Let's Talk About How Buyer Representation Works Now
Amanda Kinard (Sales Associate · Momentum Realty · SL3383199) walks Baker County and First Coast families through what changed in buyer representation — and what it actually means the next time you tour a home.
1. Why You'll Sign Something Before We Tour Anything
Florida now requires a written agreement before I can walk you through a home, whether that's in person or over video. It spells out what I'm doing for you, what you can expect from me, and the terms we've agreed to together. I treat this the same way I'd want it handled for my own family — nothing signed until you actually understand it, and no pressure to sign before you're ready to.
2. New Construction: Bring Me With You From Day One
The agent sitting at the builder's sales desk works for the builder, full stop — not for you. That matters a lot out here, where new construction in Macclenny, Glen St. Mary, and the newer communities filling in around Baker and Duval County is often the easiest way into a home with room to spread out. Register or tour a model home before I'm involved, and you can lose the right to independent representation on that contract. Call or text me before your first visit, even just to ask a question — it protects your inspection rights, your lot choice, and any closing incentives still on the table.
3. Compensation Is a Conversation, Not a Fixed Number
What I'm paid for representing you is negotiable — it can come from seller concessions, builder incentives, or terms we write into our agreement up front. I'd rather have the honest version of this conversation with you at our very first meeting than have you find a surprise buried in paperwork later. If you're working with Hometown Heroes or another down-payment assistance program, we build that into how the deal is structured from the start, not scramble to fit it in once you're already under contract.
Do builders really offer incentives on new construction?
Almost always, in some form — rate buydowns, closing-cost credits through their preferred lender, design-center allowances. The catch is the offer shifts month to month and community to community, and it's easy to compare it in isolation instead of weighing it against the full price of the home. I pull the current incentive sheet in writing and sit down with you to compare it against comparable resale homes, so you know exactly what you're getting before you commit to anything.
Do the schools a home is zoned for really matter that much?
They matter for your family's everyday life, and plenty of buyers factor it in when they're comparing homes — a well-regarded feeder pattern tends to hold interest and move a little faster than one that isn't. I won't hand you a made-up number on what that's worth for any particular street, because nobody honestly knows that in advance. What I will do is walk the actual zoned schools and feeder pattern with you before you fall in love with a floor plan.
Should I take a cash offer or list my home the traditional way?
It comes down to what matters more to you right now — speed and certainty, or giving the market a chance to bid your home up. A cash offer can close quickly with no showings and nothing to fix beforehand. Listing takes longer and asks more of you along the way, but it opens your home to buyers competing for it, which is usually where the stronger price comes from. I'll walk through both with you honestly before you decide — there's no version of this where I want you rushed into the wrong one.