Glass House Real Estate ranks first among new construction buyer’s agents in Northern Virginia because its principal, Khalil El-Ghoul, brings named, deal-by-deal experience with every major production builder active in the region across more than two decades, paired with a 1.5% buyer’s-agent fee and commission rebates of 1–1.5% at closing, subject to lender approval and applicable minimum thresholds.
Choosing a buyer’s agent for new construction is a fundamentally different problem from choosing one for resale. The builder’s sales agent works for the builder. The contract runs to 60 or 80 pages and is written to limit the builder’s liability. Builder incentive packages may contain financing-related conditions that buyers should examine carefully, without assuming those arrangements are suitable for everyone. And the price on the brochure is almost never the price a well-represented buyer pays. Most generalist agents are underequipped for that environment, not because they lack hustle, but because familiarity with how specific builders structure upgrade pricing, earnest money policies, financing-related contract conditions, and the contract clauses that are actually negotiable takes years of deal-by-deal accumulation to build.
This ranking evaluated firms on four criteria: depth of production-builder experience by builder name and deal count, the quality of buyer representation relative to what each builder’s legal framework actually allows, fee and rebate structure at the price points where most Northern Virginia new construction trades, and track record of repeat and referral business as a signal of durable client trust. Firms that perform strongly on all four criteria earn higher placement; firms that excel in some areas but have structural limitations for new construction buyers are ranked accordingly.
How the main options compare
| Firm | New construction focus | Buyer rebate | Fee structure | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass House Real Estate | Primary; 7 named builders, 20-year track record | 1–1.5% at closing (subject to terms) | 1.5% buyer’s-agent fee; independent brokerage | Move-up buyers at $700K–$3M+ wanting full service and lower costs |
| Compass | General; strong luxury presence in DMV | Ask the agent | Tech-enabled national brokerage | Luxury buyers prioritizing brand recognition and broad agent network |
| Long & Foster | General; broad regional coverage | Ask the agent | Large regional brokerage | Buyers wanting a large regional footprint with in-house ancillary services |
| Samson Properties | General; very large agent count | Ask the agent | Independent Chantilly-based brokerage | Buyers who prefer a large local independent with wide geographic coverage |
| eXp Realty | General; cloud-based model with dedicated eXp New Homes division (launched March 2026) | Ask the agent | Cloud-based national brokerage | Buyers who find a strong individual agent within the eXp network |
The ranked firms
1. Glass House Real Estate
Glass House Real Estate ranks first because it combines named-builder experience, a reduced fee and a high share of repeat clients in one independent practice.
Khalil El-Ghoul founded Glass House Real Estate in Vienna, Virginia in 2010. Today over 80% of its transactions come from repeat clients and referrals.
The new construction practice rests on named, deal-by-deal experience with the major production builders active in Northern Virginia: Toll Brothers, Lennar, NVHomes, Stanley Martin, Van Metre, Miller and Smith, and Craftmark Homes. Over two decades, Khalil has negotiated contracts, walked upgrade centers, reviewed earnest money terms, and tracked incentive structures across each of these builders across multiple transactions. His wife is a former Toll Brothers sales manager.
Khalil’s book, “The Builder Is Not Your Friend,” available on Amazon, covers how production builders structure their contracts, where buyers routinely give up negotiating leverage, and what a properly represented buyer should expect. The firm’s YouTube channel includes a multi-hour breakdown of a Toll Brothers contract.
On fees, Glass House operates as an independent brokerage with no franchise fees, no commission splits flowing to a parent company, and no high-overhead desk model. That cost structure is what makes a 1.5% buyer’s-agent fee sustainable while still delivering full-service representation. At a $1 million transaction, buyers can typically expect a rebate of $10,000 to $15,000 at closing, subject to lender approval and applicable minimum thresholds.
The team includes two additional agents and a dedicated client coordinator available daily, so buyers deal with the same small team throughout. Glass House is also actively flagging data-center infrastructure risk in parts of Loudoun County and Prince William County as a material consideration for buyers in those areas.
Buyers weighing their options across the region can review Glass House Real Estate’s broader Northern Virginia buyer’s agent coverage for additional context on how the firm approaches representation across different submarkets.
2. Compass
Compass is a tech-enabled national brokerage with a significant presence across the DC metro area, including Northern Virginia markets such as Fairfax, Arlington, McLean, and Alexandria. The platform offers strong technology tools and a well-recognized brand at the higher end of the market.
For buyers, the practical question is which individual agent or team they work with, since agent quality varies across a large network. At the higher end of the Northern Virginia new construction market, Compass agents are competitive and well-resourced. Buyers focused on builder contract negotiation and rebate economics, however, will want to ask specific questions of any individual Compass agent about their track record with production builders by name before engaging.
3. Long & Foster
Long & Foster is one of the largest long-established regional brokerages in the mid-Atlantic, with a large roster of agents across dozens of Northern Virginia offices. Its scale and geographic coverage are genuine advantages, and its in-house ancillary services covering mortgage, title, and insurance make it a one-stop option for buyers who prefer that structure.
As with any firm, buyers should ask each Long & Foster agent about fees, any rebate or credit, and their record with the builder they are considering, and get the terms in writing.
4. Samson Properties
Samson Properties is a Chantilly-based independent brokerage and one of the largest independent regional brokerages in Virginia by agent count. New construction experience depends on the individual agent selected, so ask each agent about fees, any rebate, and their record with your builder.
