Don’t Let Land Grabbing “Investors” Pick Your Pockets

A Message of Caution for You and Your Loved Ones

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Nearly everyone, at some point in their life, has heard that statement at least once. Most often it came from a parent or someone who had our long-term well-being in mind. When it comes to the topic of land sales, the statement couldn’t be more on point.

I can honestly say that if you had told me a few years ago that I would write an article like this I’d have said, “You’re crazy!” But I’ve been wrestling with writing about this topic several times over the past few months and realize I should have listened to my heart much sooner. After a full year of my phone (and my wife’s) being inundated with unsolicited texts, phone calls and emails offering to buy our property, I realized I have an obligation to my family, friends and fellow REALTORS® to help save someone we love from being taken advantage of in a huge way.  

I’ll explain. It starts out with a seemingly innocent text, many times offering to “help” me, by purchasing the vacant property my wife and I own - a vacant quarter acre directly behind our home that is completely fenced as an extension of our back yard. They offer easy terms like a quick close with an all-cash offer and they will cover all closing costs, etc. Sounds nice of them, right? The problem is, in my experience, the overwhelming majority of these individuals do not have my family’s best interests remotely in mind. As a REALTOR®, this bothers me to my core because this type of scenario often doesn’t meet all of the typical conditions the real estate world considers an “arms length” transaction. They are using this approach to purchase a significant number of properties from everyday people who are not REALTORS® and who lack an understanding of what they are up to.  

An arms length transaction usually reflects the true market value of the property as per current market conditions and appraisals in relation to neighboring or nearby properties. Also, generally speaking there is transparency in an arm’s length transaction where all terms and conditions are openly disclosed, which ensures BOTH the seller and the buyer have a full understanding of the transaction.

Here’s my problem with what is happening on a very large scale. Many people who bought property here in Florida a long time ago in hopes of retiring and building one day, may have passed or had their spouse pass away which changed their plans. The remaining owner or beneficiary of the property many times has no idea what it is actually worth and they are being solicited by individuals, who I discovered in most cases, are not REALTORS®. They are not bound by a Code of Ethics, nor do they feel obligated to inform you of what your property is actually worth.

Here’s an example scenario of how this story plays out all the time and not just in my area. It’s probably happening in your area as well.

Let’s say your grandmother owns a vacant piece of land in Citrus Springs, Florida that she and your grandfather had purchased for $3,000 in 2002, which they had planned to build on. Sadly, those plans changed after his passing. Now in 2025, property values in Citrus Springs have risen substantially because people are seeking its higher elevations. After several major hurricanes further south of the area hit residents hard, coupled with extreme growth in other parts of Florida pushing people to seek more space, your grandmother’s property is worth approximately $20,000 in the current market. But she is unaware of the increase because her taxes on the vacant land have been very low and there are thousands of available lots to build on in the community.

With dramatic changes affecting the ability to access information with the internet and advances in technology to include the use of AI, individuals who like to call themselves “builders”, “developers”, and “investors” when asked, will look up your grandmother’s property online, see what she paid for it, and then reach out by email, letters, phone calls, and texts offering to buy her property for $7,000 and they will take care of all expenses with their simple one or two page contract. Easy right? Sure! Fair? Not even close! Because they’re not a REALTOR®, they're not obligated to tell your grandmother her property is actually worth $20,000. She may never know that they probably have no intention to actually buy and build on it, but rather hold it with only $500 to $1,000 down and then find an actual builder or buyer to purchase it for $20,000. Since their contract with your grandmother was assignable, they will assign it to the new buyer and then will pocket a huge profit of approximately almost $13,000 minus closing costs off of your grandmother while she gets only $7,000. Now in her mind, she may think she did pretty well by getting $7,000 since that’s over twice what she and your Grandfather paid for it, but remember, they paid taxes on it for 23 years. Most importantly, she deserved a much more fair transaction!  

How can this be avoided?  PLEASE CONSULT A REALTOR®!  If you or someone you know gets one of these solicitations, ask them directly, “Are you a REALTOR® or licensed agent?” If they aren’t, I strongly insist on reaching out to a few highly recommended REALTORS® in your area who will be happy to give you a free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) on your property. This will give you a much more realistic number of what your property is ACTUALLY worth in the current market and then consider listing it with one of them so they can work on your behalf to get you the best price.

This doesn’t just happen to people’s grandmothers. It happens to everyday people, single and married alike. It could be you, or a single mom or dad trying to make ends meet who could use that extra property value, or someone fighting cancer or needing an operation for their child where those dollars could make a huge difference. This is why it’s so important to consult a REALTOR® before selling.

