The short answer
If you are looking at new construction near Cerritos, bring your own agent before you visit a model home. In Christine’s experience, builders are negotiating right now and offering incentives many buyers never think to ask about. The sales representative in the model home works for the builder. Your own agent works for you. Message Christine before your first visit, not after you sign.
Resale homes in Cerritos sold in an average of 17 days in Q3 2026, down from 25 a year earlier (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026). A new home is easier to judge when you can see what nearby resale homes are doing at the same time.
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. She also walks buyers through builder incentives and contracts so they know what they are signing before they sign it.
The numbers in this article cover all single-family detached homes in Cerritos from CRMLS, January 2025 through September 2026, resale and new together. The advice about new construction reflects Christine Almarines’s own experience. It is not a finding from the data and it is not legal or lending advice. A lender and an attorney answer the questions in their fields.
Are builders negotiating on new construction near Cerritos right now?
In Christine’s experience, many are. Builders are often working to move homes the same way resale sellers are, and that can open room to talk about price and incentives.
That does not mean every builder will move, or that any incentive is available to you. Incentives vary by builder, community and timing. Whether you are looking at a new community in or near Cerritos, or elsewhere in Southern California, the first step is the same: know what to ask, and have someone on your side asking it.
Who does the sales rep in a model home work for?
The sales representative in a builder’s model home represents the builder. That is simply the job. They are there to sell the builder’s homes for the builder, and many do it well.
| The builder’s sales representative | Your own agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who they represent | The builder | You, the buyer |
| What they are there to do | Sell the builder’s homes on the builder’s terms | Help you decide and protect your interests |
| Who negotiates your incentives | The rep works within the builder’s terms | Your agent, on your behalf |
| Who you can ask about resale alternatives | Not their role | Your agent can compare nearby resale homes with you |
| When you meet them | When you walk into the model home | Before your first visit |
What incentives do builders offer, and why do so many buyers never ask?
In Christine’s experience, builder incentives often show up in a few common forms:
- A rate buydown that lowers the payment for a period of time
- A closing cost credit
- A price reduction, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars
Incentives vary by builder, community and timing, and nothing is guaranteed. Christine sees many buyers walk in alone, love the model, and never ask what is on the table. In her experience, those buyers can leave money behind simply because no one asked on their behalf.
What should you ask before you sign anything?
Ask these questions out loud, and get the answers in writing. A lender answers the loan questions. An attorney answers the contract questions.
- Which incentives are available right now, and when do they end?
- Does any incentive depend on using the builder’s preferred lender, and what is it worth if I use my own?
- What is included in the price, and what costs extra?
- Which upgrades in this model are not included in the base price?
- What is the expected completion date, and what happens if it slips?
- What do the purchase contract and any deposit terms say?
- What are your rules for buyers who bring their own agent?
Does it cost extra to bring your own agent to a builder?
Based on Christine’s experience, some new-home builders may offer compensation to a buyer’s agent or provide buyer incentives that can help offset the buyer’s costs. These arrangements vary by builder and community, are subject to negotiation and written agreement, and are not guaranteed. Buyer-agent compensation is fully negotiable and is not set by law. Here is the part that matters most: how any buyer’s agent is paid, and by whom, is set out in a written agreement before touring, and Christine goes over that agreement with you first.
Timing matters here. In Christine’s experience, many builders ask on your first visit whether you have an agent, and some have registration rules for buyer’s agents. Ask the builder what its rules are. The simplest path is to bring your agent before the first visit, so there is no question later.
How does a new home compare with resale homes in Cerritos right now?
Resale homes in Cerritos are moving quickly, and more of them came on the market this summer. That gives you real homes to compare against any new construction price and incentive package.
Single-family detached homes in Cerritos, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026. These figures cover all single-family detached homes, not new construction alone.
| Measure | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $1,221,457 | $1,211,063 | Up 0.9% |
| Closed sales | 59 | 50 | Up 18% |
| New listings | 76 | 54 | Up 41% |
| Average days active in MLS | 17 | 25 | 8 fewer days |
| Percent of original price received | 99.7% | 100.6% | Down 0.9 points |
How to read it:
- With only 59 sales, days on market and percent of original price are steadier signals than the average price. An average is not any one home’s price.
- 76 new listings, up 41%, means more resale homes to line up next to a new build.
- Cerritos homes averaged 17 days in the MLS, faster than the broader CRMLS region at 39 days.
- Percent of original price received dipped from 101.7% in Q2 2026 to 99.7% in Q3 2026, and that figure includes price cuts. Prices from January through September 2026 averaged about 2.8% above the same months of 2025.
Use these numbers as a comparison tool. They tell you about the resale homes next door, not about what any builder will do. Many Cerritos buyers also look in Artesia, Norwalk, Lakewood, Bellflower, La Mirada and Buena Park, and Christine can pull the same comparison there.
Ready to visit a model home? Message Christine first
Before you walk into a model home, send Christine a message. She will go over how she works, the written agreement, and the questions to ask, so you show up with your own representation from the first visit.
- Book a consultation
- Start the Buyer Bootcamp course
Message Christine before you visit a model home. It is much easier to start with your own agent than to add one later.
FAQ
Should I bring my own agent to a new construction model home?
Yes, and before your first visit. The sales representative represents the builder, and your own agent represents you when it comes to incentives, the contract and the timeline.
Do builders negotiate on new construction in Cerritos?
In Christine’s experience, many builders working on new construction near Cerritos and across Southern California are negotiating. Incentives vary by builder, community and timing, and nothing is guaranteed.
Does it cost extra to bring my own agent to a builder?
Based on Christine’s experience, some new-home builders may offer compensation to a buyer’s agent or provide buyer incentives that can help offset the buyer’s costs. These arrangements vary by builder and community, are subject to negotiation and written agreement, and are not guaranteed. Buyer-agent compensation is fully negotiable and is not set by law. Here is the part that matters most: how any buyer’s agent is paid, and by whom, is set out in a written agreement before touring, and Christine goes over it with you first.
What incentives should I ask a builder about?
Ask about rate buydowns, closing cost credits and price reductions, which ones are available right now, and when they end. Ask whether any incentive depends on using the builder’s preferred lender.
Why does it matter when I bring my agent?
In Christine’s experience, many builders ask on the first visit whether you have an agent, and some have registration rules for buyer’s agents. Ask the builder what its rules are, and bring your agent from the start.
Who can help me buy new construction in Cerritos?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, helps buyers compare new construction with resale homes in Cerritos and across Southern California. Book a consultation or start the Buyer Bootcamp course.
Related reading
- Before you start shopping for a home
- How to structure a winning offer
- Cerritos community page
- Cerritos Real Estate blog category
- Buyer Bootcamp Course
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Cerritos, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about buying and want to know what makes sense for you in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
