Real estate agent survey reveals how home builders can increase sales

Dallas area agents want the same access to new homes they have for existing homes

DALLAS, TX - September 2, 2020 -- A new study shows real estate agents would sell more new homes if they were as easy to show as other homes listed for sale.

HomesUSA.com, America's number one brokerage for new home sales, polled more than 4,000 agents who sold both new and resale homes in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. A vast majority (86 percent) of agents responding said they would sell more new homes if they could show them outside of regular builder hours.

The survey also found that two digital real estate tools widely used to expedite showings by agents of existing homes are needed to increase agent sales of new homes. Three-in-four agents (74 percent) said if builders provided electronic key boxes and an online scheduling service, they would sell more new homes.

HomesUSA.com CEO Ben Caballero is a current Guinness World Record title holder who set a new record for home sales in Dallas-Ft. Worth last year. He says builders are missing a massive opportunity by not offering agents easier access.

"Real estate agents are nearly unanimous in what builder can do to help them sell new more homes. Agents need more flexibility scheduling and showing new homes," said Caballero.

Agents pay additional fees to use these digital products, as these showing technologies enable them to be more productive. However, builders do not use these digital services with their new home offerings. This puts an unnecessary obstacle that discourages agents from showing new homes, the survey found.

"The first rule of selling is to make buying easy," Caballero, who has sold more new homes than any other real estate agent in history, said. "Every impediment an agent encounters in showing a home reduces the foot traffic in that home. Unfortunately, some builders tell me that they would rather lose a sale than lose control of access to their homes."

Caballero notes that it wasn't too long ago when as buyer's agent had to call the listing agent to schedule showings and then pick up a key from them.

Today, these outdated practices have been replaced by technology that is used universally in real estate, except for home builders. Online showing services can allow agents to schedule showings before or after builder hours and at times builders typically make homes available to buyers.

HomesUSA.com's Caballero, says that based on his experience working with 60+ builder clients throughout Texas, most builders choose the wrong agent incentives.

"Builders spend a tremendous amount of money on bonuses, trips, and other perks to encourage agents to sell their homes," Caballero said. "Most overlook a simple, easy, and inexpensive way to motivate agents to sell their homes. Builders can save a lot of money by allowing agents the same flexibility they have when selling existing homes."

The survey found that 91 percent of agents agreed that "a scheduling service is the best way to schedule showings." Nearly nine out of ten (89 percent) agreed that "electronic boxes are the most convenient way to access homes."

"It's common for builders to offer a financial incentive – a bonus – to a real estate agent for selling a new home. But the survey shows that access to a new home is far more important to an agent than a bonus," Caballero added.

Over half of agents surveyed say they are not strongly influenced by a bonus to show a home. "Bonuses are expensive. It's much less expensive for a builder to allow agent to use keyboxes and online scheduling services that agents are accustomed to using," he added.

About Ben Caballero and HomesUSA.com®

Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of HomesUSA.com, holds the current Guinness World Record title for "Most annual home sale transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent." Ranked by REAL Trends as America's top real estate agent for home sales since 2013, Ben is the most productive real estate agent in U.S. history. He is the only agent to exceed $1 billion in residential sales transactions in a single year, a feat first achieved in 2015 and repeated each year through 2018 when he achieved more than $2 billion. An award-winning innovator and technology pioneer, Ben works with more than 60 home builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His podcast series is available on iTunes and Google Play. An infographic illustrating Ben's sales production is here. Learn more at HomesUSA.com |Twitter: @bcaballero - @HomesUSA | Facebook: /HomesUSAdotcom.