Working With a Buyer’s Agent in Horizon West (2026): New Construction, Resale and Builder Contracts
Quick answer
In Horizon West, 556 of 1,388 sales in the last 12 months were homes built in 2024 or later (Stellar MLS, Sep 2026). A buyer’s agent handles both builder contracts and resale offers. Check each builder’s agent-registration policy before your first visit.
Market dashboard (Sep 2026)
Median sold price
Median price per sq ft
Median days on market
Homes built 2024 or later
556 of 1,388 sales
Based on 1,388 closed sales in Horizon West over the last 12 months.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Jared Jones Team, Brokered by eXp Realty | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Lead agent | Jared Jones | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Experience | About 24 years | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Transactions | Approximately 4,000 | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Office | 504 W Plant Street, 1st and 2nd Floors, Winter Garden, FL 34787 | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Phone | 407-706-5000 (call or text) | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Website | jaredjones.com | Jared Jones Team, 2026 |
| Horizon West median sold price (last 12 months) | $581,622 | Stellar MLS, Sep 2026 |
| Horizon West sales built in 2024 or later | 556 of 1,388 | Stellar MLS, Sep 2026 |
What does a buyer’s agent do in Horizon West?
A buyer’s agent works on your side of the deal, not the seller’s or the builder’s. In Horizon West that means working two kinds of deals side by side. Over the last 12 months, 556 of 1,388 Horizon West sales were homes built in 2024 or later, and the median sold price was $581,622 (Stellar MLS, Sep 2026). Many buyers end up comparing a new build against a resale a few streets away.
On either path, your agent pulls sold comparables, checks parcel records and assessments, writes and negotiates the offer, and keeps inspections, appraisal, financing and closing on schedule. The difference is who sits across the table: a builder’s sales team working from the builder’s own contract, or a seller and listing agent working from a standard Florida resale contract.
| Step | Buying from a builder | Buying a resale home |
|---|---|---|
| First visit | Goes with you, or follows the builder’s agent-registration policy, so your agent can work on your purchase | Schedules showings and previews homes |
| Contract | Reviews the builder’s own contract, deposit terms, build timeline and change-order rules | Writes the offer on a standard Florida resale contract |
| Price and incentives | Compares base price, lot premium, options and incentives against recent sales | Prices the offer from recent sold comparables |
| Lender | Compares the builder’s preferred-lender incentive with outside loan quotes | Coordinates your lender, appraisal and loan timeline |
| Inspections | Helps schedule independent inspections during construction and before closing | Schedules the home inspection and negotiates repairs or credits |
| Fees | Gets HOA dues and any CDD disclosure from the builder in writing | Checks OCPA assessment lines and the HOA’s fee schedule |
Can I use my own agent when buying from a builder?
Yes. The builder’s sales consultant works for the builder, and your agent works for you. Builders set their own rules on agent registration, and some ask that your agent be with you or registered at your first visit, so check the builder’s written policy before you walk into a model home. Our Winter Garden new construction guide for 2026 covers the builder side in more detail.
Your agent also reads the builder contract for what it does and doesn’t promise, such as deposit terms, completion timelines and what happens if the build runs late. If the community is in a Community Development District, Florida law requires the builder’s contract to include a bold CDD disclosure just above your signature (Florida Statutes, section 190.048). To check a specific lot, look for a CDD line among the non-ad valorem assessments on its Orange County tax record.
How do builder contracts differ from resale contracts?
A builder writes its own purchase agreement, so the builder sets the starting terms: deposits, change orders, construction timelines, closing dates and the lender incentive are all set in its form. A resale deal usually runs on a standard Florida contract, where inspection periods, repair limits and financing terms are negotiated between you and the seller.
That changes where the negotiation happens. With a builder, the room to negotiate is often in incentives, options, lot choice and closing-cost help rather than the base price. On a resale, it’s price, repairs, credits and timing, based on what similar homes nearby sold for. Across Horizon West, the median home spent 33 days on market over the last 12 months (Stellar MLS, Sep 2026). To compare villages, see our Horizon West neighborhoods guide.
Who pays the buyer’s agent after the 2024 practice changes?
