Listing new construction on the MLS in Tampa Bay works best when a builder knows the Stellar MLS rules before the first rendering goes up, because new homes follow their own set of status, photo, and remarks rules. Production builders closed roughly 21,000 new homes across the seven county Tampa Bay metro in 2025, according to Zonda figures reported in April 2026. That is a lot of new inventory, and most of it competes for the same buyers who search the MLS every night.
This guide is for builders and developers selling in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough. It covers the MLS rules, the remarks, the comps, and the disclosures that travel with a new home.
We are grateful to help builders bring new homes to market, and a clean listing on day one saves weeks later. Here is what every builder should know.
Do Builders Need the MLS to Reach Buyers?
Builders are not required to list new construction in Stellar MLS, but most buyers shop with an agent, and agents start their search in the MLS. Stellar's September 2025 rules list pre-construction and new construction as an optional listing type. A builder can choose to enter it. Once a listing is entered, though, it must follow every rule in the book.
The National Association of Realtors reported in November 2025 that 88 percent of home buyers used an agent or broker. Those agents build saved searches in the MLS. A home that is not in the MLS does not show up in them.
How buyers search for new homes
- The MLS and its syndication: A listing entered in Stellar MLS flows to agent search tools, brokerage websites through IDX, and the public portals that take MLS feeds.
- Builder feeds on the portals: Zillow runs a new construction section where builders can pay to promote their communities.
- Agent tools for new homes: Stellar includes a product called Builders Update in every subscription. Stellar says it holds inventory from more than 175 local and national builders.
A November 2025 WAV Group report noted that buyers on the portals rarely see new homes side by side with resales. A specific home with an address and a price in the MLS closes that gap.
How the Zillow listing standards treat builders
In 2025, Zillow began enforcing listing access standards. A home that is publicly marketed by an agent must be entered in the MLS within one business day or it can be blocked from Zillow. Zillow said the standards do not apply to builder inventory represented directly by the builder. New construction is affected only when it is listed with an agent under an exclusive listing agreement. If a builder hires a listing brokerage, the one business day clock applies.
How Does Stellar MLS Classify a Home That Is Not Finished?
Stellar MLS uses the Construction Status field to sort new homes into pre-construction, under construction, and completed, and each status comes with its own rules.
Status | What it means in Stellar MLS | Required first words of the public remarks | First photo |
|---|---|---|---|
Pre-construction | A specific lot with a specific home that could be built at a set price, but construction has not begun | "Pre-Construction. To be built." | An image of the model offered or an artist rendering |
Under construction | Ground has been broken, but the home is not complete and no certificate of occupancy has been issued | "Under Construction." | An image of the model offered or an artist rendering |
Completed | The home is finished and ready to close | No special opening words required | A front exterior photo, aerial photo, or water view, under the standard photo rules |
Pre-construction listings
For a pre-construction home, the list price must include both the home and the lot. Pre-construction must be selected in the Construction Status field. If no contract gives the builder an interest in the vacant lot, the listing cannot be entered at all.
Under construction listings
An under construction listing also must include the home and the lot in one price. The Builder Name and the builder's License Number are required in their own fields. Stellar recommends uploading a floor plan of the finished home as an attachment, but a floor plan is not allowed as a listing photo.
When the home is complete
Stellar's definition of under construction ends when a certificate of occupancy is issued. That makes the certificate the natural moment to change the status, update the remarks, and replace renderings with real photos.
What Are the Photo and Rendering Rules for New Homes?
For pre-construction and under construction homes, the first photo must be the model offered or an artist rendering, and virtual staging is not allowed at all.
Renderings and model photos
If the image in the first slot is different from the actual model being built, the listing must say so in both the public remarks and the Realtor only remarks.
The rules every photo must follow
- A listing will not go active until a front exterior photo or rendering, an aerial photo, or a water view from the property is loaded in the first slot.
- Photos and virtual tours cannot include logos, agent photos, contact information, text, or graphics of any kind, other than the Stellar watermark.
- No people may appear in listing photos or virtual tours.
- Renderings, photos, and virtual tours must be owned, purchased, or licensed by the listing broker. Another office cannot copy them for a later listing without a license.
