Hi, I’m working on selling a couple of properties on Facebook Marketplace, and one thing I’ve noticed is how many people are asking me to come to the property with them in case they have any questions. How are you typically responding to these questions? It isn’t worth it for me or an assistant to go out to each property every time someone wants to see it, but refusing is turning potential buyers away.
Thanks
@sempervirens this is one of the key reasons for a boundary survey. It will cost you at least a few hundred bucks for one, but it can be very helpful to have the surveyor mark each of the corners of the lot, so any interested party can see them on-site.
What @donyost says is true. This is the conventional way most land investors will handle this kind of thing because it clears up any confusion about where the corners are (of course, people can always move the markers or steal them… but they usually stay put for a good long time).
Another option would be to give your buyer the address of a house next door so they can get to the near vicinity of the vacant lot, and then use it as a reference point to find the subject property. You would also have to provide them with a few high-resolution parcel maps, so they can understand where the lot is relative to the house address you gave them. Like this:
There are also few mobile apps out there that can be used with GPS functionality to point out where the parcel lines are and indicate when the user is standing on the property.
I believe they all require a paid subscription from either you or your buyer BUT they have a free trial as well, so if your potential buyer is sophisticated to download it and set up their free trial, they could potentially use these to figure out if they’re on or near the property.
@sempervirens I’ve had this happen before. And in the end I kinda said (in a nice way, not exactly like this) listen, this is listed way under retail. Here are approximately a dozen ways to figure out where this property is. This is not full service and full retail. If you’d like to pay an agent to go out there with you, that is between you and whoever you hire. But if you want me to go out there with you then you don’t get the cheap, cash price. The customer then figured it out.
Thanks! I’ve sent them parcel maps showing the boundary outlines and addresses, but a few still want someone to go in person. Jessica’s responses sound like a good idea.
@sempervirens Hello! I have done exactly what @freesiapropco has done for lower priced properties. I very politely let them know I am a wholesaler and not an agent providing a full retail service. I give them all the information to find the land. If they’re serious and like a good deal, they will figure it out.
Also what is price point of the land? Typically people who are in a higher price brackets will want an agent out to answer their questions.
In essence, I think the price point of the property is an important question to ask yourself as well.
Good Luck!
@melody-rauber
Our price points so far are $30k or less, so we have not been using agents.
Thanks!
I’ve never been to any of the properties I’ve purchased, but I do take the time to create a custom google map with both the property boundary outlines and the turn by turn driving directions. This provides me with a map that can guide my customers to the property and also call out any of the selling features along the way.
On rare occasion, I’ve had buyers that are are sticklers about having the corners marked. In those cases, I tell them they can hire there own surveyor or buy a metal detector to find where the rebar was pounded into the ground when the lot was originally platted. My google map will get them within 5-10 feet or the corner demarcations and the metal detector does the rest. I’ve had good success with this in the past as long as the lot wasn’t platted 50+ years ago. Hope that helps.