New Construction Referrals: The Builder Partnership Playbook

The numbers don't lie: new construction starts hit 1.52 million units in January 2026, marking the strongest building activity since 2006. For agents who've cultivated builder relationships, this surge represents a referral goldmine. For everyone else, it's a wake-up call.

Why Builder Partnerships Matter Now

With existing home inventory still constrained in most markets, buyers are increasingly turning to new construction. The National Association of Home Builders reports that 34% of all home purchases in 2025 involved new construction—up from 26% just three years prior.

"Most agents ignore new construction because they think builders have their own sales teams," says veteran broker Mariana Delgado of Phoenix-based Sonoran Realty Group. "What they miss is that builders actively want outside agent referrals. It expands their reach without expanding their payroll."

Delgado should know. Her team closed $14.2 million in new construction transactions last year, with referral fees averaging 3% of sales price. That's over $425,000 in commission from builder partnerships alone.

The Registration Reality

Here's what separates successful agents from those leaving money on the table: understanding builder registration policies. Most production builders require agents to accompany buyers on their first visit and register them within 24-48 hours. Miss that window, and you've forfeited your commission.

Smart agents have systematized this process:

**Pre-qualify before you visit.** Know your buyer's budget, timeline, and must-haves before stepping into a model home. Builders appreciate agents who bring serious, pre-approved buyers rather than tire-kickers.

**Register digitally.** Most major builders—D.R. Horton, Lennar, PulteGroup—now offer online registration portals. Complete registration before or immediately after that first visit. Some agents register from the model home parking lot.

**Document everything.** Keep copies of registration confirmations, visitor logs, and all communication. Disputes happen, and documentation wins.

Building the Builder Relationship

Cold-calling sales managers rarely works. Here's what does:

**Start with the sales team.** On-site sales representatives control the registration book. Bring them coffee, learn their inventory challenges, and position yourself as a solution. When they're sitting on spec homes that need to move, you want to be their first call.

**Prove you close.** Builders track agent performance religiously. An agent who brings qualified buyers and closes smoothly becomes invaluable. One who wastes their time with unqualified looky-loos gets blacklisted.

**Become the expert.** Study construction timelines, upgrade options, warranty coverage, and the specific builder's reputation. Buyers choosing between resale and new construction need guidance. Be the agent who can genuinely compare options.

The Referral Network Effect

The real leverage comes from cross-market relationships. When a builder expands into a new market—and with the current demand, they all are—they need trusted agents in those territories.

Tom Hartley, a Dallas agent specializing in new construction, built his business on exactly this model. "I established relationships with three national builders here in DFW. When they expanded into Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, they asked me to recommend agents. Those referrals now send business back to me."

This creates a perpetual referral loop: builder to agent to agent to builder. Hartley estimates 40% of his current pipeline originated from these reciprocal relationships.

Technology That Tracks

Managing multiple builder relationships requires systems. Top performers use dedicated CRM workflows to track:

• Registration expiration dates (most expire after 30-90 days)
• Builder inventory updates and incentive changes
• Construction milestone notifications for pending transactions
• Commission payment timelines (new construction often pays at certificate of occupancy, not closing)

Platforms like reaferral are increasingly adding builder-specific features, recognizing that new construction referrals require different tracking than traditional agent-to-agent referrals.

The Bottom Line

The new construction boom isn't slowing down. Builders need agents who bring qualified buyers. Agents need inventory to sell. The partnership is natural—but only for those who approach it professionally.

Start with one builder. Master their process. Prove your value. Then expand.

The agents treating builder relationships as serious referral partnerships are capturing market share that won't exist forever. The ones waiting on the sidelines are watching their buyers purchase directly from model homes—without them.

Which side of that equation do you want to be on?