How to Sell Land
By Owner

Land pricing is hyper-local. A 10-acre parcel with road access, utilities, and good soil may be worth 3–5× a similar parcel that is landlocked or flood-prone.

Start with AcreValue to see per-acre values and recent comparable sales in your county. Cross-check with county GIS data and recent deed transfers at your county recorder.

Key factors: road frontage and access type (paved, gravel, none), utilities on-site or to-site cost, soil type and perc test results, timber value, flood zone status, topography, and zoning or deed restrictions.

Overpriced land is the #1 reason FSBO land listings fail. Price at or slightly below market to generate offers within 30–90 days.

Before listing, verify your ownership chain is clean. A title search at your county recording office reviews all recorded instruments affecting your parcel — deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and mineral severances.

For older rural property, pay special attention to: severed mineral rights (oil, gas, coal), timber reservations, utility easements and right-of-ways, and any judgment liens against prior owners.

A title company or real estate attorney can run a full abstract search for $200–$500 depending on the state. This is money well spent — buyers and their lenders will require clean title at closing.

If you find a cloud on title (old mortgage, easement dispute), resolve it before listing to avoid deal-killing surprises.

Many buyers — especially those financing with a bank — require a current boundary survey. Even cash buyers often want one for rural parcels where old metes-and-bounds descriptions are vague.

A boundary survey confirms acreage, corner monuments, easements, and encroachments. Cost: $500–$2,500+ depending on lot size and state.

If your deed has a clear platted legal description and the property is in a recorded subdivision, a survey may not be needed. For raw rural land, it is almost always a good investment.

Some states (NC, CT, VT, MA, AK) effectively require a survey before deed recording.

The two dominant FSBO land marketplaces are LandWatch and Land.com (part of the Lands of America network). Both attract buyers specifically searching for vacant land — unlike general real estate portals that bury land listings.

Your listing should include: clear acreage from the deed or survey, GPS coordinates or a Google Maps link, road access description, utilities available (electric, water, gas), zoning, nearest town and distance, and high-quality photos.

Add a price per acre in the listing title — it is the primary filter buyers use.

Respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Serious buyers often contact multiple sellers simultaneously.

Use a standard land purchase and sale agreement (PSA) for your state. Rocket Lawyer and NOLO both offer state-specific forms.

Common contingencies in land contracts: financing (30–45 days), survey review period, perc test (for residential lots), zoning review, and title review period.

Cash deals with no contingencies are common for raw land and close faster. Financed land deals take 45–90 days and require the lender's appraisal.

Require a non-refundable earnest money deposit (1–5% of purchase price) to qualify serious buyers.

Use the correct deed type for your state: Warranty Deed (most states), Grant Deed (CA, NV, AZ, ID, MT), or Bargain and Sale Deed (NY, NJ). See your state guide for the right form.

The deed must include: grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) full legal names, the legal description from your title chain (not just the street address), the purchase price or nominal consideration, and grantor's notarized signature.

Download a state-specific template from Rocket Lawyer or NOLO. Have it reviewed by a real estate attorney if the transaction is complex.

Do not sign the deed until you are at the closing table and ready to exchange documents for funds.

At closing: the buyer provides cleared funds (wire transfer or cashier's check), you sign and deliver the deed, and both parties sign any other required closing documents.

Record the deed at your county recording office (or equivalent) within 1–2 business days of closing. Recording is what makes the transfer official and protects the buyer from future claims.

Pay any applicable transfer taxes at recording. The recording fee itself is typically $10–$50 plus the transfer tax.

Keep copies of the signed deed, the recording receipt, the closing settlement statement, and all related correspondence for your tax records.