FOR LANDOWNERS
Before you sell land, understand what you own.
Land can be difficult to value because its worth isn’t always determined by what it is being used for today. Utilities, infrastructure, access, zoning, topography, environmental constraints, surrounding growth, assemblage potential and highest and best use can dramatically affect what a property may support—and what it may be worth.
Whether your family has owned the property for generations or you’ve recently received an unsolicited offer from a developer, the first step should be understanding the land before deciding what to do with it.
LAND EVALUATION
Acreage is only the beginning.
When I evaluate land, I want to understand the factors that determine what the property can realistically become. Depending on the tract, that may include:
Sewer & Utility Availability
Location, capacity, line size, gravity access, easements and the potential cost of reaching infrastructure.
Access & Road Frontage
Road classification, frontage, ingress and egress, visibility and whether the intended use can actually be served.
Topography & Environmental Constraints
Slope, floodplain, creeks, wetlands and other physical conditions that affect usable acreage.
Zoning & Land-Use Regulation
Existing zoning, future land-use plans, UDO requirements and surrounding development patterns.
Highest & Best Use
Whether the property is best positioned for agriculture, recreation, residential development, multifamily, commercial, industrial or another use.
Assemblage Potential
Whether adjoining ownership could materially change access, scale, development potential or value.
Market & Growth Drivers
Employment growth, rooftops, schools, transportation improvements and development moving toward the property.
Owner Objectives
Maximum value isn’t every owner’s only goal. Legacy, conservation, continued use, timing and family priorities should be part of the strategy.
UNSOLICITED OFFER?
A developer wants to buy your land. What now?
An unsolicited offer can be exciting—especially when the price is substantially higher than what the property was purchased for years ago. But a large number doesn’t necessarily mean it reflects the property’s full potential.
Before signing anything, I recommend understanding both the value of the property and what the buyer is trying to accomplish. Development contracts may include long due-diligence periods, extensions, contingencies, assignment rights and other provisions that can give a buyer substantial flexibility while the owner’s property remains tied up.
I have seen landowners enter agreements that allowed their property to remain under contract for extremely long periods without ever closing. A knowledgeable land professional can help evaluate the real-estate and development implications of an offer, while qualified legal counsel should review and advise on the contract itself.
Don’t give someone control of your land until you understand what you’re giving them.
UNDERSTAND THE LAND. UNDERSTAND THE OWNER.
For owners planning to reinvest proceeds into another qualifying property, learn more about 1031 exchanges and replacement property strategy.
The highest financial value isn’t always the owner’s chosen path.
I believe part of being a land professional is understanding what matters to the people who own the property. For some families, maximizing value is the priority. For others, preserving the land, maintaining agricultural or recreational use, protecting a family legacy or keeping part of the property for future generations matters just as much.
My job isn’t to tell every landowner that their property should be developed. My job is to help them understand the possibilities, the value and the tradeoffs so they can make an informed decision about what comes next.
REQUEST A LAND EVALUATION
Tell me about your property.
Share what you know below. You don’t need to have all the answers—that’s part of what I’m here to help determine. I’ll review the property information and follow up with you to discuss what you own, what may be possible and what matters most to you.