Start with your location, property ID and the papers you already have. Then choose how to find a buyer, compare the price and terms, and work through closing. You can ask about selling before you have 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.
Find a recent tax bill, an old deed or a map you’ve saved. Write down the property ID and about how many acres you want to sell. If you own more than one parcel, list each ID.
A parcel is a piece of land with its own record number. That number is often more useful than an address for empty land. Don’t guess a street address if the land doesn’t have one.
Make a short note about the land. Include the nearest road, how you reach it, and whether it’s mostly woods, open ground or a mix. Add buildings or other features that would come with the sale.
It’s okay if some details are missing. You can start a conversation with an agent or buyer before you’ve found every paper. If you’re handling inherited land or helping settle a loved one’s estate, keep the papers you have. Ask the person handling closing who needs to sign and what else is needed.
Multnomah County has different tools for property information and recorded deeds. Pick the one that fits the paper you’re missing:
The county’s online research guide lists 503-988-2225 for tax information. Its Public Research Room is at 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland. Call before a visit if you’re looking for a particular older document.
For copy requests, the county’s records instructions ask for details such as the document number or book and page, year and full name on the document. Bring what you have and ask about missing details. You don’t need to learn the whole records system to sell.
You have a few choices. Think about how much work you want to handle and how soon you hope to sell.
You don’t have to pick the first option you hear about. Ask questions and get the important details in writing. A direct buyer’s offer and a price you might get by waiting for another buyer can be different.
Start with recent completed sales of similar land. Ask a land agent which nearby sales are useful matches and why. Compare the location, size, road access, ground and what the sale included.
A small lot among homes can be a poor match for a large wooded tract. A sale with a house can also give a misleading empty-land price. Ask whether more than one parcel was included.
Active listings show what sellers hope to get. Tax values serve a different purpose. Neither is proof of what a buyer will pay for your land today.
If there are few close sales, ask how that affects the price range. Before paying for clearing, a new survey or other work, ask whether it’s likely to help the sale. You can get a first opinion without doing a buyer’s building homework.
For more help with comparisons, see our Multnomah County land-value guide.
Clear information can save a lot of back-and-forth. Share a map, a few recent photos and a plain description. Say how visitors can reach the land and whether they need permission to use a shared road or driveway.
Mention any lease, shared ownership, loan or unpaid taxes you know about. Keep copies of useful papers. You don’t need to post personal estate papers or loan details in a public ad; share them with the person helping check the sale when needed.
Don’t promise that a buyer can build or split the land if you haven’t checked that. If you have an old approval or test result, share the document and its date. Let the buyer ask about their plans.
If you’re unsure about a detail, “I don’t know yet” is a useful answer. It gives the agent, buyer or closing team a clear question to check.
Ask for a written offer that identifies the right parcel or parcels. Check the price, seller costs, deposit, planned closing date and any conditions that let the buyer cancel.
A higher price doesn’t always leave you more money. Here’s a made-up example: a $120,000 offer with $10,000 in seller costs leaves $110,000 before other amounts owed. A $114,000 offer with $4,000 in seller costs also leaves $110,000.
Include loan balances and unpaid taxes when estimating your payment. Ask the closing team to check the amounts rather than assuming the offer covers them.
Also ask what work you’re expected to do before closing. A request to clear land or pay for a new survey can change the deal. If a term is unclear, ask someone to explain it before you sign.
Our land offer comparison worksheet can help you put the offers side by side.
Closing is the step where the sale papers are signed and payment is handled. Ask who will manage it, who needs to sign and how your payment will reach you.
The closing team checks ownership records and prepares the needed papers. If you share the land or are handling an estate, ask which signatures and documents are still needed before treating a date as final.
Review the written cost breakdown before signing. Check that the property details and price match your agreement. Ask about any difference you see.
Keep a copy of the signed agreement and closing papers. Missing records or unresolved questions can affect timing, so ask for a target date and the steps still left to finish.
The land seller document checklist can help you keep the basics together.
Tell us where your land is and what you know about it. A property ID, map or tax bill can help us find the right place. Start with what you have.
We’ll review the details and let you know if we can make an offer. You can ask questions and compare it with selling through an agent or finding a buyer yourself. You decide whether it works for you.
Tell us about your land, or read the Oregon land seller guide for more general selling help.
Yes. Start with a tax bill, property ID or map and what you know about the land. Multnomah County has online recorded-document tools and help for older records. Ask which papers you’ll need before closing.
The county says MultcoRecords covers recorded documents since February 2002. For earlier documents, use its Public Research Room or ask about a copy request and any research fees.
No. A property ID or map reference can help identify it. Share the nearest road and the papers you have. Don’t make up an address.
Keep the estate and land papers you have. Ask the closing team who can sign and which documents are needed. You can begin asking about selling while those questions are being checked.
Compare the money you keep after costs, any work required, the buyer’s conditions and timing. Get those details in writing. A higher price may not leave you more money.
No. These steps can help you prepare for selling through an agent, selling yourself or comparing a direct offer. You choose the route that fits you.
Local source links reviewed October 5, 2026.