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dizposition

Sell your commercial land

Raw, partially entitled, or approved and stalled. Wetlands, access problems, and years of taxes with no income against it.

Commercial Land at a glance

Typical deal size
$250K – $10M
Lease structure
Unimproved, or ground leased
Typical term
N/A, or 20–50 years if ground leased
Escalations
N/A, or periodic revaluation under a ground lease
UnimprovedGround-leased to QSR or convenience operatorsBillboard and telecom easementsInterim uses — parking, storage, laydown

Overview

What commercial land are really worth

Our read

Commercial land is the asset class where the same physical parcel can be worth four very different numbers depending on nothing but paperwork. Raw agricultural ground, ground zoned for the intended use, ground with an approved site plan, and ground with permits in hand are four distinct assets, and the spread between the first and the last is frequently several multiples.

That is why land is so often mispriced. Owners who have spent real money on partial entitlement work reasonably expect to recover it, and sometimes they do — but only if the approvals are current, transferable, and match what a developer actually wants to build today. A site plan approved for a use the market has moved past is worth very little.

The second variable is usable acreage. Deed acreage is not developable acreage. Wetlands, floodplain, easements, required detention, and unbuildable slope routinely remove a third of a site, and the value follows what is left rather than what the deed says.

Valuation

How we underwrite it

The method

We underwrite land on usable acreage against a realistic highest and best use, then discount for the time and cost of getting from where the entitlements are to where they need to be.

That entitlement path gets a real estimate rather than an assumption. Some jurisdictions approve in months and some take years, and the difference is a material part of the value. We look at what the jurisdiction has actually approved recently, not at what the zoning ordinance theoretically permits.

Site conditions are underwritten as costs. Utility extension, geotechnical work, wetland permitting, and access improvements all get priced. Rock and required fill are the two that most often exceed the land value itself, and they show up on no survey.

We do not require entitlements to be complete. Raw ground, stalled approvals, and lapsed permits are all buyable — they simply change the number and the timeline, and we would rather be straight with you about both than tie up your land for a year of feasibility.

What moves the number

  1. 01Entitlement status, which is the single largest value driver — zoned, platted, and permitted are three different things worth three different numbers
  2. 02Utility availability at the property line versus somewhere in the vicinity
  3. 03Usable acreage after wetlands, floodplain, easements, and required detention
  4. 04Access, curb cuts, and whether a signal exists or could realistically be approved
  5. 05Topography and soils, since fill and rock removal can exceed the land value on a bad site
  6. 06Highest and best use under current zoning versus what a rezoning would realistically achieve

Capital markets today

10-yr Treasury
5.24%
4.12% a year ago
SOFR
3.87%
4.2% a year ago
30-yr mortgage
7.28%
6.3% a year ago
CRE loan delinquency
1.53%
1.57% a year ago
CRE prices, YoY
6.58%
-2.7% a year ago

Sources: FRED DGS10, 2026-10-01 · FRED SOFR, 2026-10-01 · FRED MORTGAGE30US, 2026-10-01 · FRED DRCRELEXFACBS, 2026-04-01 · FRED COMREPUSQ159N, 2026-01-01

Diligence

What a buyer actually looks at in a commercial land

  1. Check 01

    Zoning, entitlements, and any approved site plan

    The difference between raw and entitled land is frequently the majority of the value. Approvals also expire, and a lapsed approval is worth nothing.

  2. Check 02

    Utility availability and capacity letters

    Water, sewer, and power at the property line versus a half mile away is a six or seven figure difference. Capacity matters as much as proximity.

  3. Check 03

    Wetlands delineation and floodplain mapping

    Usable acreage is what has value. Wetlands and floodplain remove developable area and trigger federal permitting that adds years.

  4. Check 04

    Phase I, and Phase II where prior use warrants

    Agricultural, industrial, and fueling history all leave contamination that is far cheaper to identify before closing than after.

  5. Check 05

    Geotechnical and soils report

    Rock, poor bearing capacity, or required fill can cost more than the land itself and does not appear on any survey.

  6. Check 06

    Access rights, easements, and curb cut approvals

    Legal access is not the same as usable access. A parcel without an approved curb cut on a state highway may be undevelopable in practice.

Backfill risk

What happens if the tenant leaves

The tenant-goes-dark scenario

Land does not have a backfill problem because it has no tenant and no building. What it has instead is a carry problem, and that is what drives most land sales.

Unimproved land generates no income while accruing property taxes, insurance, and often debt service. An owner who bought speculatively can carry that for years before the math turns, and the moment it does the pressure to sell is real. That dynamic is why land trades at wider spreads than income property and why a patient buyer can transact well.

The value question is almost entirely about entitlement. Raw agricultural ground, ground zoned for the intended use, ground with an approved site plan, and ground with permits in hand are four different assets, and the spread between them can be several multiples. Owners who spent money on partial entitlement often assume they will recover it. They recover it only if the approvals are current, transferable, and match what the next developer actually wants to build.

Interim uses — parking, laydown yards, billboard and telecom easements — can carry a site through the holding period and are frequently overlooked.

Why this matters to you

Every buyer prices the tenant-goes-dark scenario, whether or not they say so out loud. It is the largest hidden input into the cap rate you get offered.

Understanding it before you go to market is the difference between negotiating and being negotiated with.

