Things To Do When Your Land Isn’t Selling

It can be incredibly frustrating to see your land listing sit on the market for months – or even years. And while you can’t make an interested buyer appear out of thin air, you can take some steps to market your property better and (hopefully) speed up the sale. 

Here’s what to do if your land isn’t selling, including top tips for making your listing more attractive and getting more eyes on your property. 

1. Try to Figure Out What the Problem Is

Put yourself in the shoes of buyers to figure out what the main issues are. Some of the possible reasons why your land isn’t selling may include:

• Pricing is too high
• Land is not suitable for development
• Overly strict zoning restrictions
• Lack of road access
• Flooding concerns
• Ineffective marketing efforts
• Undesirable location

Some of these problems you can fix. Others require a change in approach to ensure that you’re getting the attention of the right buyers. Whatever the case, the more you know about why your land listing has gone stagnant, the more strategic you can be in taking steps to turn things around.

2. Talk to Your Agent – and Decide If You Need a New One

If you haven’t checked in with your agent in a while, now is the time. They may have some behind-the-scenes insights or concerns about your property that they haven’t shared with you yet. On the flip side, they may be checked out after so long without a sale, in which case it’s time to find a new agent and get fresh feet on the ground. 

Keep in mind that selling land isn’t the same as selling a house. If your real estate agent is a pro in the residential market but not pulling their weight with your property, switching to an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), also known as a land REALTOR®, could make all the difference. 

3. Head Back to the Drawing Board with Your Listing

The longer your property sits on the market, the more stale your listing gets. Give it a facelift with updated text and images to make it more attractive to new buyers and possibly bring back some older buyers who weren’t impressed with their first look. 

There are two main areas to focus on when updating your land listing:

• Visuals – Great images can greatly increase your chances of a sale. In addition to professional stills, include immersive visuals such as videos, aerial drone shots, and new technologies like Animated Boundaries, which provide potential buyers with a clear look at property lines and other key features.
• Property Description – A few sentences aren’t going to cut it. Your listing should include a robust description that covers not just the features of the property but its use potential, history, and any notable improvements. 

4. Should You Consider Dividing Your Land?

If you’ve got a big parcel of land that you’re struggling to sell, dividing it up could be the way to go. Besides optimized land listing, marketing your land appropriately, and getting the attention of the right buyers, dividing land may also help in closing your property faster.



Benefits of Dividing Land for Sale

Dividing up your land into multiple smaller properties could provide you with a few big advantages over attempting one large sale. 

• Same or increased profits – The larger and more expensive your lot, the smaller the pool of potential buyers you have. By dividing it up, you widen this pool and open the door to motivated buyers with less purchasing power, which could net you the same amount you were originally aiming for, or even more. 
• Seller flexibility – When you subdivide your land, you give yourself the option of selling some part(s) of the property and holding onto others. Use this strategy to adjust the boundaries of your land into something that better suits your needs, or to liquidate some of your assets without needing to buy somewhere new. 
• Buyer flexibility – Rather than dividing your lot on your own, you could give buyers the option to pick what part of the land they want and pay for it accordingly. This is an attractive selling point in the land market and a good way to make sure that buyers get what they need without looking elsewhere.  

Your local market conditions still apply, so no guarantee subdividing your land will pay off right away. However, it could breathe new life into your sale and notably boost your profits when all is said and done, especially if you strategically stage your land for a speedy sale. 

How to Divide Land Before Selling

You could potentially divide your property into two separate parcels or hundreds. What matters is that you create logical, saleable boundaries – and that you go about doing it the right way. 

Depending on where you live, you are likely to be somewhat limited in the number of subdivisions you can make. That’s due to county requirements on the division of land and the minimum number of acres that need to be included in each parcel. Look into local zoning rules before making any decisions so you know you’ll be cleared to proceed. 

Next, bring in an expert such as a surveyor or town planner to assess your plans and help you navigate your local planning board’s application process. Account for the cost of hiring this expert, as well as any costs associated with your application fee and the subdivision process itself. This includes the cost of hiring an attorney, who will be a necessary asset as you draw up new deeds. 

What Else Can You Do?

Beyond the basics above, you should also directly address any specific problems you’ve noted with your land sale. This could mean financial adjustments like dropping your price or offering owner financing, or it could mean adding targeted improvements to your land. Your buyer is out there, it’s just a matter of strategizing how you’re going to get their interest and offer. 

Ready to List?

Once your property is divided up, it’s time to start from scratch with your listings. Market each parcel individually, and take into consideration the best use of each piece of land. You’ll have to juggle more listings at once, but the payoff could end up being well worth it.