Selling land privately means one thing: you and a buyer agree on a deal directly, with no listing and no agent between you. It's the cheapest way to sell, and it works, as long as you understand that every job an agent would have done is now yours.
This is the walkthrough for that path: who the private buyer usually is, how to price for them, how to check they're real, what the contract needs to say, and how to close without anyone walking off with your money. If you're still deciding whether to skip the agent, start with selling land without a realtor. This post assumes you've decided.
What "private" actually saves you, and what it costs you
The obvious saving is commission. Land listings often carry a commission of 6% to 10%, and small parcels sometimes higher, because a $20,000 lot takes nearly as much agent work as a $200,000 one. On a $45,000 parcel at 8%, that's $3,600.
What you give up is exposure. A listing puts your parcel in front of every buyer searching that county. A private sale puts it in front of whoever you reach. That's fine when the right buyer is already nearby, and a problem when they aren't.
| Private sale | Agent listing | Selling to a land company | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | None | Often 6–10% | None |
| Buyer pool | Who you can reach | Widest | One buyer, one offer |
| Your workload | Highest | Lowest | Low |
| Price | Can be strong if the buyer is local and motivated | Market, minus commission | Usually below retail, in exchange for speed and certainty |
| Who drafts the contract | You or your attorney | Agent's standard form | Buyer, so read it closely |
Step 1: Figure out who your private buyer probably is
Most private land sales go to one of a handful of people, and almost none of them are found through a yard sign:
- Adjacent owners. The neighbor who wants a buffer, a bigger yard, or room for a family member is the classic private buyer. The county property appraiser's map shows every abutting parcel and its mailing address.
- Local builders. If your parcel is a buildable lot in an area with active construction, the builders working that subdivision already know what lots there are worth.
- Hunters, farmers and recreational users for rural acreage, reached through local feed stores, hunting clubs and farm-and-ranch listing sites.
- People who've already contacted you. Letters and calls asking whether you'd sell are a buyer pool too. Compare them carefully; more on that in who buys land for cash.
A short, polite letter to every abutting owner costs less than $20 in postage and is the single highest-return marketing step in a private sale.
Step 2: Price it from evidence, not hope
With no agent pulling comps, pricing is on you. Look up recent sold prices for similar parcels in the same area (not asking prices), then adjust for the things that move land value most: road access, utilities, zoning, flood zone and buildability. The full method is in how buyers actually price land.
Price a private sale a little above your floor so there's room to negotiate, and decide that floor before the first conversation. Sellers who name a number on the phone without knowing their floor tend to regret it.
Step 3: Gather the documents before you take a call
Serious buyers ask the same questions, so have the answers ready:
- A copy of your recorded deed and the parcel ID
- The current tax bill, and whether anything is past due (if so, read selling land with back taxes)
- Any survey, plat map, or legal description
- Zoning, flood zone, and what you know about access, power, water and septic
- HOA or deed restrictions, if any
The complete list, and who signs what, is in land sale paperwork.
Step 4: Vet the buyer before you vet the offer
A high offer from a buyer who can't close is worth nothing, and in a private sale nobody screens buyers for you. Before you sign, ask:
- How are you paying? Cash buyers can show a recent bank statement or proof-of-funds letter. Financed buyers should have a lender pre-approval, and know that land loans are harder to get than home loans.
- What do you need to check, and how long will it take? A survey, a perc test, a zoning call. Reasonable due diligence on land takes days to a few weeks, not months.
- Which title company will you use? A real buyer answers this immediately.
Step 5: Put the deal in a written purchase agreement
A handshake is not a land sale. Real estate contracts must be in writing to be enforceable, and the details in it are what protect you. At minimum the agreement should cover:
- Parties, parcel ID and legal description, copied exactly from the deed
- Price and how it's paid: cash, financing, or owner financing
- Earnest money: the amount, who holds it (the title company, not you), and when it becomes non-refundable
- Due-diligence period: a fixed number of days, after which the buyer either proceeds or walks
- Closing date and closing agent
- Who pays which costs: transfer tax, title insurance, recording, prorated property tax
- Type of deed you'll deliver
Some states customarily, or by law, have an attorney handle the closing. Elsewhere, a one-hour attorney review of the contract costs a few hundred dollars and is cheap insurance on a five-figure sale.
Step 6: Close through a title company, every time
This is the one step you should never handle privately. A title company or closing attorney:
- Searches the title and clears problems such as old liens, missing heirs, or mismatched names before closing
- Holds the buyer's money in escrow, so you never sign over the deed before funds are secured
- Prepares and records the deed and files the IRS Form 1099-S
- Verifies identities, which is why vacant-land owners, a frequent target of seller-impersonation fraud, should insist on one
On wiring: verify any instructions by calling the title company at a number you looked up, not one in an email. Wire fraud on real estate closings is common and usually unrecoverable.
When a private sale is the wrong call
Going direct works best when there's an obvious local buyer and the title is clean. It's a harder road when the parcel is landlocked, the title has problems, you're across the country, or you need it closed on a deadline. In those cases the trade-offs in our complete guide to selling land are worth a second look, and if you're weighing an offer from a company, read what to watch for first.
Whichever way you go, keep the paperwork, check your tax picture before you set a floor price, and don't sign a deed until the money is in escrow.
Common questions
Is it legal to sell land privately without a realtor?
Yes. Every state lets an owner sell their own land directly. What you can't skip is a written contract and a properly executed, recorded deed. Some states customarily or legally require an attorney at closing, so check yours first.
How do I get paid safely in a private land sale?
Close through a title company or closing attorney. The buyer's funds go into escrow, the deed is recorded, then your proceeds are disbursed. Never sign a deed before funds are in escrow, and confirm wiring instructions by calling a number you looked up yourself.
How much earnest money should a land buyer put down?
No legal minimum. Small parcels often see a flat few hundred to a few thousand dollars; larger tracts often use a percentage. What matters more is when it becomes non-refundable. Tie that to the end of a short, fixed due-diligence period.
Who pays closing costs when you sell land by owner?
Whoever the contract says. Local custom sets the starting point. In most of Florida the seller customarily pays deed doc stamps and the owner's title policy. It's all negotiable, so write the split into the agreement.