There is a common misconception that the only way to sell unwanted vacant land is to spend thousands of dollars on a real estate agent and wait years for the right buyer to come along, but that’s simply not true. Here are some secrets that the pros use to sell vacant land FAST without real estate commissions.
Shoppers have turned to online superstores for everything from contacts to cars, and vacant land is no different! The trick is knowing where land shoppers hang out online. Not surprisingly, Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia are great sites to post general real estate for sale by owner.
For a small fee, you can pay each site to feature your listing so when land buyers search for similar properties, yours shines above the fray. Paid sites such as Landwatch and Lands Of America specialize in vacant land and attract tens of thousands of land shoppers each month.
The number 1 mistake do-it-yourselfer’s make is posting a picture of the trees and the dirt. If you search for vacant land in your area, you’ll see it for yourself: an endless sea of green and brown dirt. That’s not exactly sexy. When you post pictures of your property, post pictures that inspire the future land-owner to see what you or or family saw when the land was originally purchased.
If you wanted to use your land for recreation, post pictures of a four-wheeler ripping through the rugged terrain or of marshmallows toasting over a flame before a camped RV. If you wanted to use it for hunting, show pictures of the local game and wildlife. If you intended to build a dream home or retirement spot, show pictures of similar homes in the area and local amenities. All of these images ignite the imagination of future buyers and will draw them into your listing.
Aerial photography and videography isn’t reserved for the pros! I know that sounds super technical, but you can easily hire someone off of Craigslist or Facebook to take a drone and fly over your land to take photos or videos. This extra perspective will add a true sense of depth into the property, a trait that you just can’t see from pictures from the street. And since most people don’t do it, your land will stand apart and get noticed first.
The simplest things you can do to attract buyers to your property is to put up a professional sign. It sounds so simple that it is often overlooked, but I cannot overstate the value. There is simply no replacement for the experience of a prospective buyer driving through their dream neighborhood and spotting your land for sale in the perfect location. A great sign would have the following information:
Even if you don’t have your own website, you can point to the real estate site of your choice. This will only work for your if you’ve already posted your land for sale there. (Re-read Post Your Land Online).
If you don’t live close enough to the property to justify the drive, you can hire a local company to post a professional sign on your behalf. To find a company that services the are where your land is located, simply go online and search for “real estate sign installation near [your county & state].” You can expect to pay $100-$300/sign, but unless your property is very large, one should be sufficient.
If you’re tired of waiting for buyers to come to you why not reach out to them? The simplest way to do that it’s just to tell people what you’re doing and what you have to offer. Online, Facebook buy/sell groups are great for this. Offline, post flyers of your land on your church bulletin board or at local shops and restaurants. Even if your land is out of state, you neve know who is in the market for a getaway spot to call their own.
You might want to consider reaching out to a local real estate investor. You can find these investors online with a simple Google search. Usually investors can give you an offer within 24 to 48 hours they may even be able to close from a soon as a couple of weeks to a couple of months, much shorter than a 18-24 month turnaround!
We at the The Plot Squad specialize in vacant land acquisitions and we would love to help you! If you are interested in selling your land, fill out the short form to the right and our team of experts will reach out in a snap.