To sell land in St. Louis County, start with a recent tax bill and any papers you have. Then decide how to find a buyer, compare offers and put the sale in writing. You can take the first step without having every answer.
Tell us about your land. There’s no obligation to accept an offer.
Start with what you know. These steps will help you get ready and choose the way to sell that fits you.
You don’t need a perfect folder of papers to get started. Gather what’s easy to find:
If you’re handling inherited land or helping settle a loved one’s estate, take it one step at a time. A title company or attorney can help check who needs to sign. You don’t need to share private family details in a listing.
Use our land seller document checklist to see what you have and what may be missing.
For land in St. Louis County, start with the County Recorder of Deeds. The office keeps recorded deeds, subdivision maps and other land papers.
Call 314-615-7100 or email Recorder@stlouiscountymo.gov. The office is at 41 South Central Avenue in Clayton. Have the owner’s name, address or parcel number, and an approximate purchase date if you know it.
Ask how to get the right copy before making a trip. The county says deed research needs an appointment when dates or the address are unknown, or the records are from before 1974. Walk-in deed copies are paid for by credit or debit card. Ask about current copy costs.
Check whether your land is in the county or St. Louis City. The city has its own Land Records Department and a separate recorded-document search. A mailing address that says “St. Louis” isn’t enough to choose an office. Use the location shown on your property papers, or ask the office to help you check.
Take a few current photos if you can reach the land safely. Show the road entrance, open areas, woods and any buildings. Label old photos with their date so a buyer knows what may have changed.
Write a short, honest description. For example: “About two acres, wooded, reached from a paved road. I don’t have a recent survey.” That gives a buyer more to work with than “great investment opportunity.”
Tell buyers about known issues such as unpaid taxes, a shared driveway, a lease or a loan that still needs to be paid. If access crosses someone else’s land, share any written permission or recorded agreement you already have. Don’t guess about the right to use it.
If you plan to advertise the land as a home site, check before making that claim. The county Planning Department handles unincorporated St. Louis County. “Unincorporated” means outside a city or town’s limits. Call 314-615-2520 and ask who handles the rules for your parcel. If it’s inside a city, ask that city’s planning office.
You don’t need to design a home or solve every building question to sell. Just separate what you know from what a buyer still needs to check. Nearby houses don’t prove that the same use is allowed on your land.
Look for recent sales of similar land. A small lot near homes may have very different buyers from a larger wooded tract. Compare size, road access, location, utilities and allowed uses.
Asking prices can show what’s on the market. They don’t tell you what buyers actually paid. A local land agent can help find sold properties and explain which ones are useful matches.
Your tax value is another piece of information. It isn’t a promise of what a buyer will pay. Avoid setting your price from one nearby listing or a county-wide average.
Also think about your timing. Would you rather wait for more offers, or accept less for a sale that fits your schedule? Decide that before you start comparing buyers.
Reelvest is one direct-buyer option. You can tell us about your land and ask whether we can make an offer. There’s no charge to ask, and you decide whether the terms suit you.
The highest price may not leave you with the most money. Before you agree, ask:
Here’s a made-up example: an offer of $80,000 with $6,000 in costs leaves $74,000 before loans and other amounts owed. An offer of $76,000 with $1,000 in costs leaves $75,000. These numbers show the math, not local land prices.
Use our land offer comparison worksheet. Ask for the costs in writing so you can compare each offer the same way.
The buyer and seller sign a sale agreement. It should spell out the price, deadlines, costs and any checks the buyer may make. Read it before signing. Our land sale agreement guide explains the main parts in plain language.
The title company or closing attorney checks ownership and any recorded claims that could affect the sale. They’ll tell you which papers or signatures are needed. Missing papers or shared ownership can take time to sort out.
Before closing, review the statement showing the price, costs, amounts paid off and money you’ll receive. Ask about anything you don’t understand. Confirm payment instructions using a trusted phone number, especially if an email asks you to send money or changes bank details.
At closing, the required owners sign the transfer papers. The closing office handles recording and payment under the agreed terms. Keep copies of the final papers. Ask when the money will be available rather than assuming it arrives the same day.
Yes. Start with the papers you already have. A buyer or closing office may later ask for a survey. Ask why it’s needed, who pays and when it must be done before ordering one.
Use the office for the place where the land is located. St. Louis County and St. Louis City have separate land-record services. Check your property papers or ask the recorder’s office if you’re unsure.
Not always. Get advice or offers first. Clearing can cost money, and some buyers prefer woods. Current photos and an honest description may be a better first step.
It may be possible, but first check who can sign. If you’re helping settle a loved one’s estate, a title company or attorney can explain which papers are needed. You can ask about selling while those questions are being sorted out.
It depends on finding a buyer, the agreement and any ownership or paperwork issues. Ask each buyer for a proposed closing date and what could delay it. No single timeline fits every parcel.
No. This guide can help you sell with an agent, on your own or to a direct buyer. A Reelvest offer is simply another option you can compare.
Local source links reviewed October 6, 2026.