The other day I was searching my local MLS for lot listings in Destin or Niceville Florida. Who was the buyer? Me! So, with the eyes of a buyer and buyer’s agent, I looked for a suitable lot to potentially build a new home. What I found astonished me.

Lot listings in Destin with no photos, lot listings in Niceville with only the remarks “Foreclosure”. Fuzzy plat sketches. Incorrect plat maps. Wrong links to the property appraiser website. No lot size listed.  No acreage listed.  I could go on and on! So, with 346 lots for sale in Destin, Miramar Beach and Niceville, Florida, what is a buyer to do? ELIMINATE the lots with incomplete information from their search. That’s exactly what I did.

Are you listing vacant land for sale? Here are my suggestions for a complete listing that will help get the lot sold for your client:

1. Take multiple photos of the lot. It might just be some trees or grass, but believe me, an interested buyer will appreciate them.

2. Take photos of the neighborhood amenities, community pool, playground, walking trail, etc.

3.  Upload the lot survey.

4.  Include lot dimensions and acreage calculation.

5.  Include an aerial photo of the lot, if available.

6.  If a coastal, Gulf of Mexico waterfront property, include a map showing the location of the DEP Coastal Construction Control Line.

7.  If the property is in a notable flood zone, include a Firmette from the FEMA Map Service Center (with the caveat that the buyer is to verify this with his own insurer).

8.   Provide Architectural Guidelines, if feasible size-wise, and the association documents.

9.  Have a builder or architect design a plan that could go on the lot, and include sketches and price for construction.

10. Include a link to the lot Zoning allowances (with instructions for buyer to independently verify).

11. If public water and sewer are available, provide information about cost to hook up.

12.  If it’s a large parcel, include the development status or whether animals, horses, etc. are allowed (with a source document or link).

Thorough information will increase your chance of selling lots for your clients in a timely manner. Potential buyers won’t just “move on”. Vacant land is not the easiest type of real estate to sell. With a complete listing, treated with the same respect you would show a house listing, your chances of success will go up.

It’s Wendy!