Selling land
How is land priced, and who buys it?
How is land priced, and what is mine worth?
Land is valued by what can be done with it: zoning, road access, utilities, soil that will pass a perc test for septic, and how much of it is usable. Houses have comparables next door; land often doesn't, so get an appraisal from someone who specializes in land and check the zoning yourself before you believe any number.
Land sells more slowly than houses. Months on the market is normal, not a warning sign.
- How long
- Most people spend about 2 weeks here.
In Georgia
Perc tests in Georgia are handled through the county environmental health office; a passing test for a septic system is often the difference between a buildable lot and acreage.
How to: Know the zoning
Confirm the zoning and permitted uses with the county
How to: Know access, utilities and soil status
Note access, utilities, and whether a perc test has been done
How to: Land appraisal done
Get an appraisal from a land specialist
How to: Reviewed land comparables
Look at recent land sales, not home sales, for comparables
How to: Decided one parcel vs. dividing
Decide whether to sell as one parcel or explore dividing it
Go deeper
- Pricing from a neighbor's house sale. Land comps are their own category.
- Assuming the zoning allows what a buyer would want. Confirm it in writing.
- Ignoring wetlands, floodplain or steep slopes. Unusable acres don't carry full value.
From the Thrive team
- A perc test and a recent survey are the two documents buyers ask for first. Having them ready can shorten the sale by months.
What do I need to clean up before it can sell?
What do I need to clean up before it can sell?
Get a current boundary survey and a title search now. Surveys reveal encroachments and unrecorded easements; title searches reveal liens, old mineral or timber rights, and heirs who never signed off. Every one of those is easier to fix before a buyer finds it during their due diligence.
Rural title can be messy: old deeds, family transfers, handshake agreements. Give this step real time.
- How long
- Most people spend about a month here.
How to: Current survey in hand
Order a boundary survey, even if you have an old one
How to: Title search reviewed
Order a title search and read it
How to: Issues resolved or in progress
Resolve encroachments, liens and any missing signatures
How to: Easements documented
Document existing easements and rights-of-way
How to: Property is walkable and marked
Mark the corners and clear access so buyers can walk it
Go deeper
- Skipping the survey because you 'know where the lines are.' Buyers will get one anyway, and surprises kill deals.
- Leaving title problems for closing. They must be fixed before it can close.
- Hiding an easement. It's recorded; the buyer finds it. Disclose it.
From the Thrive team
- Walk the boundary with the surveyor. You'll learn things about your own land.
Who buys land, and how do I reach them?
Who buys land, and how do I reach them?
Land buyers are a different crowd: builders, developers, investors, farmers, hunters, and people who want to build one home. Marketing leads with zoning, access, utilities and what the land can become, on land-specific platforms and through direct outreach, not with kitchen photos. An agent who sells land regularly knows who's buying in your county right now.
Interest comes in waves. A quiet month doesn't mean it's priced wrong; a quiet year might.
- How long
- Most people spend about 3 months here.
How to: Have a land-specialist agent
Interview agents who specialize in land
How to: Listing leads with the facts buyers want
Write a listing that leads with use, access and utilities
How to: On land platforms and the MLS
List on land-specific platforms as well as the MLS
How to: Reached out to builders and developers
Reach out directly to local builders and developers
How to: Documents ready to share
Keep the survey, perc test and title work ready to share
Go deeper
- Marketing land like a house. Buyers want facts, maps and possibilities.
- Waiting for buyers to find it. Direct outreach to builders generates the serious offers.
- Not having documents ready. Serious buyers move on when the answers are slow.
From the Thrive team
- Drone photos and a map with the boundaries drawn on it are the land equivalent of professional home photos.
How do I read a developer's offer?
How do I read a developer's offer?
Developer and builder offers come with conditions: long due-diligence periods, approvals they need before closing, sometimes phased closings or a lower earnest deposit. Judge them on certainty and timing as much as price. Verify the buyer's financing and track record; a clean offer from a proven buyer often beats a higher one that never closes.
Expect the buyer to ask for a lot of time. Long due diligence is normal for land; unlimited due diligence is not.
- How long
- Most people spend about 2 weeks here.
How to: Compared offers on all terms
Compare offers on price, contingencies, timeline and earnest money
How to: Verified the buyer
Verify the buyer's funding and past projects
How to: Due diligence is time-limited
Limit the due-diligence period and require earnest money to go hard at a point
How to: Understand the contingencies
Understand any phased-closing or approval contingencies
How to: Attorney reviewed the contract
Have an attorney review anything unusual
Go deeper
- Taking the highest price without reading the conditions. Contingent offers can tie up land for a year and walk away.
- Not verifying financing. An unfunded developer wastes your season.
- Allowing open-ended due diligence. Set a date and a deposit that goes non-refundable.
From the Thrive team
- Ask what approvals the buyer needs and how long they typically take in this county. That's your real timeline.
What's different about closing on land?
What's different about closing on land?
There's no home inspection, but there is a final survey check, a title commitment, and any approvals the contract required. In Georgia the closing attorney prepares the deed, handles the funds and records the transfer. Confirm the legal description matches the survey exactly; that's where land closings go wrong.
Simpler than a house in some ways, and unforgiving about paperwork in others.
- How long
- Most people spend about a month here.
In Georgia
A Georgia closing attorney handles land closings and records the deed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the land sits.
How to: Legal description matches the survey
Confirm the deed's legal description matches the survey
How to: Title clear
Verify title is clear and the commitment is issued
How to: Contingencies satisfied in writing
Confirm any contract contingencies are satisfied in writing
How to: Settlement statement reviewed
Review the settlement statement before closing
How to: Deed recorded
Confirm the deed is recorded after closing
Go deeper
- Not checking the legal description. Mismatches surface years later at the next sale.
- Closing before contingencies are documented. Get releases in writing.
- Assuming recording happens automatically. Confirm it.
From the Thrive team
- Ask a tax advisor about the gain before closing. Long-held land can carry a large capital gain, and a 1031 exchange may apply if you're reinvesting.
That's the whole path.
Keep it, and come back any time. If something here doesn't fit your situation, ask one of us.
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