When you’re ready to sell your rural property, finding the right approach can feel overwhelming. Maybe you’ve owned this land for years, or maybe you inherited it and aren’t sure what to do next. The good news is you have options. The best choice for you comes down to three main things:
- How much money do you want for your property?
- How much time and energy can you put into the sale?
- How fast do you need to close the deal?
Let’s walk through your main options and look at what really works (and what doesn’t) for selling rural land.
Option 1: Selling Through a Real Estate Agent
Working with a realtor sounds like the obvious choice, right? After all, that’s how most people sell houses. But here’s what you need to know about selling rural land through an agent.
The Reality Check: Many rural properties sell for between $5,000 and $30,000. If an agent takes a 3% commission on one side of a $10,000 sale, they would only make $300 (many agents charge a higher commission fee for rural land for this reason). Compare that to the thousands they make on a house sale, and you can see why your listing might not get much attention. Add in the fact that these properties are often hours away from anywhere, requiring long drives just to show the land or put up a sign, and you start to understand why many land listings sit on the market for months or even years.
When It Makes Sense: If you have plenty of time and really don’t want to deal with any of the selling process yourself, a realtor can still work. Just make sure you interview them first. Ask to see their other land listings. Look at the quality of their photos and descriptions. If all their land listings look like afterthoughts with one grainy photo and two sentences of description, keep looking.
What to Ask Your Realtor:
- How many rural land sales have you closed in the last year?
- Will you actually visit my property to take photos?
- How long are your typical land listings on the market?
- What’s your marketing plan beyond just posting on the MLS?
Option 2: Selling It Yourself
Selling your land yourself means more work, but it also means keeping all the money from the sale, and giving your property the attention it needs to sell it. The challenge? You’re competing with hundreds of other rural properties for sale at any given time. Most of these listings look exactly the same – a few distant photos and basic information about acreage. If you want to sell, you need to stand out.
The Distance Problem: Here’s the biggest challenge with selling rural land yourself: you probably don’t live anywhere near your property. Maybe you bought it as an investment years ago, inherited it from family, or moved away after purchasing it. This makes everything harder – from taking photos to meeting potential buyers to handling the paperwork. But it’s still possible if you’re strategic about it.
Making Your Listing Stand Out:
Photography That Sells: This might mean making a trip to your property or hiring someone local, but good photos are worth it. Don’t just take one photo from the road. Walk the property. Capture any views. Get close-ups of interesting features – maybe there’s native cactus, interesting rock formations, or wildflowers. Show people what makes your 5 acres different from the other hundred 5-acre parcels for sale.
Writing Descriptions That Connect: Skip the boring stuff everyone else writes. Instead of “5 acres for sale, cash only,” paint a picture. Talk about the sunrise views, the quiet nights where you can actually see the stars, the freedom to build whatever you want. Help buyers imagine their future on your land.
Where to List:
- Zillow (free and gets lots of traffic)
- Facebook Marketplace (free)
- Land.com and Landflip.com (these cost money but are where serious land buyers look)
- Local Facebook groups for the area
The Owner Financing Advantage: Offering owner financing can completely change the game. Instead of needing someone with $15,000 cash, you can sell to someone who has $500 down and can pay you monthly. You’ll may get a higher total price this way, plus monthly income. Talk to a real estate attorney about setting this up.
Option 3: Selling to a Land Investor
If you’ve owned rural land for more than a few months, you’ve probably gotten letters or texts from people wanting to buy it. These are land investors, and they can be your fastest path to a sale.
Understanding the Trade-off: Land investors need to make a profit, so they won’t pay top dollar. But they also buy properties that have been sitting on the market for years. They pay cash, close quickly (usually in 2-3 weeks), and handle all the paperwork. They’ll often even pay back taxes or HOA fees. For many people, selling at a discount to be done with the property in two weeks is worth it.
Sorting Through the Offers: Not all investors are equal. You’ll get offers all over the map – some insultingly low, some surprisingly high, and most somewhere in the middle. Here’s how to evaluate them:
Check Their Experience: Ask how long they’ve been buying land and how many properties they’ve purchased in your area. Someone who’s closed on 50 properties in your county knows the real values. Someone who just started last month might make an offer they can’t actually follow through on once they review local comps.
Understand Their Process: Many investors handle their own closings to save money. This is usually fine, but if you want extra peace of mind, you can ask them to close through a title company. Just know this costs around $1,500, which might come out of your sale price.
Watch for Red Flags: Be cautious of anyone who keeps changing their offer, asks you to sign documents before explaining them, or can’t give you references from other sellers.
Making Your Decision
There’s no single right answer for everyone. If you need money fast and don’t want any hassle, selling to an investor might be perfect. If you have time and energy to invest, selling it yourself could net you the most money. And if you want to be completely hands-off and aren’t in a rush, a good realtor could work.
Think about your situation:
- How quickly do you need to sell?
- How much time can you spend on this?
- How far away do you live from the property?
- What’s the minimum amount you’d accept?
Whatever you choose, remember that holding onto property you don’t want costs you money every year in taxes and takes up mental space. Sometimes the best deal is the one that lets you move on.
Looking for a cash offer on your rural land? We purchase properties across multiple states and can typically close in 2-3 weeks. Contact us at burnettfamilyland@gmail.com or 208-408-1276, or visit OffersForAcres.com for a no-obligation offer.