Selling land without a realtor. How it actually works.

Is it legal to sell land without an agent?

Yes. A real estate license is for people who sell land for someone else and get paid for it. You don’t need one to sell your own.

• In Texas, the law defines a broker as someone who sells or negotiates real estate for another person in exchange for a commission or other pay. Selling your own land isn’t that.
• In Ohio, the law says the rules for brokers don’t apply to an owner dealing with their own real estate in the state.

If the land is in a trust, an estate, or owned by more than one person, everyone with the power to sign has to agree. If the owner has passed away, see our guide on selling inherited land before probate closes.

Who buys land without an agent

1. Neighbors. Often the best buyer. They know the land, and it may be worth more to them than to anyone else. A friendly letter or a knock on the door costs almost nothing.
2. Buyers you find yourself. A sign on the property, online land listing sites, and local Facebook groups. Expect calls from people who aren’t serious. Ask how they plan to pay before you spend time on them.
3. Land buyers like us. We buy land directly from owners. We make a written offer, pay the closing costs, and close through a title company. You’ll usually get less than the top retail price, but you skip the listing, the waiting, and the repairs or cleanup.

How it works, step by step

1. Get your facts together. Find your parcel number, the acreage, the legal description on your deed, and the tax bill. Check for back taxes, liens, and road access. Buyers will ask, and surprises at closing kill deals.
2. Set a price. Look at what similar land nearby actually sold for, not just asking prices. Your county appraisal district or auditor value is a starting point, not a market price. Land with no road, no utilities, or a failed perc test sells for less.
3. Get the word out. Tell the neighbors first. Then list it. Good photos, the parcel number, and a map make a big difference.
4. Put the deal in writing. A handshake isn’t enough. Use a written purchase contract with the price, the earnest money, the closing date, and who pays which costs. A real estate attorney can write or review it for a flat fee in many areas.
5. Open title. Send the signed contract to a title company or closing attorney. They search the records, find any liens or back taxes, and tell you what has to be cleared.
6. Close. You sign the deed. The title company pays off any back taxes and liens out of the sale money, records the deed, and sends you the rest. It also reports the sale to the IRS on Form 1099-S.

Texas details worth knowing

• Contract forms. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) posts its standard contracts online. There’s one for unimproved property, mostly platted lots, and a Farm and Ranch Contract for rural tracts. Agents have to use these forms. Owners selling on their own often use them too, ideally with an attorney looking it over.
• Utility district notice. If your land is inside a utility district, often called a MUD, Texas law says you must give the buyer a written notice about the district before the contract is signed. If you don’t, the buyer can cancel the contract. Your tax bill will usually show if a district taxes your land.
• Title companies do most closings. In Texas, most land sales close at a title company. Bring them the signed contract and they take it from there.

Ohio details worth knowing

• Conveyance fee. When the deed is filed, the county auditor collects a conveyance fee. By law the seller pays it. The state part is $1 for every $1,000 of the sale price. Counties can add up to $3 more per $1,000, so check your county’s rate.
• Statement of value. The buyer, or the buyer’s closing agent, files a statement with the county auditor saying what was paid for the land. The deed can’t be recorded without it.
• Farm land in CAUV. If your land gets the lower farm tax value, selling it to a buyer who stops farming it can mean a charge to pay back some past tax savings. Ask the county auditor before you set your price.

Protect yourself

Selling on your own means you’re the one checking the buyer. A few habits help.

• Only close through a title company or attorney. Never hand over a signed deed before the money is in their hands.
• Never take a check for more than the price. If a buyer “overpays” and asks you to send the difference back, it’s a scam.
• Confirm wiring instructions by phone. Call the title company at a number you found yourself, not one from an email.
• Watch for someone selling your land without you. In June 2026, the FBI warned that criminals are pretending to be owners of vacant land and selling it to buyers who don’t know better. Many county clerks and recorders offer free alerts that email or text you when a document is filed under your name. Sign up if yours does.

When a realtor is worth it

An agent can be the right call. If your land is valuable, easy to build on, and in a market with lots of buyers, a good land agent may get you a higher price than you’d get alone, even after the commission. Agents also handle the showings, the calls and the back and forth. Commissions are negotiable. Ask what you’d pay and what you’d get for it.

Selling on your own makes the most sense when the buyer is a neighbor, when the land has problems most agents won’t take on, or when you’d rather have a sure deal than wait months for top dollar.

Keeping the land is an option too

You don’t have to sell. If the taxes are low and you have no reason to let it go, holding land is fine. You can lease it for hunting or grazing, leave it to your family, or wait for the area to grow. Just keep paying the taxes and keep your mailing address current with the county, so you don’t miss a notice.

An example with numbers

This one is made up, but the numbers are typical for a small rural tract.

Say you own 10 acres of rural land in Texas with road frontage. Similar tracts nearby have sold for about $60,000. The taxes are about $1,200 a year, or $100 a month while you wait.

• With an agent. It sells for $60,000 after six months on the market. Say the agreed commission is $3,600 and your share of closing costs is $1,500. Six months of taxes is $600. You keep about $54,300.
• By owner, to a neighbor. The neighbor pays $56,000 and you close in two months. Your closing costs are $1,500, an attorney charges $500 to review the contract, and two months of taxes is $200. You keep about $53,800.
• To a direct buyer. A land buyer offers $45,000, pays the closing costs, and closes in three weeks. You keep about $45,000.

In this example the agent nets the most, and selling to the neighbor comes close. The direct sale leaves about $9,000 on the table. What it buys is speed and a sure close. If you’re not in a hurry and the land is easy to sell, the first two routes make more sense. If the land has a problem, or you need it done, the gap often shrinks or the open market isn’t really an option.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules for contracts, notices and closing costs vary by state and county. A real estate attorney or title company can tell you what applies to your parcel.