FAQ’s

A land broker is simply a licensed real estate agent who deals exclusively in assisting buyers and sellers of land-based assets. For example the purchase and sale of farm and ranch land, acreage properties along with development, investment and recreational lands. Some key responsibilities include identifying properties for disposition and acquisition along with negotiating transactions between buyers and sellers.

Accredited Land Consultants (ALCs) aren’t just land sales professionals, they are the most prestigious, the most experienced, and the highest performing land sales experts in their area. Achieving the ALC designation is not an easy feat. It can take years to complete the rigorous education program and establish a proven track record of transaction performance in land before an agent can qualify. It also requires a commitment to professional growth and conducting business with integrity.

Having the ALC Designation gives brokers the knowledge they need to close deals and speak confidently with their clients. It also gives clients confidence in their broker as the most qualified expert to help them with their land transaction. The Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation is the only land-specific designation backed by the National Association of REALTORS®.

When a land professional becomes an ALC, that individual gains access to a unique group of real estate specialists who work together to build and share knowledge, develop trusted relationships, and expand business opportunities. Find an ALC Here. (LINK https://www.rliland.com/member/shawn-hansen/?flc_name=shawn+hansen&flc_searchby=city%2Fstate&flc_city=high+river&flc_state=&flc_state_name=&flc_zip=&flc_dist=&flc_alc= )

Historically land has been a good investment and now in the 21st century, it continues to be a solid, long-term investment. Countless fortunes have been amassed through the acquisition of all different categories of land. Purchasing raw land can be a good investment — if you understand how to invest in land properly like a real estate developer. Land investments can produce high returns, passive income, and large profit margins. While agricultural lands produce smaller cash on cash return capital appreciation continues to be strong in Alberta.

First, decide what type of land you are looking to purchase. Secondly contact a qualified, experienced Accredited Land Consultant. One who has the transactional experience to help you navigate the process from identifying the proper purchase to negotiating the final transaction.

The best time to buy land was 20 years ago, the second-best time to buy land is today.

Typically the larger charter banks are unfamiliar with lending money for bare land. Although at any given time there are financial institutions such as Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and a new player in this arena Western Canadian Bank. An experienced Accredited Land Consultant can put you in touch with the proper individuals.

Land in its nature is not as liquid an asset as is say stocks and bonds. One trades liquidity for security and appreciation. That being said, if the land is priced properly and marketed aggressively the market will react positively. Exposing land to the market at the right price is both a skill and an art that uses historical data combined with knowledge of the current market as well as today’s sophisticated marketing techniques. Offering land at a price significantly greater than what the present market recognizes as “market value” can hinder the sale of one’s property not only today but in the future, alternatively, obviously setting a price too low leaves value on the table. Once again, an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) can guide you through this process so as to achieve maximum value. Gone are the days of pricing lands high with the intent of “we can always come down”. In most cases, properties listed too high become “shelf worn”.

When you’re planning to build your new home from scratch, you’ll first have to purchase a vacant lot to build it on. You might even be purchasing a lot with an existing home, or you may be tearing it down and building a new one.

The process is trickier than obtaining a mortgage

If you buy land rather than an existing house, because you want to build from scratch, you’ll probably need a land loan. And that raises more problems than getting a normal mortgage. For one thing, there’s no home to act as collateral for the land loan.

Individual Realtors in Alberta do have access to the sale price of properties and will look it up for clients upon request, and some put some of that information online. … But the final sale price of a property is a matter of public record. A well-established land broker should also have access to what’s referred to as the Land Title Change Sheets which is somewhat more difficult to access but identifies all land titles changed in a selected area vs. a multiple listing service which only shows sales that have gone through a licensed Realtor.

Yes, like all freehold land in Canada, for example, your house in town, all lands are taxed in a similar way.

To get started, check to see whether your city or county has public records accessible online. Or you can do this by using the Spin II website that is managed by the Alberta Government. But to get a clearer picture you’ll want to engage the services of your local Accredited Land Consultant who compiles MLS information with land title changes information and current knowledge of the market.

Yes.

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Overview
Any parcel of land in Alberta can be located by its legal land description. Legal land descriptions are based on the Alberta Township Survey (ATS) system. The ATS is a grid network dividing the province into equal-sized parcels of land.

Under the ATS, the land is designated as being west of the 4th, 5th, or 6th Meridians (110°, 114°, 118° west longitude, respectively).

Ranges
Between meridians are six-mile-wide columns called ranges. Ranges are numbered consecutively from east to west starting at Range 1 west of each meridian.

Townships
Townships are six-mile-wide rows that intersect ranges and are numbered consecutively from Township 1 at the Montana border to Township 126 at the Northwest Territories border. The term township also describes the six-by-six mile square formed by the intersection of ranges and townships.

Sections, quarters and legal subdivisions
Townships are divided into 36 sections, each section measuring one-by-one mile. Sections can then be divided into quarters (NE, NW, SE, SW), or into 16 legal subdivisions (LSD), as indicated.

The legal description of the section highlighted in the diagram below would be written as: 1 – 87 – 18 – W4 Sec. Twp. Rge. Meridian (PICTURE in cell D16)

Real estate agents have a professional license to help people buy, sell, and rent primarily residential real estate. Land brokers are real estate agents who have completed additional training and licensing requirements. Similar to the way some lawyers specialize fortunes in real estate transactions while others may be litigators or family lawyers, a land broker specializes in marketing and the transaction of land.

The cost of buying a farm or ranch in Alberta varies significantly from area to area, again, you’ll need to consult your local ALC.