

 

See ‘Choosing a Builder’ for more posts

Or my Guide to Choosing a House which also contains lots of useful checklists for only $4.
 

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