Where do I find land comps?

Closed sales in your county's recorder or assessor data, the local MLS via a broker, and reputable land sales platforms. Cross-check the parcel facts on county GIS to confirm acreage, zoning, and access before treating any sale as a comp.

How many land comps do I need?

Aim for at least three to five recent closed sales of similar parcels. Fewer than that and your band is fragile; many more and you usually start including non-comparable parcels.

How recent should land comps be?

Last 12–24 months is a good default. Older sales can still be useful in slow-moving rural markets, but they need adjustments for market movement and should be flagged as older context.

Are Zillow or Redfin estimates good land comps?

Automated estimates are designed for improved residential properties, not vacant land. Treat them as background only — closed sales, zoning, and parcel facts from county data are far more reliable.

Can LandGauge replace a broker or appraiser for comps?

No. LandGauge helps you organize comps, pricing assumptions, and parcel research. A licensed broker or appraiser still owns the formal comp set and valuation when a transaction requires one.

How to Find Land Comps for Vacant Land

Short answer: find land comps by pulling recent closed sales of vacant parcels in the same county, similar acreage band, similar zoning, and similar access and utility profile. Then compare those comps to the subject parcel — apples to apples — to build a realistic price-per-acre band.

Most bad land deals start with bad comps. The fastest way to misjudge value is to grab a few nearby sales without checking whether they are actually similar to the parcel in front of you.

Analyze a Land Deal Due Diligence Checklist

Plain-English explanation

LandGauge is not a certified appraisal and does not replace a licensed appraiser, broker, county official, surveyor, engineer, attorney, or other qualified professional. It helps you organize early land research, compare assumptions, review comps, and decide whether a deal deserves more time.

Same county and acreage band

Stay in the same county and a similar acreage band as the subject parcel. Crossing county lines or jumping from a 2-acre lot to a 40-acre tract usually breaks the comparison.

Closed sales, not active listings

Listing prices show what sellers want; closed sales show what buyers paid. Build your band from closed sales and use active listings only as context for current market direction.

Similar zoning and allowed use

A residential-zoned parcel and a conservation-overlay parcel are not comps for each other, even at the same address. Match zoning, overlays, and allowed use as closely as you can.

Similar access and utilities

Legal access, road frontage, and utility availability all move price. A comp with paved access and power at the lot line is not a clean comp for a landlocked parcel without utilities.

Similar usable acreage and shape

Two 10-acre parcels are not comps if one is mostly buildable and the other is mostly slope or wetland. Compare usable area, not just headline acreage.

Recency

Stay in the last 12–24 months when possible. Older sales need adjustments for market movement, and older comps stretch the credibility of any price-per-acre band.

Common mistakes

Averaging the wrong parcels together

Averaging a 1-acre infill lot with a 40-acre rural tract on a per-acre basis produces a number that fits neither. Group comps by acreage band before averaging.

Trusting a single comp

One comp is an anecdote. A defensible band needs at least three to five similar closed sales — fewer than that and any single outlier distorts the picture.

Using improved-land comps for vacant land

Parcels with a house, barn, septic, or well are not comps for raw land. Improvements have their own value and inflate the per-acre price.

Ignoring zoning differences

A nearby sale with development zoning can mislead you about a conservation-overlay parcel. Confirm zoning on every comp before including it.

Cherry-picking the highest comp

It is easy to pick the comp that supports the asking price. A useful band shows the full range — high, low, and middle — and where the subject realistically sits.

How LandGauge helps

Comp review structure

LandGauge gives you a structured place to record comps, compare them to the subject parcel, and see how the asking price lines up with a realistic price-per-acre band.

Pricing assumption stress test

Review the pricing assumptions driving your estimate alongside zoning, access, utilities, and split potential — instead of trusting a single number from a listing.

Research links

Direct links to county GIS, zoning, and planning resources help you confirm comps are actually comparable before relying on them.

Practical checklist

Use this as a starting point — always verify zoning, county records, GIS data, access, and local rules with the county and qualified professionals before committing to a deal.

Comps pulled from the same county and acreage band

Closed sales prioritized over active listings

Zoning, overlays, and allowed use matched on every comp

Access (legal and physical) compared on every comp

Utility availability compared on every comp

Usable acreage and parcel shape considered, not just total acreage

Recent sales prioritized (typically last 12–24 months)

Outliers identified and either explained or excluded

Realistic price-per-acre band documented for the subject parcel

Frequently asked questions

Related guides and tools

How to estimate vacant land value How to adjust land comps What to do when good land comps are scarce Vacant land value estimator How to tell if land is buildable Land deal analyzer Vacant land analysis tool Land due diligence checklist Land split calculator All land research guides County GIS finder

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