Ready to Sell My Land in 2026

Deciding to sell your land can feel simple—until you start looking at pricing, timing, paperwork, and how to reach serious buyers. Today’s market adds another layer: values and demand can shift quickly by region, and many buyers need creative financing or extra due diligence for vacant property.

Whether you’re selling a small rural parcel, inherited acreage, or a larger agricultural tract, the goal is the same: find a qualified buyer and close without costly surprises. Below are the most practical ways to sell land now, what to expect from each path, and how current land-value trends can affect your strategy.

Understand Today’s Land Market Before You Price

Land pricing is local, but national indicators help you set realistic expectations. In 2025, U.S. farm real estate value reached a record $4,350 per acre, up $180 per acre (4.3%) from 2024, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Land Values 2025 Summary Report. That same report shows cropland values rose by $260 per acre year over year in 2025, highlighting continued strength in productive ground (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Land Values 2025 Summary Report).

If your land produces income—or could—rents matter to buyers. Cropland cash rent values rose 0.6% to a record $161 per acre in 2025, while pastureland cash rent remained flat at $16 per acre in 2025, based on the same USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Land Values 2025 Summary Report. These figures can help you justify price (or explain limitations) when buyers compare your parcel to other income-producing tracts.

Regional trends can diverge sharply. In Texas, Q3 2025 data shows Far West Texas rural land increased 15.91% year over year to $714 per acre, while Northeast Texas rose 4.38% year over year to $9,313 per acre, and South Texas averaged $5,970 per acre—down 0.6% year over year, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. Looking ahead, the Texas statewide rural land nominal price per acre is forecast to rise about 2% over the next four quarters from Q3 2025 (Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University), which can influence whether you prioritize speed now or test the market longer.

Sales volume also affects your leverage. In Iowa, the number of cropland tracts sold dropped 16% in 2025 from 2024 levels, according to Farm Credit Services of America. Fewer sales can mean fewer comparable properties and longer buyer decision cycles—especially for specialized or rural parcels.

Option 1: Sell Your Land Directly to a Land Company

Selling land is rarely “plug-and-play,” and rural land often takes longer due to access questions, zoning, utilities, perc tests, title complexity, and buyer financing hurdles. A land-buying company can simplify the transaction by purchasing directly, often as-is, and handling much of the operational work that slows down traditional sales.

Why landowners choose this route

• Speed: You can often move from inquiry to offer quickly, especially if you already have basic property details (parcel number, location, acreage).
• Simplicity: A direct buyer typically manages the closing workflow and coordinates title, escrow, and document requirements.
• As-is convenience: This approach is often a fit when the property has limited access, uncertain usability, or other complications that can discourage retail buyers.

Trade-offs to know upfront

The major downside is pricing. Direct buyers typically aim to purchase below full retail market value in exchange for speed, certainty, and reduced hassle. If maximizing price is your top priority and you can wait, another path may fit better.

If you’re considering a direct sale to Land Boss, you can start here: sell your land. We focus on straightforward closings and help navigate common sticking points such as paperwork, title issues, back taxes (within reason), joint-ownership complications (when applicable), notarization, and other details that can derail first-time sellers.

Option 2: Sell Your Land On Your Own (For-Sale-By-Owner)

Selling land without a realtor is doable, but it demands time, organization, and consistent follow-up. You control the pricing, the marketing message, and the negotiation—and you avoid paying agent commissions.

If you want step-by-step guidance, review our tips on how to sell land without a realtor.

Be prepared to invest time and effort

Expect to do the “agent work” yourself: gather property facts, respond to buyer questions, schedule showings, and coordinate title and closing. You’ll also need to build buyer confidence by clearly presenting what the land can be used for and what it cannot.

Market conditions can impact your timeline. Even in strong pricing environments—like the record $4,350 per acre U.S. farm real estate value reported for 2025 (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Land Values 2025 Summary Report)—vacant land can take longer to sell than a home because fewer buyers shop for it, and due diligence can be more complex.

You may need to offer seller financing

To attract more buyers and speed up your sale, consider seller financing—allowing the buyer to pay over time under agreed terms. This can expand your buyer pool, particularly for raw land where traditional financing can be harder to obtain. Buyers who pay cash may request a discount in exchange for certainty and speed, so decide in advance what trade-off you’re willing to accept.

Option 3: Sell with a Realtor (Ideally a Land Specialist)

Working with a realtor can reduce your workload and improve exposure, but agent selection matters. Many residential agents rarely sell vacant land, and land buyers often ask different questions than home buyers (access, mineral rights, water, soil, restrictions, easements, and buildability).

Be prepared to pay commissions

Agent commissions can materially reduce your net proceeds. The benefit is that a strong agent can handle pricing strategy, marketing, negotiations, and buyer qualification—especially important when the market has fewer transactions, like the 16% decline in the number of cropland tracts sold in Iowa in 2025 (Farm Credit Services of America), which can make it harder to find the right buyer quickly.

Hire a land specialist when possible

A land specialist can position your property more effectively by translating the key value drivers—income potential, comparable sales, and local trends. For example, Texas pricing varies dramatically by region, from $714 per acre in Far West Texas to $9,313 per acre in Northeast Texas in Q3 2025 (Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University). A specialist can use that kind of regional context to set expectations, defend pricing, and market to the right buyer profile.

Bottom Line: Choose the Selling Path That Matches Your Goal

If your priority is speed and simplicity, selling directly to a land company can remove many of the friction points that slow down vacant land sales. If your priority is maximum price and you have time to manage the process, selling on your own or with a qualified land-focused realtor may be a better fit.

When you’re ready to move forward, you can request a direct offer through Land Boss here: sell your land.