- Photos cannot be edited to add views or features that do not exist or to hide flaws.
A completed home can use virtual staging, with the required disclosure in the photo description and the first words of the public remarks.
A photo approach that works
A good practice is to start with a licensed rendering of the exact elevation and a floor plan attachment, then schedule real photos as soon as the certificate of occupancy is issued.
How Should a Builder Set Up the Listing Agreement?
Most builders choose between listing each home separately or signing a community agreement that covers a set of lots, and Stellar MLS still requires one listing per home. Stellar accepts only one listing per tax ID number per property type. A home cannot be entered twice, such as once as a three bedroom and once as a four bedroom, or once in each of two subdivisions.
Per home listings
A per home agreement covers one address, one plan, and one price. It is the simplest setup for inventory homes.
Community agreements
A community agreement covers several lots or a whole phase under one contract. It saves paperwork, but each home still needs its own MLS entry with its own tax ID, price, status, and photos.
Keeping the listing current
Stellar sets clear timelines once a home is listed.
- Price and term changes: filed within two days of the owner's signed authorization, not counting weekends and federal holidays.
- Pending status: filed within two days of the effective date of the contract.
- Sold status: filed within two days of closing.
Days on market and relisting
Stellar does not allow a listing to be inactivated and reactivated to look new. A new listing number is only allowed when a new office signs a new agreement, or when the same brokerage signs a new agreement dated at least 30 days after the old one expired or was withdrawn. Cumulative days on market resets to zero only after 60 days off the market.
How Should Pricing and Incentives Appear in the Remarks?
Stellar MLS requires the full list price in the price field, any seller concession written as a dollar amount, and no mention of buyer broker compensation anywhere in the listing.
Dollar amounts only
Concessions are allowed at the discretion of the owner or lender. Any amount must be shown in dollars. A percentage anywhere in the system, including public remarks, private remarks, showing instructions, or attachments, is prohibited and carries a fine. A remark like "$15,000 toward closing costs with the builder's preferred lender" is the right format. A remark like "three percent toward closing" is not.
No strings tied to a broker
A seller concession cannot depend on the buyer keeping or paying a cooperating broker. Offers of compensation to buyer brokers are not allowed anywhere in the MLS. Stellar treats these as Level III severe violations, and its Level III penalty starts at $500 for a first occurrence.
What the public remarks can and cannot say
The builder's name is allowed in public remarks. Public remarks must be about the property or the transaction. They cannot include websites, contact details, showing instructions, open house information, or gate codes. Short and specific remarks work best: the plan name, square footage, lot features, finish level, the estimated completion month, and any dollar incentive with its conditions spelled out.
When an incentive changes, update every listing within the two day window so agents always see the current offer.
How Do New Homes Become Comps for the Next Appraisal?
Closed new construction sales recorded in the MLS give appraisers the in-community comps they need, which makes the next home in the community easier to appraise at full price.
What Fannie Mae asks appraisers to use
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide section on comparable sales, dated June 4, 2025, sets the rules for new subdivisions and planned developments. The appraiser should include at least one closed sale from inside the community and at least one from outside it. Resales inside the community are preferred when they do not involve the builder. If there are no closed sales inside the community yet, two pending sales inside can stand in for one closed sale, and then at least three closed sales from outside are required.
Why the MLS record matters
If no inside sale can be found through public records or the MLS, the appraiser has to verify a builder sale from a copy of the settlement statement in the builder's file. For builder sales in competing communities that are not in standard data sources, the appraiser must verify them the same way and must discuss the concessions and upgrades in each sale. A closed sale already in the MLS is easier to find and use.
Entering builder sales that were never listed
Some builder homes sell directly from the model and never hit the MLS. Stellar allows sold data entry for comparable purposes after closing. The sale must be loaded within 30 days of the closing date and needs one front exterior photo. It is worth doing for every closed sale.
The certificate of occupancy and closing dates
A new home cannot close until the local building department signs off with a certificate of occupancy. Failed inspections, utility connections, and unfinished site work are common reasons a date slides. List an estimated completion month in the remarks rather than a promised day, and update it as soon as the schedule changes.
Which Disclosures Should Travel With a New Home?
