A Day in the Life of a Land Expert
By Thomas Santore
Most people think of real estate as houses, deals, and open houses on Sundays. But land? That’s a different animal entirely. No granite countertops to ooh and ahh over. No staging. No cute golden retrievers wagging their tails at showings.
Land is raw potential. It’s what comes before the house, the road, the school. And every day I get to wake up and walk that blank canvas.
Here’s what a typical day looks like for me — if there is such a thing.
6:00 AM — Quiet Clarity
I wake up early, usually before the sun, and that’s when the good ideas hit. Before the emails, calls, and site walks start rolling in, I get a few minutes to myself — mapping parcels, checking GIS overlays, or just scribbling ideas on a legal pad. It’s not always glamorous, but this is when I spot patterns and possibilities others miss.
8:00 AM — Coffee & Coordinates
Most mornings, I’m out the door with a thermos of black coffee and a stack of tax maps. I’m either walking land I’ve seen a hundred times or stepping onto something brand new. I never get tired of that moment when I first crest a ridge or find a hidden stream. Every property tells a story — you just have to know how to listen.
10:00 AM — Town Hall Tango
Subdivision potential? Wetlands? Lot line confusion from 1957? Time to get answers. I spend a lot of time in building departments, zoning offices, and assessor's desks. If you want to be good in this business, you have to build relationships with the people who know the history — and the code.
12:30 PM — Lunch in the Truck
Usually a sandwich eaten between site visits, often with boots covered in mud. Sometimes I scroll through calls and messages from buyers asking:
“Can I build here?”
“What would a driveway even look like?”
“Is this land worth it?”
Spoiler: the answer isn’t always yes. And that’s why they call me — because I’ll tell them the truth, not just what gets the deal done.
2:00 PM — Creative Math
Afternoons are often for running numbers. What’s the cost of clearing? Can we get a 4-lot subdivision on that R-60 portion? Where would septic go? I crunch it all, from comps to construction costs to potential resale value. This isn’t guesswork. This is strategy.
5:00 PM — Callbacks and Check-Ins
I return buyer calls, developer texts, and the occasional “Hey, Tom, you gotta see this lot” from a fellow agent. Deals get done through consistency — not pressure. I check in, give updates, send drone shots, and keep the wheels turning.
7:00 PM — Home, Sort Of
Dinner, maybe a basketball game if I’m lucky, and then a little zoning research on my laptop. I know, I know — but hey, it’s part of the job. And truthfully? I like it. Every parcel I dig into could be the next big project.
Being a land expert isn’t about flipping dirt. It’s about vision. It’s about understanding what could be, long before the first foundation is poured.
And honestly? There’s no place I’d rather be.
A Day in the Life of a Land Expert
Call me to get yourself started on your way to either selling or buying your land! 845-590-5488
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