ICYMI: 15 Things Realtors Want Builders to Know

From dirty model homes to pushy salespeople, here are the top blunders that real estate agents see builders make.

Home buyers rely on real estate agents for information about their local market that they can’t get anywhere else. In fact, real estate agents are home buyers’ most important source of information about new homes after the Internet. Last year, 33% of buyers learned about their new homes via a real estate agent.

Agents’ influence is not declining despite consumers’ use of the Web, and for most new home transactions, Americans still prefer to have a Realtor. Last year, 87% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker—a share that has steadily increased from 69% in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

In the course of helping their clients find the right house, these buyer agents meet a lot of builders and walk through an untold number of houses. This means they see where builders are making the grade and where they are slipping up. While many of them compliment builders for doing a great job even during tough economic conditions, they have also have strong opinions about what building pros could do better. Here are 15 of the top things they wish builders did differently.