Selling a piece of land is very different from selling a house. With a house, the value is in what is already built.
With land, the value is in what could be built or done there in the future. The secret to getting the best possible price for your land is to sell not just a piece of property, but a clear and exciting opportunity.
You can significantly increase the value of your land in the eyes of a buyer through smart preparation, targeted marketing on the right websites, and by making the property easy for them to understand and envision.
Building Value Before You Even List: Preparation is Key
The most important work you will do happens before you put the "For Sale" sign up. A buyer who feels confident and has all their questions answered upfront is a buyer who is willing to pay more.
The Power of a "Ready-to-Go" Information Package (Land Sale Required Documents)
Serious buyers need to do their research before they make an offer. You can make your property instantly more valuable by having all of this research done for them. This saves them time and money and shows that you are a serious seller.
Get a Professional Survey: This is one of the best investments you can make. A survey is a map, drawn by a professional, that shows the exact, legal boundaries of your land.
Benefit to You: It removes all guesswork about the property's size and shape. A buyer will pay more for a property with clearly defined boundaries because there is no risk or uncertainty for them.
Show You Have a Clear Title: A preliminary title report from a title company is a document that shows you are the legal owner and that there are no old debts or claims against the property.
Benefit to You: This gives a buyer peace of mind. It's like a clean bill of health for the property and signals that the sale will be smooth and easy.
Provide the Zoning Information: This tells a buyer what the land is allowed to be used for. Is it for building a house? For farming? For a business?
Benefit to You: This helps you sell the dream. If the land is zoned for a single-family home, you are selling a potential dream homesite. If it's zoned for agriculture, you are selling a potential small farm. This information is critical for attracting the right buyer.
Detail the Utility and Access Situation: Write down where the nearest connections are for electricity, water, and internet. Explain how you get to the property (is it on a public road?).
Benefit to You: This answers the practical, real-world questions every buyer has. Knowing that electricity is already at the edge of the property, for example, is a huge plus and adds real value.
Get a Soil Test (if needed): If your land is in a rural area and will need a septic system for a house, a "perk test" is a test that shows if the soil is suitable.
Benefit to You: A property with a successful perk test is instantly more valuable than a property without one. It removes a huge risk for the buyer and makes your land "ready to build."
Reaching the Right Buyers: Using Land Sale Websites
Once you have your information package ready, you need to advertise your land where the right people will see it.
Use Websites Made for Selling Land: General real estate websites are mostly for selling houses. The most serious land buyers go to websites that are specifically for land.
Benefit to You: Listing your property on a specialized site (like the Land.com network or LandWatch) puts it in front of a national audience of people who are actively looking to buy land. They are the exact audience you want to reach.
Create a Great Online Ad: Your online listing is your most important marketing tool.
Use Excellent Photos and Drone Footage: For land, pictures are everything. Drone photos and video are a game-changer. A drone can show a buyer the entire layout of the property, the trees, any creeks, and the surrounding area. It helps a faraway buyer feel like they are really there.
Tell a Story: In your description, don't just list facts. Sell the lifestyle. Talk about the beautiful views, the quiet and peaceful setting, or the great spot to build a home.
Other Smart Ways to Add Value
There are a few other things you can do to make your property stand out and seem more valuable.
Make Small Physical Improvements:
Clear an Entrance: Make it easy for people to get onto the property.
Mow a Path: Clear a walking path to the most attractive part of the property, like a spot with a great view. This helps buyers envision a homesite.
Mark the Corners: Use bright flags or stakes to mark the corners of your property, so people can easily see the boundaries.
Clean Up: Remove any trash or old junk. A property that looks cared for feels more valuable.
Offer Owner Financing: This can be the most powerful tool for a fast and profitable sale. It can be hard for buyers to get a normal bank loan for raw land.
Benefit to You: By offering to finance the sale yourself (where the buyer gives you a down payment and then makes monthly payments to you), you open up your property to many more potential buyers. With more buyers interested, you can often get a higher price. It is very important to use a real estate attorney to set up the contract correctly.
Talk to Your Neighbors: Before you list the property for sale, let the owners of the land next to yours know that you are selling. Your neighbors are often your best potential buyers. They might want to buy your land to make their own property bigger or to protect their privacy. A simple conversation can sometimes lead to the quickest and easiest sale of all.
By taking these steps, you are doing more than just selling land; you are selling a well-prepared, easy-to-understand opportunity. This extra effort is what enhances the value of your property and leads to a better, more profitable sale.