This also doesn’t just affect consumers, it also impacts title companies, their agents and REALTORS®. Danielle Meier, Vice President of Title Giant, Inc. in Citrus Springs shared her concerns as well, “As Florida title agents and real estate professionals, many of us have witnessed the increasing prevalence of “assignment” contracts in recent years—particularly in transactions involving wholesale investors. While assignment agreements are legal and recognized under Florida law, their application often creates confusion, tension, and in some cases, significant ethical concerns that directly impact our roles and responsibilities at the closing table.”

Typically, the original contract between the seller and the assigning party reflects a relatively modest purchase price. Shortly thereafter, an assignment contract emerges, transferring the rights to a new buyer at a substantially higher price point. The resulting difference, sometimes thousands of dollars, is captured by the assignment company as their fee—often without the seller’s knowledge or full understanding of the financial structure. One striking example, Danielle shared, involved a seller contract priced at $6,000, while the assignment contract with the end buyer reflected a purchase price of $11,000. In that case, the $5,000 profit was retained entirely by the assignment company, despite the seller being the property owner and principal stakeholder in the transaction. This discrepancy becomes particularly problematic when the seller requests a fully executed Closing Disclosure (CD) or ALTA settlement statement, as required by Florida law. Upon reviewing the figures, the seller may realize for the first time that the buyer is paying much more than what they are receiving—often resulting in anger, distrust, and a sense of being exploited.

“At this point,” Danielle advised, “it is the title agent who bears the brunt of the seller’s frustration, even though we had no part in negotiating these terms. In Florida’s highly regulated real estate environment, we as title professionals are expected to remain neutral, uphold transparency, and ensure compliance with all applicable state laws and ethical standards. Yet, in these assignment-driven transactions, our role becomes increasingly complex. We are forced to act not only as closing coordinators but also as mediators, educators, and sometimes even crisis managers. We must explain these legal yet opaque financial arrangements, calm upset parties, and still ensure a smooth, timely closing. The same challenges extend to our partners in the real estate community. REALTORS®, whether representing buyers or sellers, must be acutely aware of what assignment contracts entail, and must be diligent in guiding their clients accordingly. In many cases, these arrangements are not adequately explained to sellers—particularly those who are elderly, in financial distress, or unfamiliar with real estate norms—making them particularly vulnerable. While assignment contracts have a place in the market and can facilitate creative deal-making, there must be a collective effort among Florida’s real estate and title professionals to prioritize transparency, fair dealing, and informed consent. When a third-party assignment company walks away with the same—or greater—compensation as the seller, without contributing equivalent value or risk, it not only jeopardizes the integrity of the transaction but also threatens the trust the public places in our industry. Ultimately, in the Florida market, we must continue wearing the many hats our roles require—while also advocating for more ethical practices that preserve the professionalism and reputation of our respective fields. Only then can we ensure that all parties—especially the sellers—are treated fairly and equitably in every transaction we close.”

If it hasn’t yet happened to you or someone you know, it’s just a matter of time. In the past few weeks, I’ve had several individuals reach out to me mostly by text, which is highly annoying by the way when you’re a REALTOR® and you think it is a legitimate offer or request for help only to find out it’s another bogus solicitation for our property. My favorite was an email I received offering us approximately 25% of what home sites like ours are currently selling for in the Multiple Listing Service. Fortunately, I’m a REALTOR® who follows our market closely and I recognized this wasn't even close to being reflective of what properties are selling for near our property. While it was frustrating to say the least, it was another great reminder of why I needed to share how this is happening to people who don’t know what their property is worth. It also frustrates me that these individuals take a “throwing mud against the wall” approach and don’t even research the property enough to realize improvements may have been made that affect the value. For instance, I mentioned our property is vacant, but completely fenced for our dogs. In what has to be over 100 plus requests to buy our property over the past year or so, my wife and I can’t recall a single one where they acknowledged the fence.  

In closing, one thing I want to make very clear is that while there are many reputable people who are legitimate builders, developers and investors acting with great integrity, there are also a lot of people who call themselves “builders”, “developers” and “investors” that ARE NOT.  The challenge is, how can you know the difference? Get a REALTOR® to help you before selling.

While it’s been frustrating receiving these requests, the major silver lining is they’ve led me to want to share this information and save unsuspecting property owners from losing tremendous equity they deserve. Another minor and somewhat amusing silver lining, personally, is that I don’t have to worry about our dogs losing their backyard.  Because, while I have been frustrated on the inside from these inquiries and continue to politely let them know we love our property and are not at all interested in selling, I always get a kick out of how my wife (who is not a REALTOR®) responds to some of the inquiries she receives. She let them know she consulted with our dogs and that our dogs said, “You can have it for $75K!” For some reason, this elicits 1 of a couple different responses.  Crickets … or something like “Uh, that’s way too high!” Keep smiling and PLEASE CONSULT A REALTOR® first before selling your property.