Finding Off-Market Land Development Opportunities with Acres

Finding off-market land development opportunities can be challenging, especially in a competitive real estate market. Unlike traditional listings, off-market properties aren’t publicly advertised, making them harder to identify but often more lucrative. 

This guide will walk you through uncovering off-market land opportunities, identifying unlisted properties, and leveraging Acres.com to develop effective strategies during the land acquisition process.

Contents

Types of Land Transactions

What are Off-Market Opportunities?

What is Acres?

Finding Off-Market Development Land with Acres

• Transaction Data and Market Insights
• Direct Outreach
• Zoning and Land Use Potential
• Risk Evaluation
• Infrastructure and Utility Access

Leveling the Field for Smaller Competitors

Advantages and Disadvantages of Off-Market Listings

Common Types of Land Transactions

Public Listings: Widely advertised properties available on listing services and real estate platforms, making them accessible to all buyers. 
Auctions: Competitive bidding, often with a set timeline, where properties are sold to the highest bidder.
Off-Market Deals: Not publicly advertised and rely on direct connections or specialized research tools to uncover hidden opportunities.

What are Off-Market Opportunities?

Off-market opportunities are unlisted real estate opportunities or undisclosed land development deals that aren’t available to the general public.

Buyers, sellers, or investors use off-market deals for many reasons. These may include:

• Pricing Control: Without public market pressures, sellers can set their own prices and negotiate privately.
• Less Competition: A smaller buyer pool means fewer bidding wars and more favorable deals.
• Exclusive Access: High-value listings attract a pool of serious, vetted buyers and investors.
• Streamlined Transactions: Private listings allow for hand-picked buyers, fewer showings, and less hassle.
• Privacy: Sellers may prefer private listings to avoid unwanted attention from competitors, tenants, or the media. 

What is Acres?

Acres is a land data and mapping platform built to bring transparency to America’s biggest asset–land. With data for over 150 million parcels of land, Acres brings together the information you need to understand and value land with confidence. 

Our user-friendly mapping and data platform provides accurate and comprehensive land intelligence, comparable sales, and easy-to-use mapping tools, for fast, informed decision making. 

Finding Hidden Development Opportunities with Acres

Transaction Data and Market Insights

Accessing reliable sales comps and transaction data is essential—especially in non-disclosure states where sales prices aren’t publicly available. Acres updates its nationwide data weekly, providing:

• Buyer and Seller Names
• Sales History
• Document Number
• Crop Use and Soil Scores
• Price Per Acre
• Courthouse Transaction Details
• Curated Comps

Direct Outreach

Finding off-market opportunities requires making connections and utilizing powerful research tools like Acres, to identify and contact potential buyers and sellers directly.

The Layer Library lets you find specific locations by characteristics (like parcel owners or land use), create boundaries from that data, and then research and save lead lists within those boundaries.

By building lead lists, you can:

• Identify and connect with other landowners in the area.
• Target specific areas and limit your research to the location of interest.
• Create and draw custom boundary lines.
• Save your research into one list and share it amongst a team.
• Broaden your search beyond just listings and foreclosures.

Zoning and Land Use Potential 

Zoning laws dictate how land can be used, making them crucial for developers and investors.

Acres provides zoning data for numerous counties and cities, allowing users to visualize restrictions and identify prime development opportunities.

Risk Evaluation 

Before acquiring land, it’s crucial to assess potential risks. Acres’ Layer Library enables you to analyze:

Flood Zones and Wildfire Boundaries
Water Availability & Soil Conditions
Topography and Slope Analysis
By evaluating these factors upfront, you can reduce investment risks and make informed decisions.

Infrastructure and Utility Access

Understanding a property’s existing utilities, easements, and infrastructure can make or break a deal. With Acres’ features you can streamline your land research and simplify data visualization. 

• Search for nearby roads, power lines, and sewer access
• Identify development-ready properties
• Filter by specific infrastructure needs

Leveling the Field for Smaller Competitors

Historically, land data was only accessible to large firms willing to pay for expensive databases.

Acres democratizes this access, giving smaller investors, developers, and builders the same market intelligence tools as industry giants.

With Acres, you no longer need expensive databases or industry connections to:

• Research Ownership Records
• Access Zoning and Land Use Insights
• Find Recent Off-Market Transactions

Now, anyone can make data-driven decisions—without the need for a dedicated research team.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Off-Market Listings 

Advantages

• Fewer Restrictions: More flexibility in deal terms.
• Stronger Negotiation Power: Direct access to sellers.
• Better Pricing Potential: Less market competition.
• Direct Communication: Tailored deals without middlemen.

Disadvantages

• Harder to Find Deals: Requires research and connections.
• Lack of Market Comparisons: Pricing can be uncertain.
• Fewer Legal Safeguards: Requires due diligence.
• Financing Challenges: Lenders may require extra documentation.

Final Thoughts

The most valuable real estate deals aren’t always publicly listed. By using Acres’ mapping and data tools, you can uncover off-market opportunities, access exclusive properties, and gain a competitive edge.

Unlock exclusive real estate opportunities before anyone else. Sign up for Acres.com today to access exclusive properties, leverage powerful data tools, and stay ahead of the competition.