To sell your land, start with its location, the papers you have and a price you can explain. Then choose how to find a buyer and compare offers. You can use an agent, sell it yourself or ask a direct buyer for an offer. You don't need every answer before you start.
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 your latest tax bill. Write down the tax account number, acres and nearest road. If the land has no street address, use the account number and the land description from your deed. Keep each piece of land on a separate line if you own more than one.
The Marion County property-record site starts with a notice to read before using the search. If you can’t find your land, call the Assessor’s Office at 503-588-5144. The county’s property-record help page says the office can help when you have an address or location.
You can ask, “I’m getting ready to sell this land. Can you help me find the account and acres in your records?” An old family nickname for the land may not be enough. Have the nearby road and owner name ready.
If you want to sell only part of a larger property, say so early. Ask what would be needed to sell that part before paying for a survey or promising a buyer a separate lot.
Start with what you already have. Photos or scans can help with early talks.
For a missing deed, ask the Marion County Clerk’s recording staff how to get a copy. The current recording page lists 503-588-5225. Bring the owner name, land location and any deed reference you have. Ask what they need for a search and what a copy will cost.
The two offices do different jobs. The assessor helps with property assessment records. The clerk keeps recorded land papers, including deeds. A tax record is a useful starting point, but it doesn’t replace a deed or the checks done at closing.
You don’t need to buy a new survey, clear the trees or make a building plan just to ask about selling. First find out what would actually help with your sale.
Look at the owners named on the deed. If you share the land, talk about what each person wants before you agree to a sale. Make sure everyone means the same land and the same acres.
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 and agreements for someone else to use the land. These details can affect the next step or the money you keep.
A lot in town, a farm field and a wooded hillside can attract different buyers. Tell them what you have, rather than just calling it “great land.”
For a field, keep any farm agreement with your notes. Talk about the crop, rent and when the farmer can use the land before promising a buyer an empty property.
For wooded land, show the entrance and slopes in your photos. For a town lot, show the road and nearby surroundings. Take photos from safe places where you have permission to go.
If a buyer wants to build, share any approvals you already have. If you don’t know what’s allowed, say so. Agree on who will check with the right local office. A road, power line or nearby house doesn’t prove the land is ready for another home.
Look for recent completed land sales that match your size, location, access and use. Ask a local agent who handles land to show the sales they would use and explain why.
A house sale in Salem may be a poor match for bare land outside town. A small lot may be a poor match for a farm tract. Even two properties with the same acres can differ if one has easy access and the other has steep ground or a shared drive.
Keep the land account or deed reference beside each sale. Check what the price included: one lot, several lots, buildings or other items. Count the same deal once if it shows up in more than one record.
The county’s tax numbers serve different purposes. Don’t use a number from your tax bill as a promise of today’s selling price. The property-record site also warns that values and taxes pause during tax-roll work, generally from mid-September through mid-October. If a number looks out of date, ask the assessor before relying on it.
Asking prices show what sellers hope to receive. They aren’t proof of what buyers paid. Use our land value guide to make a short comparison sheet. If good matches are hard to find, keep that uncertainty in your 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 land and acres, and list your biggest question. Bring that short list to your first conversation.
Start with your tax bill, the land location and the acres you want to sell. Add your deed, any survey and agreements for someone to use the land if you have them. Missing papers can be worked through.
Ask the county Clerk’s recording staff about searching for a deed copy. Have the owner name, land location and any deed reference ready. Ask about search help, copy options and cost before ordering.
Use the tax account number, nearest road and land description from your deed. The Assessor’s Office can help locate the property record when you have an address or location.
You can start by describing it as it is and sharing useful photos. Ask what work would help with your sale before spending money on clearing, a survey or building plans.
It is one piece of information, not a promise of today’s sale price. Compare completed land sales that fit your property and ask an agent to explain the differences. Check with the assessor if the tax record seems out of date.
Local source links reviewed October 4, 2026.