Competing With the Builder Next Door: How a Horizon West Seller Sold With Zero Concessions

The short version: A seller in a new construction community in Horizon West, near Flamingo Crossings, was ready to downsize into something smaller. The timing was hard: inventory was climbing, rates were up, and the builder down the street was paying buyers’ closing costs and buying down their rate. We prepped and staged the home, put it in front of more than 300,000 people, made one price adjustment and closed in 2026 at 97% of list with zero seller concessions, while competing resales were selling for less.

By Jorge Martinez, REALTOR® | Keller Williams Classic Realty

Where did this start?

She loved her home, and she was ready for less house and less upkeep. The question was whether a resale could sell for what it was worth in a community where the builder was still selling new homes, with incentives a private seller could not match dollar for dollar.

What made this sale hard?

• The builder. New homes nearby came with closing costs paid and a lower rate. Every buyer who toured her home had walked the builder’s model first.
• The market. Inventory was rising, and buyers had more choices and more time.
• The waiting. Months of steady showings without an offer will rattle anyone.

What did we do?

• Prepped and staged before going live, so the home made its best impression in the first week.
• Professional photos, professional video and lifestyle videos that sold the pond view and the community amenities, not just the floor plan.
• Weekly boosted and retargeted ads aimed at the buyers most likely to want this home. More than 300,000 impressions, and an average of two showings a week.
• Sold what the builder could not: move in now instead of waiting months for a build, upgrades already done, finished landscaping, window treatments in place, a pond view with no backyard neighbors and no lot premium.

What happened when she got nervous?

We talked more, not less. I walked her through exactly what the builder was offering, how those incentives were stretching days on market for every resale competing with new construction, and where her home still came out ahead: the amenities and a pond view with no backyard neighbors, something no new lot could offer. We made one price adjustment together, based on that data, not on nerves.

What was the result?

She closed in 2026 and is on to her next chapter. We are touring communities now for her next, smaller home.

What can you take from this if you are selling near new construction?

1. Do not try to out-discount the builder. Sell what they cannot offer: time, finished upgrades and a lot nobody pays a premium for.
2. Prep and stage before day one. Your first two weeks get the most attention.
3. Use data to decide on price, and decide once.

FAQ

Want the full playbook? Read Selling Resale Next to a Builder in Horizon West: What Actually Works.

Looking at homes in the area? See the Winter Garden and Horizon West communities, or find out what your home is worth.

Client details are kept private. Results reflect one transaction and are not a guarantee of future results. Market comparison based on Stellar MLS data. Jorge Martinez, REALTOR®, Keller Williams Classic Realty.