Who sells to us

Situations we see most often

  • Owner who started entitlements and ran out of capital or patience
  • Estate holding land bought decades ago with no development intent
  • Farmer or family whose acreage is now in the path of growth
  • Developer who assembled parcels and had a project fall through
  • Owner carrying land with taxes and no income against it

Buy box

What we buy

  1. 01Raw and entitled land, $250K to $10M
  2. 02Partial or lapsed entitlements
  3. 03Sites with wetlands, floodplain, or access complications
  4. 04Parcels carrying taxes with no income

Process

How selling to Dizposition works

The full process
  1. Day 0

    01

    Send us the property

    Address, asset type, and the lease if there is one. That is enough for us to start.

  2. 02

    We underwrite it

    Our underwriting runs the income against current market pricing and the cost of capital. No lowball anchor.

  3. 10 minutes

    03

    You get a firm offer

    In 10 minutes, with the math shown. You will know exactly how we got there.

  4. As fast as 30 days

    04

    Close on your timeline

    As fast as 30 days, or as slow as you need. We are the principal, so the date is yours.

FAQ

Selling a commercial land

My land is not entitled. Is it worth much less?

Less than entitled ground, yes, but it is still very sellable. We underwrite what the entitlement path realistically looks like — the zoning, the jurisdiction's track record, and the time and cost to get there. Owners often overestimate how much partial entitlement work adds if the approvals have lapsed or do not match current demand.

Part of my parcel is wetlands. Does that kill it?

No, it reduces usable acreage, which is the number that actually drives value. What matters is how much developable area remains and whether the remaining area is configured usefully. Send the delineation if you have one — if not, we will factor the uncertainty.

I have been paying taxes on this land for years with no income. Is there a way to hold it?

Sometimes. Interim uses like parking, contractor laydown, or a billboard or telecom easement can offset carry while the site waits for its moment. Whether that is better than selling depends on your timeline and how far off the development case is.

The land was farmed for decades. Is that an environmental problem?

It can be. Agricultural history brings pesticide and herbicide residue, buried debris, and sometimes old fuel tanks. It is inexpensive to test for and very expensive to discover after closing. Send whatever history you have.

How long does it take to sell a commercial property to Dizposition?

You get a firm written offer within 10 minutes of sending us the property. If you accept, you can close in as little as 30 days — most of that is title work and your own timeline. There is no listing period, no marketing, and no waiting on a buyer's financing contingency.

Can I sell my property as-is?

Yes. We are the buyer, so there is no lender requiring repairs and no inspection contingency to renegotiate against you. Deferred maintenance, a failing roof, an aging tank system — we price it into the offer rather than asking you to fix it first.

Can I sell with a tenant in place?

Yes, and in most cases a tenant makes the property more valuable to us, not less. We will ask for the lease, a rent roll, and any estoppel certificates. You do not need to deliver the property vacant.

What if my lease is short-term or about to expire?

Short remaining term is one of the main reasons owners come to us. A conventional buyer needs lease term to get financing, which is why short-dated assets sit on the market. We underwrite the real estate and the backfill prospects rather than the remaining term alone.

What if the property is vacant?

We buy vacant assets. Pricing shifts from an income approach to what the building and land are worth to the next user, which is a different calculation — but it is one we do routinely rather than one that disqualifies the property.

Do I need a broker to sell to you?

No. We buy directly, and there is no commission because there is nothing to market. If you already have a broker, we will pay them. Selling without one saves the commission, but you should understand you are also giving up price discovery — a broker's job is to find out whether someone will pay more than we will.

What documents do I need to get an offer?

The address and the lease are enough to start. To finalize, we will want the rent roll, the last two years of operating statements, the title commitment, any existing survey, and any environmental reports you already have. You do not need an appraisal or a broker package.

How do you determine your offer?

We underwrite in-place income against what the space would re-lease for, adjust for capital needs and any environmental tail, and apply a cap rate supported by comparable transactions. We show you the inputs. If you disagree with an assumption, we would rather argue about the assumption than about the number.

What are typical seller closing costs?

Title and escrow fees, any transfer or recording tax owed in your state, prorated property taxes, and payoff of any existing debt. Because we are the buyer, there is no commission and no marketing cost. Transfer tax varies significantly by state and is often the largest single line.

Will I owe capital gains tax when I sell?

Usually yes, on the gain above your adjusted basis, and depreciation recapture is taxed separately from appreciation. State treatment varies. This is a question for your CPA before you sign, not after — the structure of the sale can change the answer.

Can I do a 1031 exchange?

Yes. A 1031 exchange lets you defer federal capital gains by reinvesting in like-kind property, subject to a 45-day identification window and a 180-day closing window from the date you sell. You must have a qualified intermediary in place before closing — it cannot be arranged afterward. Most states conform to federal treatment, but a few do not.

Can I sell if I am behind on payments or facing foreclosure?

Yes, and speed is the reason to move early rather than late. We can close on a defined date, which is what a lender or a receiver generally needs to see. Send us the payoff figure and any notices you have received.

Can I sell a property I inherited or that is in probate?

Yes. Probate sales take longer because the court timeline governs, not ours, and multiple heirs need to agree on the price before anything can close. We are used to working around both. Inherited property also generally receives a stepped-up basis, which can change the tax math substantially.

Is there any cost or obligation to get an offer?

None. There is no fee, no listing agreement, and no obligation to accept. If our number does not work for you, you keep the underwriting we showed you and we part ways.

Markets

Top markets we buy commercial land in

10-minute offer

Ready to sell your commercial land?

Send us the property and the lease. You'll have a firm offer, with the math shown, in 10 minutes.