Start by checking who is buying, what the written offer says and who will handle closing. Cash doesn’t promise a fast or certain sale. You should understand the price, costs, buyer checks and cancellation terms before signing. A nice website or friendly call is only a starting point.
Check the buyer behind the offer
Ask for the person’s name, business name and contact details. Compare those names with the buyer named in the agreement. If they differ, ask for a clear explanation.
Look up the business and contact details yourself. A review or reference can give you questions to ask. It doesn’t prove what will happen in your sale. An impressive purchase total is not a reason to skip the agreement.
Ask whether the person will buy the land or help find another buyer. Our guide to land-buying companies explains those roles. Keep this page as your check-before-signing list.
Put five answers beside the written offer
Read the offer with a pencil and mark the answers. Ask for anything missing in writing.
- Price: What is offered for the exact land you want to sell?
- Your costs: Which fees or balances come out of your money? Ask for an itemized estimate.
- Buyer checks: What visits, paperwork, loan approval or other steps remain?
- Cancellation: When can the buyer cancel or ask for a different price? What happens to a deposit?
- Closing: What is the proposed date and which office will handle it?
Ask how the buyer’s funds will be confirmed. Don’t request private bank passwords or treat a bank screenshot as proof. Ask the closing office what it needs to check.
If the agreement can pass to another buyer, ask who remains responsible and whether your approval is needed. Have a local lawyer explain terms you can’t put into plain words.
Pause when the request doesn’t fit the deal
A change is a reason to check, not proof by itself that someone is dishonest. These situations deserve a pause:
- A message asks you to send money but can’t explain the charge or who receives it.
- Bank details change just before closing.
- The sender asks for account passwords or private financial details through ordinary email.
- You are pushed to sign before you can read the terms or get help.
- The person won’t explain why names, costs or conditions changed.
A real sale can have costs. The useful question is what the charge is for, who agreed to pay it and how it will be handled. Don’t rely on a blanket promise that all buyers always pay every cost.
Ask your trusted closing contact to check a request. Use a phone number you already verified, rather than one supplied only in the new message.
Set up trusted contacts early
Before closing, write down the title company or lawyer’s name and verified phone number. Confirm who is handling your file and how sensitive payment details should be shared.
The CFPB closing-scam guide recommends saving trusted contacts and checking unexpected payment changes with them. It discusses home closings; that contact check is also useful when selling land.
For example, if an email says the closing office has a new bank account, stop and call your saved number. Don’t call only the number in that email. Ask the office to confirm the request before taking another step.
If you already sent money after a suspicious request, contact your bank or transfer company immediately. The CFPB guide also directs victims to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Quick action matters, but recovery is not guaranteed.
Compare the actual deal with other choices
Use the same property details when asking for more than one offer. Compare the money you keep, work you must do, dates and conditions. A higher price with a long cancellation window may not fit your plans.
Our offer worksheet helps put the numbers side by side. You can also talk with a land agent or market the land yourself. Choose based on the real terms, not a promise that one route is always faster or better.
If you’re helping settle a loved one’s estate or share ownership, ask the closing professional who needs to sign. You can start with the papers you have. Our seller document checklist gives you a simple place to begin.
A short checklist before saying yes
Can you name the buyer, explain your costs, find the cancellation deadline and reach the closing office through a verified number? If an answer is missing, ask before signing. Keep the written answers with the offer.
If you’d like an offer from Reelvest to compare, tell us about your land. Ask us the same questions you would ask another buyer. You decide whether the terms work for you.
Seller Questions
Does cash guarantee that my sale will close?
No. Ask how payment will be confirmed and which conditions remain. Read the cancellation terms and proposed dates in the actual agreement.
Are all fees before closing a scam?
Don’t decide from timing alone. Ask what the charge is for, who agreed to pay it and who receives it. Verify an unexpected request with your trusted closing contact before sending money.
What if payment instructions change by email?
Pause and call a trusted closing contact using a number you saved and verified earlier. Don’t rely only on the number or link in the changed message.
Can I compare more than one cash offer?
Yes. Give each buyer the same land details, then compare written price, costs, conditions and dates. You can also compare an agent listing or selling yourself.
Local source links reviewed October 5, 2026.