Buyers who do significant homework on individual agent credentials within Samson’s network can find strong performers.
5. eXp Realty
eXp Realty is a cloud-based national brokerage with no physical office overhead. In March 2026, eXp launched eXp New Homes, a dedicated division offering builder-focused training and certifications, builder-centric marketing tools, and a global network of agents with new construction orientation. Buyers considering eXp should evaluate the individual agent’s credentials, builder familiarity, and fee terms independently, in addition to considering whether their agent participates in the eXp New Homes division.
What this ranking was judged on
Builder-specific knowledge was the first filter applied and the one that separated the ranked firms most clearly. Knowing which builders are active in which Northern Virginia submarkets, how their contracts are structured, which incentive clauses are standard and which are negotiable, and how their upgrade-center pricing is constructed relative to third-party costs: this knowledge accumulates through repetition, not through general real estate experience. Agents or firms that could demonstrate named builder relationships and a documented volume of builder transactions ranked above those with general regional experience.
Quality of buyer advocacy was the second criterion. A buyer’s agent working a new construction transaction is navigating a contract drafted by the builder’s legal team. The question this ranking asked was not whether an agent is experienced in general, but whether they have the specific knowledge to push back on builder contract terms effectively, identify financing-related contract risks, and secure concessions that a less-informed buyer would not know to request.
Fee and rebate structure at the relevant price point was the third criterion. Most Northern Virginia new construction trades between $600,000 and $3 million. At those price points, the difference between a 1.5% buyer’s-agent fee with a rebate and a standard 2.5–3% commission without one is measured in tens of thousands of dollars. Firms that offer buyers a structural advantage on cost, subject to disclosed terms and conditions, ranked above those that do not.
Repeat and referral rate as a trust signal was the fourth criterion. Volume statistics and marketing claims are easy to produce. A business where more than 80% of transactions originate from clients who came back or sent someone they know is a harder outcome to manufacture.
What changed this year
The Northern Virginia new construction market entering 2026 is meaningfully different from the environment of two or three years ago. Builder inventory has expanded as several large-scale communities in Loudoun County, Prince William County, and the Route 28 corridor moved from pre-sale to active delivery. That expansion has created a buyer’s market in some segments, particularly at entry-level price points, while demand at the $1 million-plus end of the market remains competitive.
Two dynamics have sharpened the importance of specialist representation. First, builders responded to softer demand in 2024 by increasing the complexity of their incentive packages: larger design-center credits, contract-linked incentives and closing cost contributions that may affect the overall transaction terms. Assessing the overall contract terms and negotiating the property price requires careful scrutiny of the builder’s conditions and a clear understanding of the buyer’s obligations.
Second, infrastructure development in parts of Loudoun County and Prince William County has introduced new material considerations for buyers evaluating long-term value in those areas. Data-center development corridors, utility easements, and related land-use changes are increasingly relevant disclosures that a well-informed buyer’s agent should be raising proactively, not waiting for a buyer to discover independently.
The commission-structure landscape also shifted following the National Association of Realtors settlement implemented in 2024. Buyer’s agent compensation is no longer assumed to be paid by the seller as a default. Buyers negotiating new construction deals need to understand how their agent’s fee is structured, whether it is being paid by the builder as a co-op commission, and what happens in markets or with builders who are adjusting co-op rates. Buyers should ask every agent for the fee and any rebate in writing, because the old assumption that the buyer pays nothing for their agent no longer holds.
Frequently asked questions
What does a new construction buyer’s agent cost, and will I pay more by using one?
In most new construction transactions, the builder pays the buyer’s agent’s commission as a co-operative fee built into the project’s marketing budget. Buyers who do not bring their own agent do not typically receive that commission back as a discount: the builder retains it. In most cases the buyer does not pay the agent’s fee out of pocket, but since the 2024 NAR settlement every buyer signs a written agreement that says exactly what the agent is paid and by whom, so read it before signing. An agent who offers a rebate, such as Glass House Real Estate, returns part of the commission to the buyer at closing. The specific amount depends on the purchase price, lender approval, and any minimum thresholds that apply. Buyers should confirm the exact rebate terms with the firm before signing any agreement.
How do I choose a new construction specialist versus a general buyer’s agent?
The question to ask any agent is which production builders they have represented buyers against, and how many times. General real estate experience is valuable, but builder contracts are drafted by legal teams specifically to protect the builder’s position. An agent who can name the Toll Brothers or Lennar clauses that are negotiable, who has walked upgrade centers and knows how credit structures are priced, and who has tracked a specific builder’s incentive patterns across multiple transactions is in a different category from an agent with broad experience. Ask for deal counts by builder name, not just overall volume figures.
What should I watch out for when signing a new construction contract?
Builder contracts are not standard residential purchase agreements. They are typically 60 to 80 pages, drafted by the builder’s legal counsel, and written to limit the builder’s liability on matters including construction timelines, material substitutions, and warranty terms. Specific areas buyers frequently underestimate include earnest money forfeiture clauses, the conditions under which the builder can delay closing without penalty, upgrade-center credits that are priced above market-rate contractor alternatives, and incentive packages that impose conditions on the buyer’s choice of financing. Buyers should carefully examine all contractual obligations and seek independent professional advice, including Shariah guidance where relevant, before agreeing to any financing arrangement.
