If you have decided that building a new home is the right path for you, finding land is an essential step. If you’re not yet sure where you want to live, make a list of the towns and neighborhoods that you are considering along with the pros and cons of each so you can rank them. With this information in hand, you can start your search.
While doing it on your own might be tempting, there are some real benefits to working with a Realtor. It’s true that the internet provides a wealth of information—listings, pricing, and other details—but there’s a lot more to buying land.
Why Work with a Realtor to Find Land?
If you’re hesitant to engage a Realtor in your land search, you might want to rethink your reasoning. Here’s why you should consider working with a Realtor to buy land:
- It’s free – The seller pays the Realtor fees, so there is no cost to you if a Realtor helps you find land.
- It saves you time – Your Realtor will help communicate with the listing agent and put together the purchase and sale agreement for you. This not only saves your valuable time, but it also ensures that all of your legal bases are covered.
- You see more listings – Realtors have full access to all properties that are active listings on MLS, whereas most people only have limited access. Realtors may also have knowledge of land available for sale that has not yet been listed.
Based on this information, there really aren’t any reasons not to work with an experienced realtor to help you find land. At Adair Homes, we are constantly meeting people who need land. Based on his years of experience, Home Ownership Counselor Jay Sauers says, “I would highly recommend working with a Realtor.”
5 Tips for Finding a Realtor
Once you have decided it’s time to work with a Realtor, you have to find somebody you trust, assuming you don’t already have a relationship with an agent. Jay has some great tips for anybody looking for land to build a new home:
- Get a referral – Don’t start with an internet search; ask somebody you trust to give you a referral. Your local Adair Homes team has relationships with Realtors who specialize in land throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, so contact us for an introduction.
- Know your budget – Your Adair Homes team can help you understand your total project cost along with which custom floor plan would best suit your family. Having this information will allow you to know what your budget will be specifically for the land as you start your search.
- Identify land specialists – If you want to do your own research, search for land for sale in your area and take down the names and numbers of Realtors that keep popping up. Each office usually only has one or two Realtors who focus on land, so you’ll see the same names time and again. These are the people you want to work with. You can also call a few real estate offices in your area and ask who in the office would be best to help with finding raw land.
- Stay connected – Many local Realtors have mailing lists that will send you options based on your price range, desired size, and location so you can get consistent updates when new land becomes available in your area.
- Be on the same page – Make sure your Realtor understands that you are committed to finding land and building a new home. If you are working with a Realtor who consistently pushes purchasing an existing home rather than buying land, find somebody who will be more in line with your goals.
If you’re ready to get started on your land search, contact Adair Homes today for a referral and we’ll connect you with an experienced Realtor who focuses on land sales in your area. Remember, you don’t need to have land before finding a builder, so you can start working with us any time.