New homes in Florida carry several required disclosures, including the community development district notice, the homeowners association summary, and the builder warranty, and each one has its own timing.
Community development district disclosure
Under Florida Statute 190.048, every contract for the initial sale of a home or parcel in a community development district must include a disclosure that the district may impose taxes or assessments, or both. They are set each year by the district's board and are in addition to county and other local taxes. The disclosure must sit right before the buyer's signature line, in bold type larger than the rest of the contract.
Homeowners association disclosure summary
Florida Statute 720.401 requires the developer to give the buyer a disclosure summary before the buyer signs. If the contract does not handle this correctly, the buyer may cancel within three days of receiving the summary or before closing, whichever comes first.
The builder warranty
Since July 1, 2025, Florida Statute 553.837 has required builders to warrant new homes for one year. The warranty runs from the earlier of the original title transfer or the first move in. It covers defects in equipment, materials, or workmanship that cause a material violation of the Florida Building Code. It transfers to a new owner during that first year. If a builder offers a longer warranty, the written warranty must say how long it lasts and whether it transfers after year one.
Flood disclosure and impact fees
Florida Statute 689.302 requires a seller of residential property to give a written flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed. The form asks about flooding, flood claims, and flood assistance during the seller's ownership, so we suggest builders review with their attorney how it applies to a never occupied home. Impact fees are charged by the county or city when the building permit is issued, and they are part of the builder's cost.
How Does the Florida Building Code Help a New Home Sell?
A home permitted under the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, is built to the newest wind standards in the state, and that story belongs in the listing. The 8th Edition took effect on December 31, 2023. It adopted ASCE 7-22, the most recent wind load standard from the American Society of Civil Engineers, along with updated wind speed maps and exposure categories.
Why insurance companies notice
Florida insurers offer premium credits for documented wind mitigation features, such as roof deck attachment, roof to wall connections, secondary water barriers, and opening protection. A new home typically has a brand new roof and current code features on day one. We encourage builders to order a wind mitigation inspection at completion and keep the report ready for buyers.
What to put in the listing
- The code edition the home was permitted under.
- Roof type and the year it was installed.
- Impact rated windows and doors or other opening protection, if included.
- Whether a wind mitigation report is available on request.
The next edition, the 2026 Florida Building Code, 9th Edition, is expected to take effect on or around December 31, 2026. Homes permitted before that date will be built under the 8th Edition, which remains a strong selling point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do builders have to put new construction in the Stellar MLS?
No. Stellar lists pre-construction and new construction as an optional listing type. Once entered, the listing must follow every Stellar rule.
What words must start the remarks on a home that is not built yet?
A pre-construction listing must begin with "Pre-Construction. To be built." An under construction listing must begin with "Under Construction."
Can I use a rendering as the main photo?
Yes, for pre-construction and under construction homes. The first photo must be the model offered or an artist rendering, and if it differs from the home being built, you must disclose that in the public and Realtor only remarks.
How do I show builder incentives in the MLS?
Write them as a dollar amount, such as "$10,000 toward closing costs." Percentages are prohibited anywhere in Stellar, and a concession cannot depend on the buyer using or paying a cooperating broker.
Does taking a home off the market reset days on market?
Only after 60 days off the market. Stellar does not allow a listing to be inactivated and reactivated to look new, and a new listing number with the same brokerage requires a new agreement dated at least 30 days after the old one ended.
Should builders enter closed sales that were never listed?
We recommend it. Stellar allows sold data entry within 30 days of closing with one front exterior photo, and Fannie Mae's appraisal rules favor closed sales inside the community that appraisers can find and verify.
What warranty does Florida require on a new home?
Since July 1, 2025, builders must warrant new homes for one year against defects that cause a material violation of the Florida Building Code. The warranty transfers to a new owner during that first year.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
A new home deserves a listing that is as carefully built as the home itself. We are honored to work alongside builders and developers across Tampa Bay, from the first rendering to the final closed sale entered for the next appraisal.
If you are planning a new phase, holding finished inventory, or simply want a second set of eyes on your current listings, reach out to Rocks Realty. We would be glad to sit down, walk your lot list, and talk through how we can help your homes stand out.
