Often, yes. The builder's preferred lender is frequently a mortgage company the builder owns, so the incentive can be the builder moving money from one pocket to the other. That structure is a big reason the use-our-lender incentive exists. It does not automatically make the deal bad, but it does mean you should compare. Sometimes the preferred lender's rate is genuinely higher than what you could get on the open market, and the builder credit is partly offsetting a marked-up rate. A buyer might take a $30,000 credit (illustrative) on a loan carrying a built-in markup and only see the difference after getting an independent quote. Builders also have room to negotiate. They commonly run healthy margins on a home, and giving up some margin beats losing a sale and relisting, which is leverage you can use. Take the builder's incentive seriously, then get an independent Loan Estimate so you can compare the true rate and cost side by side. On the free Roadmap conversation (about 20 minutes) we can price the same scenario against the builder's lender so you see the real difference before you commit.