The New Construction “Premium” Just Vanished — And Nobody’s Talking About It

[Jake Andronico]

The new construction premium just disappeared — and that hasn’t happened in at least a decade.

For years, new homes consistently sold at a double-digit premium to comparable resales. Builders could charge more because buyers were willing to pay for something turnkey, modern, and low-maintenance.

That relationship has now flipped.

John Burns Research shows the new-build premium has gone negative for the first time in modern tracking. In other words, in many markets, new homes are now selling below existing homes on a price-per-square-foot basis.

This isn’t a small shift. It’s a structural one.

Why it’s happening

Builders have tools individual sellers do not:

• They can buy down mortgage rates into the 3’s-mid-5s while resales are stuck at 6.5%+
• They can offer closing cost credits without triggering appraisal issues
• They adjust pricing based on absorption rates, not emotions
• Inventory carries measurable costs for them, so they act faster

Meanwhile, resale sellers are slow to reprice and anchored to peak-era expectations.

That creates a pricing gap investors aren’t used to seeing.

The investor angle

For most of the 2010s, investors avoided new construction because it was more expensive, taxed higher, and offered no rent premium. You paid extra for less cash flow, even if the long-term CapEx benefits were obvious.

But when new construction trades at a discount — and comes with a 10-year roof, new mechanicals, energy efficiency, and a builder warranty — the math changes.

Lower maintenance, lower vacancy, and predictable CapEx are now being offered at resale pricing or better.

That is a different equation than anything we saw in 2015–2023.

What I’m seeing in Reno, NV

• In 2021, new builds typically sold 12–15% above resales
• Today, builders are offering $15K–$40K in incentives plus below-market financing
• Several new homes now underwrite better than 1980s resales, even before factoring depreciation

If you only pull comps from the MLS, you won't see these concessions because they aren't reflected in list prices. They're negotiated at the contract level.

That’s why most investors think new construction still “doesn’t pencil.” They’re running yesterday’s math in today’s market.

The takeaway

Resale pricing is sticky. Builder pricing is responsive.

When the premium reverses, the opportunity isn’t in waiting for a “crash.” It’s in spotting where pricing has already corrected — just not publicly.

Investors who adapt will find deals others are missing.

P.S. Are you seeing significant price and rate buy down/closing costs incentives with new builds in your area?