Since August 17, 2024, agents who are MLS participants and work with a buyer must have a written agreement with that buyer before touring a home, and the agreement states the agent’s compensation. Compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable (National Association of REALTORS®, Sep 2026). A seller or builder can still offer to pay some or all of it, but those offers can no longer be posted in the MLS.
With a builder, ask in writing whether it pays buyer-agent compensation, and whether the price or incentives change if you come with an agent or without one. Then decide with your agent how any gap is handled in your agreement.
What should I verify before signing with a builder or a seller?
- Fees: HOA dues in writing, plus the parcel’s non-ad valorem lines on OCPA or the builder’s CDD disclosure.
- Timeline: the builder’s estimated completion date and what happens if it slips.
- Lender: the incentive tied to the builder’s preferred lender compared with at least one outside quote.
- Inspections: independent inspections during construction and before closing on a new build, and a full inspection on a resale.
- Schools: assigned schools for the specific address, checked with the OCPS school locator.
- Nearby construction: what is planned on vacant land near the lot. See our Horizon West development updates.
How does the Jared Jones Team work with Horizon West buyers?
Jared Jones leads the Jared Jones Team, Brokered by eXp Realty, from 504 W Plant Street in Winter Garden. He has about 24 years of real estate experience and approximately 4,000 transactions. We work with buyers on both builder and resale purchases across Winter Garden and Horizon West, and we can pull assessments, sold comparables and school assignments for any home on your shortlist.
To get started, text HOME to 407-706-5000. For what’s coming to the Hamlin area, see our Horizon West Library opening details.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own agent to buy new construction in Horizon West?
You don’t have to, but the builder’s sales consultant works for the builder. Your own agent works on your side of the builder’s contract, incentives, lender options, inspections and fee disclosures. Builders set their own agent-registration rules, and some ask that your agent be with you or registered at your first visit, so check the policy before you tour a model.
Does using a buyer’s agent change what I pay a builder?
It depends on the builder and your agreement. Agent compensation is not set by law and is negotiable. Ask the builder in writing whether it pays buyer-agent compensation and whether the price or incentives change with or without an agent. Your written buyer agreement then sets what your agent is paid and how any gap is handled.
Should I use the builder’s preferred lender?
Compare before you decide. Builders may tie closing-cost help or rate incentives to their preferred lender, so get the builder’s offer in writing and at least one outside loan quote with the same terms. Your agent can line up the numbers side by side, including how each option affects your cash to close.
Do I need a home inspection on a brand-new home?
It’s worth it. An independent inspector works for you, not the builder, and can check the home during construction and again before closing, so issues are caught while the builder is still on site. Your agent helps schedule inspections within the builder’s contract rules and puts findings in writing before the final walkthrough.
What is a written buyer agreement?
It’s a contract between you and your agent. Since August 17, 2024, agents who are MLS participants and work with a buyer must have one in place before touring a home (National Association of REALTORS®, Sep 2026). It spells out the services, the term and the agent’s compensation, which is not set by law and is fully negotiable.
How do I start working with the Jared Jones Team?
Text HOME to 407-706-5000 or visit the office at 504 W Plant Street, 1st and 2nd Floors, Winter Garden. Jared Jones has about 24 years of real estate experience and approximately 4,000 transactions. We can pull assessments, sold comparables and school assignments for any Horizon West home on your shortlist.
Sources
- Stellar MLS closed sales, checked Sep 2026
- National Association of REALTORS®, NAR Settlement FAQs, checked Sep 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 190.048, checked Sep 2026
- Jared Jones Team, Brokered by eXp Realty, 2026
Related Wave 1 guides
- Winter Garden & Horizon West Real Estate (2026) hub
- Downtown Winter Garden (Plant Street) vs Horizon West
- Horizon West neighborhoods guide 2026
- Living in Summerlake (Horizon West), 2026
- Winter Garden New Construction 2026
- Horizon West Library opens October 10
- Horizon West Development Updates (2026)
- Living in Winter Garden, Florida (2026 Guide)
Buying or selling in Winter Garden or Horizon West?
Get street-level pricing, an honest commute read and a clear plan to close. Call or text 407-706-5000.