What to Know Before Touring Springfield Model Homes

Before you tour any new construction model home in Springfield Ohio, contact your own real estate agent and bring them with you. This single decision protects your interests and costs you nothing, but the timing is critical.

Why this timing matters cannot be overstated. Once you register with the builder's sales agent at the model home, it's often too late to bring your own representation for that builder. Many builders including D.R. Horton, Fischer Homes, and Arbor Homes have policies that the first agent you work with becomes your agent of record. If you tour alone and register with their sales agent, you may be permanently locked into working with an agent who represents the builder, not you. Even if you later realize you need your own representation, the builder's policy may prevent you from bringing your own agent to that community. This policy protects the builder's sales agent's commission, but it can lock you into inadequate representation.

What happens at model homes seems harmless and professional. You'll see beautiful, fully-upgraded display homes with $50,000-$100,000 in upgrades beyond the base price that make everything look perfect. The sales agent will be friendly, knowledgeable about floor plans and construction timelines, and genuinely helpful in answering your questions. They'll explain the building process clearly and may encourage you to sign preliminary paperwork, register your information, or even select a lot if you seem interested. Everything feels professional, trustworthy, and low-pressure. The experience is designed to make you comfortable and confident in moving forward.

What you won't be told is equally important. The model home agent won't mention that you should have your own representation. They won't volunteer information about what builder incentives are currently negotiable or what other buyers are receiving. They won't point out potentially problematic contract clauses that favor the builder. They won't tell you about construction quality issues with the builder's previous homes or negative experiences other buyers have had. They won't suggest you have the contract reviewed by your own agent or attorney before signing. This isn't because they're dishonest people trying to deceive you. It's because their job is to represent the builder's interests, and pointing out these things would work against their client.

The smart approach is to contact Amanda Mullins with Move Smart with Amanda before you start touring Springfield new construction model homes. She'll accompany you to every tour, ask the tough questions you wouldn't know to ask, identify which builders are reputable and which have concerning track records, ensure you don't sign anything without proper review, and make sure you're properly represented from your very first interaction with any builder. This costs you nothing because builders pay her commission, but it provides invaluable protection from the beginning.

What to do if you already toured alone is to contact Amanda immediately if you've already visited model homes without your own agent. Depending on the builder's specific policies and what paperwork you signed, there may still be time to get proper representation for some or all of the builders you visited. Even if you're locked into a particular builder's sales agent by their policy, Amanda can still advise you on what terms to negotiate, what contract clauses to question, what to watch for during construction, and how to protect yourself as much as possible. Don't assume it's too late; call Amanda to discuss your specific situation and options.