Start with the lot you want to sell and the papers you already have. Find the city's lot numbers, check a price and decide how to find a buyer. You can list with an agent, sell it yourself or compare a direct offer. You don't need every answer before you begin asking questions.
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.
Get the borough, block and lot numbers from your property tax bill. Together, these are called the BBL. They identify a piece of land in the city's records. Keep all three parts together, even if you usually describe the land by its street address.
Write down the address or nearest street too. If you're selling several lots, list each BBL. Two pieces of land beside each other may have separate records; don't assume one number covers both.
The city's ACRIS page links to a public tool for finding addresses and parcels, as well as recorded land papers. ACRIS is the city's online land-record system. If you don't know the BBL, start with its Find Addresses and Parcels option.
Compare the land in the record with your deed and any old survey. If something doesn't match, ask for help before you describe the lot to buyers. The NYC311 deed and property-record guide explains where to get help.
Put these items in one folder. Photos or scans are useful for early talks.
If you can't find the deed, use ACRIS to look for a recorded copy. It covers Bronx records from 1966 onward. Choose Search Property Records, then Parcel Identifier (Borough, Block, Lot). Select BRONX and enter your block and lot. The search has a date range and document classes, including DEEDS AND OTHER CONVEYANCES.
A deed is the paper that records a transfer of ownership. Start with deed records rather than assuming every document in a search is a deed. Save the document ID or other record reference with the copy you find.
For a record from before 1966, or a search that doesn't match, use the city's deed-help guide to find the next step. Ask about copy options and any cost before ordering.
Missing papers are something you can work through. You don't need a new survey or building plan just to talk about selling.
Look at the owners named on the deed. If you share the lot, talk about what each person wants before agreeing to a sale. Make sure everyone means the same BBL or group of lots.
If you're handling inherited land or helping settle a loved one's estate, start with the deed and any estate papers you have. The person handling closing can help work out who needs to sign and what else may be needed. You don't have to sort everything out alone.
Share what you know about loans, unpaid taxes or agreements for someone else to use the lot. These details can affect the next step and the money you keep.
A buyer needs to know what is for sale and what still needs checking. A small side lot can raise different questions from a larger empty lot.
Take photos from the sidewalk and safe places on the lot. Show the entrance and its condition. You don't have to clear it or pay for new plans just to begin a price discussion.
Don't describe the lot as ready for a certain building unless you have support for that claim. A neighboring building doesn't prove the same project will work on your land. A buyer can check their intended use with the right city office and their adviser.
Start with recent sales of vacant lots near yours. Compare size, street access, shape and what the sale included. A lot sold with a building or a group of lots may be a poor match for one empty lot.
Keep the BBL and deed reference beside each sale price. Check whether one deal included several properties. Two records may describe the same transfer; count that deal once. Don't give each lot the full price of a group sale.
Asking prices tell you what sellers hope to get, not what buyers paid. A tax value also isn't a promise of today's selling price. If you can't tell what was included in a sale, leave it out of your main group until you can check.
Ask an agent who sells vacant city lots which sales they would use and why. Our land value guide can help you make a short comparison. If good matches are scarce, keep that uncertainty in the price discussion.
You can explore more than one way before deciding. If you'd like a Reelvest offer to compare, tell us about your land. You decide whether it fits your needs.
Ask for the price, costs you pay and target closing date in writing. Find out what the buyer plans to check, when they can end the deal and what happens to the deposit. Ask for any unclear term to be explained.
Compare the money you'll keep after fees, loan payoff and unpaid taxes. A higher offer can leave less if you pay more costs. Ask the person handling closing for a written estimate.
Check that the contract names the right land and owners. Agree on any items to remove and any use of the land that will continue after the sale.
Closing is the final step: the agreed papers are signed, payment is handled and ownership changes. Keep your signed papers and final cost statement.
For a useful start today, find your tax bill, write down the BBL and lot, and list your biggest question. Bring that short list to your first conversation.
It means borough, block and lot. These three parts identify the land in city records. Keep the full set with your deed, tax bill and sale notes so everyone is talking about the same lot.
Start with ACRIS, the city's online land-record system. Search Property Records has a Parcel Identifier option for borough, block and lot. For records before 1966 or an unclear result, use the city's deed-help guide.
Not just to begin a conversation. Share existing plans or approvals if you have them. Don't promise a certain building use without support. Ask whether any new work would help before spending money.
Yes. Compare price, costs, work involved and terms. Ask what money you'll keep and what must happen before closing. A Reelvest offer is one option you can consider.
Local source links reviewed October 4, 2026.