Pre-Construction is a developer’s game. Play it well

Why You Still Need an Agent, Even When Buying Direct from a Developer

Sales Gallery model unit for a new construction building | photo by Nadia Bouzid

You’re buying new. That’s part of the appeal. No aging appliances, no questionable tile choices, no seller’s story attached to the space. Just renderings, floor plans, and a sales office that greets you with champagne, expresso and confident timelines.

And that’s the first red flag, confidence too early.

Because in pre-construction, what you’re buying isn’t finished. Not just physically, but legally, financially, and structurally. The unit you’re shown doesn’t quite exist yet. And the people presenting it to you, however warm and polished, work for the developer. Not for you! !

It’s easy to assume that because it’s new, it’s safe. That because it’s early, it’s flexible. And that because it’s marketed as luxury, it must be well-handled. But Miami is a vertical city. Every week, another tower breaks ground. And behind every glossy sales pitch is a developer working to maximize their margin not your outcome.

Early-stage construction of a luxury pre-construction condo tower in Brickell, Miami, showing raw concrete structure and unfinished architecture | photo by Nadia Bouzid

What many buyers, especially those coming from other major markets, don’t realize is that bringing an agent doesn’t cost more. The commission is already built into the developer’s marketing budget. Show up without your own representation, and the developer keeps both sides. You’re not rewarded for coming in unaccompanied. You’re just unprotected.

I don’t say that to be dramatic. I say that because I’ve seen how these contracts are written. In most cases, the developer’s version of the purchase agreement is not the same one you’d see in a standard resale. It’s custom, written by their attorneys, and structured to limit their liability, not yours. It often includes vague construction timelines, flexible language around materials, and limited recourse if delivery dates shift, which they often do.

There’s also what doesn’t get said in the sales center. You won’t hear about the building across the street that’s just been approved and will likely obstruct the “unobstructed bay view.” You won’t hear about the pending litigation on the developer’s last project. You might not be told that the beautiful amenity deck will be managed by a third-party company that controls your usage hours. These things aren’t secrets, they’re just inconvenient. But they matter if you're spending five, ten, or twenty million dollars on something that hasn't been built yet.

This is where representation becomes less of a luxury and more of a filter. I’m not here to question everything. I’m here to verify what needs verifying. To make sure what’s promised aligns with what’s deliverable. To read between the renderings.

Floorplan Model of a new-construction project in Miami | phot by Nadia Bouzid

There are also finer points, things that only come up if you’ve been through it. How to structure deposit schedules so international transfers clear in time. How to request assignment rights if you’re investing but not planning to hold. Which parking spots are quietly reserved for preferred buyers and which ones end up behind a column or on the last level. These aren’t things you can Google. They come from doing the deals, watching what holds up in closing, and hearing what clients complain about six months later.

And then there’s the intangibles, the reputation of the developer, the reliability of their team, how they’ve handled past delays or market shifts. Some developers are buttoned-up, transparent, and deliver on time. Others disappear once the sales goal is met. Some finish strong but fail on property management. These patterns repeat. I’ve seen them enough to know which builders you’ll want to work with again and which you won’t mention at dinner.

Site for a new-construction luxury building by the water in Brickell | photo by Nadia Bouzid

Even financing, which looks simple on the surface, has its traps. Builder-preferred lenders often offer closing credits or rate incentives, but those can come with rigid terms or slow underwriting. If you're buying through a trust, structuring as a foreign national, or considering a 1031 exchange, it’s critical to have someone who’s done it before, not just someone repeating the sales script.

All of this sounds technical. And it is. But it’s also personal. Because buying pre-construction in Miami isn’t just about buying a unit, it’s about buying into a timeline, a developer, a legal framework, and a set of assumptions. It’s about trusting that the thing you're being shown will exist, and that when it does, it will match what you paid for, not just in finishes, but in feeling.

When people ask me why they need an agent for pre-construction, my answer is simple: because it looks easy. And when something looks easy, that’s when you need to look closer.

This isn’t about mistrust. It’s about clarity.
It’s not about being combative. It’s about being careful.
And it’s not about making the process harder. It’s about making the outcome better.

There are people who buy condos. And there are people who build portfolios. The difference isn’t luck. It’s information, and who’s helping you get it.

Pre-construction is a developer’s game.
Play it with someone who knows the rules.

📱 786.879.9502
📧 nadia@hlrealestategroup.com