Real estate agents edition
A calculation model shows that new-build homes cost more than 8 percent extra, sellers arrive with a ChatGPT valuation and a flaw in PHP puts websites under pressure.
New-build homes are more than 8 percent more expensive than a comparable existing home
In 2026, a new-build home is more than 8 percent more expensive than an existing home with the same features. That is more than € 40,000. The median prices are close to each other: € 504,000 for new-build and € 503,000 for existing homes. But these are different homes in different places. So Brainbay, a subsidiary of NVM, estimated for every new-build home what it would be worth as an existing home. It compared that with the real asking price. Double housing costs during construction are not included. According to earlier NVM research, these can easily cost tens of thousands of euros. There are two causes. More apartments are being built: 54 percent in 2026, against 21 percent in 2016. Apartments have a higher new-build premium. Also, the new-build price depends strongly on the cost price, and that is rising. The analysis itself calls this a theoretical comparison.
Background for subscribersPresent the 8 percent as the result of a model and not as a price difference you can point to in every home. A model gives a starting point and not a final value. This is true for the Brainbay analysis and also for the online value a seller brings.
Client with a Zestimate or ChatGPT value: how American agents talk about it
In the United States, sellers more often come to the agent with an online value. This is a Zestimate from Zillow or a result from ChatGPT or Claude. Agents call it a good starting point, but not the final value. Michael Oliver from Tucson calls it 'just another opinion', although a well-informed one. He does not take it personally and explains what counts in the price. Such values often miss special features, recent renovations, layout, view and what buyers feel. Daniel Kramp from New York gives a range and sends comparable homes. Kaylie Curtis from Denver works with paper overviews and prefers sales from the last 30 days over those from months ago. All three say: do not turn the client away. In a calmer market, a client also uses this to test whether the agent knows the job.
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