Becoming Invested

Preparing for such an involved role in selling new construction is not to be taken lightly, however.

Developers are not like the typical existing-home seller – they don’t have an emotional attachment to their properties. But they are invested in other ways. From the floorplan to the finishes, every choice in a new home’s design is calculated to answer a market need.

“There are a lot of brokers out there who are always looking to try to get this type of business,” Icuss says. “We know that the relationship will dictate that we don’t have to worry about losing any opportunities to other firms because we have such good relationships with these guys.”

For the developer, he says, having agents like himself and Sheahan involved in a project from the beginning means getting input from savvy agents on what’s currently happening in the market. “Things change pretty rapidly,” Icuss says. “What was a popular standard finish six months ago might not be that today. They know that we’re constantly working and we’re in the market, and they know that we know what the buyer pool out there is looking for.”

Tim Salm of Jameson Sotheby’s International Real Estate knows the weight of his brokerage’s importance for the success of Boston-based Broder Development’s Norweta Row project in Lincoln Park.

“Broder has spent years envisioning and meticulously planning the best project possible, which is their specialty,” Salm says. “Now is the time for us to impart all of our experience and knowledge to market the property to the fullest extent. Having a brokerage and agents with many years of experience in the marketplace is incredibly valuable to any developer and something that just cannot be replicated.”

Much like Skurie’s pending Jacobs room in Highland Park, Salm’s brokerage has opened an office for people to see what Norweta Row offers. It serves as an extension of the full-service model.

“Buyers come in and receive an in-depth virtual tour of the project, and with all of the advanced marketing and renderings available these days it is extremely telling,” Salm says. He acknowledges that new construction buyers often have a hard time visualizing what the end product will be. The sales center and model give buyers the advantage of not only seeing what the home will look like, but also selecting personalizing touches like finishes early on.