By Dwain Ammons, Expired Listing Broker – Allen Tate Realtors®
Large Acreage & Land Property Specialist
📞 (828) 447-0036 | ✉️ dwain.ammons@allentate.com
🌐 dwainammons.allentate.com
If you’ve had a large tract of land listed for sale and the listing has expired, it’s natural to feel frustrated. Maybe you had big plans, or you expected strong interest. After all, land is one of the most valuable and limited assets there is. And yet, your property didn’t sell.
I’m writing this informative article not just as a large acreage/ large land broker, but as someone who has walked with many clients through this exact moment—when a listing expires and the property goes unsold.
There’s good news here: an expired listing is not the end. It’s often the beginning of a smarter, better, more strategic approach. And if you’re serious about selling, it’s the perfect opportunity to get it right.
An expired land listing refers to a property that was listed for sale—usually on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)—but did not sell before the listing agreement with the broker and/or brokers firm ended. Once the expiration date passes, the property is removed from the active market. At that point, you as the landowner have no current representation, and your property is no longer being marketed.
What does this mean for you? It means the time, effort, and money you invested into trying to sell your land has not yet paid off—and it’s time to re-evaluate why. Contact form for help here.
Land is not like a house. It’s not always about curb appeal or granite countertops. Selling land—especially large acreage—requires a specialized approach. There are more variables, a narrower buyer pool, and a completely different set of expectations.
Here are some of the most common reasons a large land listing expires:
Landowners often overvalue their property based on outdated comps, personal attachment, or incorrect assumptions about development potential. But the land market is sensitive. Price too high, and you’ll miss the right buyers.
If a listing suggests the land can be used a certain way—but zoning, access, or utilities say otherwise—it deters serious buyers. Transparency matters.
The MLS is powerful, but for land, it’s not enough. Land buyers aren’t browsing the same way homebuyers do. They want soil maps, topography, drone footage, timber value assessments, and more. If your listing didn’t include this—buyers may have skipped it entirely.
Land needs a narrative. Is it a private homestead? A recreational retreat? Development potential? Hunting tract? Buyers don’t just buy acres—they buy possibilities. If your listing didn’t paint that picture, it was likely overlooked.
Let’s be honest—most real estate agents are trained to sell homes, not hundreds of acres. Land requires a different skill set: surveying knowledge, soil understanding, road access evaluations, percolation test know-how, and more. Contact form for help here
When I meet with landowners whose listing has expired, I don’t come with a sales pitch. I come with questions, data, and one goal: to understand why it didn’t sell and what we can do to fix that.
Here’s how I approach expired land listings:
I walk the land. I look at the lay of the property, access points, streams, buildable areas, restrictions, easements, and more. You can’t sell land if you don’t understand every inch of it. I make it my business to know exactly what’s there—and how to present it accurately and attractively.
I don’t inflate numbers to win listings. I show you what similar parcels have sold for—real numbers, not guesses. I also factor in the land’s unique characteristics, current buyer demand, and macroeconomic trends. My goal is to help you price it in a way that invites offers—not silence.
Most expired land listings fail on presentation. I make sure your property is represented professionally with:
High-quality drone and ground photography
Topographic maps and aerial overlays
Parcel boundaries clearly defined
Soil and timber value information when applicable
Clear, honest, and strategic listing language
MLS is just one part of the plan. I also tap into:
Niche land buyer networks
Regional investor groups
Social media ads tailored to land buyers
Broker-to-broker outreach
Direct marketing to known developers or recreational buyers
This is where I take extra time. I want you to know why your land didn’t sell before, what buyers are seeing today, and what needs to change. I don’t sugarcoat the market, and I don’t push anyone to relist if they’re not ready. But I will always give you the truth, backed by data and experience. Contact form for help here.
If you’re still interested in selling your property, I would be honored to take a fresh look at it with you. I won’t waste your time. I’ll walk the land with you, go over comps, and share what the real market is doing right now.
If it turns out the timing or price just doesn’t make sense right now—I’ll tell you that too. Sometimes the best advice a landowner can get is to wait. And when it is time to move forward, you’ll have someone in your corner who knows land and knows how to sell it. Read more here.
An expired listing isn’t failure—it’s feedback. It’s a message from the market that something needs to change. Whether it’s the price, the marketing, or the representation, we can figure that out together.
I appreciate the time you’ve taken to read this. Whether or not you decide to relist, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to introduce myself. And if I can ever be of service in a large acreage or land transaction, I’d be grateful for your call and promise to do my best.
Dwain Ammons
Broker | Allen Tate Realtors®
Large Acreage & Land Property Specialist
📞 (828) 447-0036
✉️ dwain.ammons@allentate.com
🌐 https://dwainammons.allentate.com
