Should You Use a Real Estate Agent to Sell Land in 2025?

by matt hammerly

Introduction

Selling land is not like selling a house.

There’s no kitchen to stage.
No walk-in tours.
And no emotional “this feels like home” moments.

So… do you even need a real estate agent to sell land?

This post breaks down the true pros and cons of using an agent — and shows you when it’s better to go solo and keep the profits.

✅ Pros of Selling Land Through a Real Estate Agent

🧠 1. Market Knowledge

Experienced land agents may know:

  • Local comps

  • Development potential

  • Zoning restrictions

  • Buyer demand trends

📞 2. Negotiation Help

If you hate negotiating, a seasoned agent can:

  • Screen buyers

  • Handle offers

  • Manage paperwork

📢 3. MLS Access

They can list your property on the MLS — which may feed into:

  • Zillow

  • Trulia

  • Realtor.com

This brings more retail buyers into the mix.

❌ Cons of Selling Land Through an Agent

💰 1. High Commissions

Most agents charge 5–10% on land deals.
On a $20,000 sale, that’s $1,000–$2,000 gone instantly.

Many land investors prefer to reinvest that into:

  • Marketing

  • Paid traffic

  • Their next deal

🐢 2. Land Isn’t Their Focus

Most real estate agents focus on homes, not land.

This means:

  • Weak listings

  • Poor photos

  • No highlight of features like seller financing or off-grid potential

🚫 3. Limited Creative Strategies

Agents often don’t understand:

  • Seller financing

  • Terms deals

  • Discount land buyers

  • Off-market flips

If your strategy is outside the “retail box,” they may hold you back.

🧠 When You Might Want an Agent

  • You’re new and want hand-holding

  • It’s a high-dollar lot ($75,000+)

  • You don’t have time to market it yourself

  • You’re selling to traditional homebuilders or developers

✋ When to Skip the Agent and Sell It Yourself

  • You want to offer seller financing

  • You bought it cheap and want to flip quickly

  • You already have a buyer list

  • You’re using land-specific platforms like:

💡 How to Sell Land Without an Agent (FSBO)

  1. Write a powerful listing — see [Day 108’s blog post]

  2. List on:

    • Facebook Marketplace

    • Craigslist

    • Land-specific websites

  3. Offer flexible payment terms

  4. Use a simple land contract (see [Day 104])

  5. Promote your listing using video and social proof

📘 Resources for FSBO Land Sellers

Final Takeaway

Real estate agents can help — but they’re not always necessary.

In fact, most land investors go FSBO and keep the profits.

If you’re willing to handle marketing and contracts, you can sell faster, keep more money, and build your land business like a pro.

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