Bellevue New Construction Broker — Buyer Representation

Yes — even though the builder's on-site sales rep is friendly and helpful, that person works for the builder and is paid commission on the sale. Their job is to protect the builder's margin and contract terms, not yours. A buyer's broker reviews the builder's purchase and sale agreement (often a 30+ page builder-favorable contract very different from the NWMLS standard form), negotiates upgrade pricing and credits, coordinates the independent third-party inspection during pre-drywall and final phases, monitors the construction timeline against contract deadlines, and represents you on warranty and punch-list issues at close. The cost to you is typically zero — the builder pays the buyer-broker commission as a normal part of new-construction comp.

Sometimes — yes. New construction is one of the specific scenarios where a commission rebate to the buyer can make sense, because the deal mechanics are simpler than a resale and the broker workload is more focused (contract review and inspection coordination rather than full-tour-and-offer cycles). On qualifying new-construction transactions, RexMont can structure a closing-credit rebate of part of the earned commission, applied against the buyer's closing costs and disclosed on the Closing Disclosure. The credit is generally treated by the IRS as a price adjustment rather than taxable income. See the full explainer on the commission rebate page for the post-NAR-settlement context.

Before you walk into the model home or sign anything. Once you've registered with the on-site sales rep without a broker, most builders will not pay (or will significantly cut) the buyer-broker commission — the rationale is that the buyer is already 'theirs.' Bringing a broker in on the first visit (or even calling and registering by phone before the visit) preserves the standard buyer-broker compensation structure. If you've already registered alone, talk to me anyway — some builders make exceptions, and it never costs you to ask.

Three categories. (1) High-rise / mid-rise condos in downtown Bellevue — Avenue Bellevue, Bellevue 600, Bellevue Towers, several new projects in the Wilburton entitlement area. (2) Townhome and rowhouse infill across the Bel-Red corridor, Wilburton, and Crossroads — typically 3–4 story, 1,800–2,800 sqft, $1.0M–$1.8M. (3) Single-family custom and spec builds across BSD interior, Bridle Trails, Mercer Island, and the 98004 luxury trio — typically $3M–$15M, 3,500–7,000+ sqft. Inventory is heavily concentrated in (1) and (2); (3) is largely tear-down-and-rebuild on existing lots — see the tear-down lot broker page for the seller side of that market.

Builders typically offer a 1-year workmanship warranty, 2-year systems warranty (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), and 10-year structural warranty (often backed by a third-party warranty company like 2-10 HBW or RWC). The catch is that warranty claims have to be documented quickly and in writing, and the punch-list at close is your single best chance to document defects before closing the loan. RexMont's role at close is to walk the property with you, document every defect on a written punch-list submitted to the builder before closing, and follow up on warranty items during the first 12 months.