If you own ranch land that you think you would like to sell, it is important to be prepared. Selling ranch land is quite different from selling a home — even a home on vast acreage. Your buyers will be different, the process will be a bit different, and you'll need to work with a real estate agent who has experience selling ranch land. If you're scratching your head and wondering where you even start, here are some tips and first steps to set you on your way.
Have the land surveyed.
Ranch land buyers are going to want to know exactly what they are buying and where each property line is. Often, property lines get distorted over time way out in the country. You may know that your land goes up to a certain tree line, or that the property line is somewhere between a certain pond and shrub — but that's not good enough for a buyer. Instead of leaving buyers to do their own survey, pay to have the land surveyed in advance. This way, you can provide the survey up front when people are looking at the land, which will make it more appealing and help you get more offers.
Make sure all of the land is accessible.
Before you even think of listing the property for sale, make sure all parts of the land are able to be accessed. This might mean you need to brush hog paths through some overgrown parts and park an ATV on the land that can be used to access the more remote areas. Ranch land is a big investment, and buyers are going to want to see the whole of what they're buying.
If you're currently running a business on the land, get the statements together.
If you are currently using the land to run a ranch or any type of similar operation, gather your profit and loss statements from the past few years. It will be nice to be able to offer these to buyers so they can see what profit is able to be made from the land. Many buyers won't ask for this, and you're not required to provide it, but it's nice to be able to say "yes" if a buyer approaches you and asks if you have this information.
Once you've tackled the steps above, you can start talking to real estate agents and hire one to help you find ranch land buyers. Then, you'll be well on your way.
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