Approvals First or Sell As-Is? The Decision Most Putnam County Landowners Get Wrong
One of the first questions landowners ask me is simple:
“Should I get approvals before I sell, or just sell the land as-is?”
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—but there is a wrong way to think about it.
Approvals Don’t Automatically Mean More Money
Many owners assume approvals always add value. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. In some cases, spending time and money on approvals actually narrows the buyer pool or locks the property into a plan the market no longer wants.
I’ve seen fully approved parcels sit longer than unapproved land—because the approvals didn’t match current demand.
When Approvals Make Sense
Approvals can add real value when:
The zoning is complicated or misunderstood
The parcel looks risky without clarity
The buyer pool needs certainty to move forward
In those cases, approvals remove fear—and fear is what keeps buyers from making offers.
When Selling As-Is Is Smarter
On the flip side, selling as-is often works best when:
The land has obvious buildability
Multiple buyers want different outcomes
Timing matters more than squeezing every dollar
Some builders want flexibility. They don’t want your vision—they want theirs.
The Costly Mistake
The biggest mistake isn’t choosing approvals or as-is.
It’s making that decision without understanding your buyer.
Land doesn’t have one value. It has different values depending on who’s looking at it and what they plan to do.
The Right First Step
Before spending a dollar—or listing a parcel—the smartest move is understanding:
Who the real buyers are
What problems your land creates or solves
Which path creates leverage instead of delays
In Putnam County, the best land deals aren’t rushed.
They’re positioned.
Approvals First or Sell As-Is? The Decision Most Putnam County Landowners Get Wrong
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