Finding commercial land for sale by owner (FSBO) isn’t as difficult today as it once was. Maybe you spent countless hours peering through public records, paying exorbitant fees to sites that promised to connect you with a property owner, or reaching out to owners randomly on your own to test the waters and get a feel for the market.
Today, with the advent of technology and the internet’s resources at your fingertips, finding a commercial property is within reach in less time. In fact, ProspectNow can help you find commercial properties likely to sell soon.
So, what are some of the best ways to find commercial land for sale by the owner? Let’s take a look.
How to Find Commercial Land for Sale by Owner
There are several methods for discovering FSBO commercial land, including platforms that make the search a bit easier.
Newspaper classifieds
You can find gems in classifieds. Even with today’s technological advances, some sellers are still old-school and post their properties in the local newspaper. Other sellers opt for the online classifieds section of that same paper. Some of the best spots to scout for classified ads selling commercial properties include:
- Local newspapers
- County newspapers
- Your local city or state website (yes, some of these actually have a classifieds section)
Land or property portal
Unless you’ve ever done any actual research on property portals, you might not know how many websites exist for users to buy and sell FSBO commercial properties. Many of these sites behave as classifieds but may charge fees for membership, posting, or responding to posts. Sometimes, you may also come across listings that have long been sold that were never updated by the site or the seller. In other cases, some of these portals scrape listings from other sites and have no real affiliation with the seller.
Directly contacting commercial property owners
Maybe there’s a specific building, business, or land parcel in your area that you’ve had your eye on. If you know the area, you can contact the property owner directly by calling or visiting the business. Sometimes, this can go off without a hitch, but it must be executed properly. Directly communicating with an owner, either in person or by mail, is a great way to swing the odds in your favor. And your correspondence doesn’t have to be anything fancy — simply note that you’re interested in buying if they’re interested in selling. And if you have cash? It exponentially boosts your chances.
Sales of government land
While it might not have occurred to you, yes, the government often has land zoned for commercial use that they simply have no use for. Buying commercial land for sale by owner when the owner is the government is a win/win – you get the property of your dreams, and the government can cut their losses on a property they don’t need that’s most likely costing taxpayers. Here’s how you can purchase commercial land for sale from Uncle Sam:
- A surplus sale. The government often has land for sale, but be sure to read the fine print — the specific plot might have certain restrictions against use depending on its proximity to natural areas or other locations.
- An auction. Rather than simply take a specific price for a piece of commercial property, many landowners put a plot up for auction. This might happen for various reasons, such as:
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- The owner isn’t sure what to ask for the property.
- The land was repossessed or otherwise seized by the government and must be sold.
In addition to land, governments can also seize estates and the items within, and these often go to auction. You can find fantastic deals on things you might not even know you wanted.
Craigslist
While not offering as many commercial land listings as other platforms, this classifieds site is fantastic for finding that hidden gem that an owner may not have posted on another platform. Competition isn’t quite so stiff on Craigslist, plus you can use the site’s search functionality to narrow your commercial land for sale search by asset type, price, or location – or all the above if desired.
ProspectNow
ProspectNow allows agents, brokers, and investors to search through two databases: residential and commercial properties. With ProspectNow, you can source your own listings complete with actual current owner information all in one spot. The cost of ProspectNow is far outpaced by the benefits of the proprietary Likely Seller algorithm used by the platform.
ProspectNow reviews thousands of properties to determine others in the area that could likely be put up for sale within the next 12 months or less. The platform’s off-market info on nearly all commercial land for sale in the United States can help you identify potential properties that fit your requirements and timelines. Search for the type of commercial property you’d like to purchase by narrowing down such things as market, location, and asset type.
The most important benefit of ProspectNow is your access to current owner information and not just corporation-specific information. ProspectNow offers essential information for both residential and commercial property owners, so you’ll never have to worry if you don’t have a direct phone number or name — you will.
How ProspectNow Can Help
ProspectNow has been offering real estate data since 2008. The data you can find on ProspectNow is a lot more expensive on other competing platforms. By using ProspectNow, you will find more leads, close more deals, and make more money! ProspectNow is a vital tool to help you achieve business success in real estate or real estate marketing. Additionally, ProspectNow is trustworthy, easy to do business with, and a provider of reliable data.