It is normal, and it is not a red flag. Builders pay buyer-agent commissions when the market favors buyers and pull back when demand is strong and buyers show up on their own. A builder declining to pay usually just reflects a local market where new construction is still selling well, and the same builders tend to come back to agents (sometimes offering more than the local norm) once demand softens. Under your buyer-broker agreement the mechanics are straightforward: if you agreed to a compensation amount with your agent and the builder will not cover all of it, you are responsible for the difference. Compensation is negotiable, though, and you have options: - Ask the builder for a credit and apply it toward your agent's compensation instead of toward a rate buydown. - Look at a property where the seller covers it in full. - Pay your agent directly. If they are doing real work for you through the process, that is a reasonable call. One practical note that trips people up: register your agent on your very first visit to the community. Builders commonly refuse to pay a commission if you tour on your own the first time and bring an agent in afterward. That rule is standard, so make the introduction before you walk the models.