Owning land is pretty easy – it rarely takes a lot of effort. But when you want to sell, that can be a completely different story. Are you a landowner and wondering, “How do I sell my Florida land to a developer”? At All Acres Land Company, we’re often asked that question so here’s an article we wrote to answer it for you.
First, it’s important to know what developers are looking for
A developer wants to be able to build on the property and sell or lease it, so they’re looking for property that is close to infrastructure and services (like water, sewer, power, and roads). After all, they’ll need to connect these services to their development and they’ll want people to get to their property! Ideally, a lot of their initial development work is also done – a survey, environmental test, and even structural plans have all been completed and/or approved.
It’s okay if the land isn’t serviced but developers will probably want to know how far away the services are and whether those services are being actively worked on by the city. Your land will also be more attractive than similar properties to a developer if you already have the land surveyed, and completed an environmental phase I report.
Second, you may want to bypass the real estate agent
A lot of real estate agents tend to work with residential homeowners who are looking to buy a house to live in. If you’re wondering “How do I sell my land to a developer?” you may need to find someone who specializes in selling land to commercial businesses. (Alternatively, you might consider getting in touch with us to buy your land from you – we’re not developers but we do buy land).
Third, be aware of zoning
Developers will be looking to build, which may include potentially subdividing and doing additional work on the land. They’ll want to know how your property is zoned so they can anticipate the work required to build. Of course zoning can often be changed but zoning changes will substantially add to their timeline and add potentially significant risk to their project, so it’s helpful for developers to know up-front how the land is zoned.
Fourth, be aware of the path of new construction
This one is harder for land owners to know but if you’re wondering, “How do I sell my Florida land to a developer?” this will be an important consideration that the developer is thinking about: If your land is not inside a city then a developer will probably want to know if the city is growing in the direction of your land. (Even if the city is not growing toward your land, that’s okay but developers will want to know). You don’t have to know this answer yourself but if you do, that will be helpful to developers.
Selling raw land can be challenging because it’s a very different kind of buyer. But if you’re wondering, how do I sell my land to a developer, then these 4 tips will help you.