Lesson 12: Strategic Pricing Methods

One of the first things buyers want to know is: "Can I actually get to this property?"

It doesn't matter how great the photos look or what the zoning allows — if buyers aren't sure about access, they'll hesitate or walk away completely. Road access and easements are critical to confirm up front so you can answer confidently and remove one of the biggest deal-killers in land sales.

1Step 1: Check the County GIS Map or Property Appraiser

Pull up your parcel on the county GIS map or property appraiser's site.

Look closely for a road touching your parcel:

Paved Roads: Best case, buyers love seeing paved access.

Dirt/Gravel Roads: Still fine, especially in rural areas — just be clear about it.

No Visible Road: If the parcel doesn't touch a road, you'll need to check for easements.

2Step 2: Look for Recorded Easements

An easement is a legal right to cross someone else's land to reach yours. Without it, you may technically own the parcel but have no legal way to get to it. That's why confirming access is one of the most important steps before selling land.

The good news? You don't have to be a lawyer or spend weeks digging through old records. You just need to know the main ways easements show up — and if you get stuck, a quick call to the county or a title company can give you the answers.

1. Start With the Deed

Every property has a deed recorded with the County Recorder/Clerk of Court.
Many counties let you search deeds online through an "official records search" portal (Google: "[County Name] official records search"). If not, you can visit or call the clerk's office directly.
Look through the deed for sections labeled "Easements," "Rights of Way," or "Encumbrances."

Often the deed won't spell it all out, but instead will reference another document. Example:

"Subject to easements of record in Plat Book 12, Page 45, XYZ County Records."

If you see a book and page reference, write it down — that's your clue to the next step.

2. Pull Plat Maps and Recorded Docs

A plat map is basically a survey map of a subdivision or group of parcels. It shows how lots, streets, and easements were originally laid out.

You can usually find plat maps in the same county records portal by searching the book/page reference from your deed, or by subdivision name.
If you can't find it online, call the county clerk or recorder's office and ask them to pull it for you.

On a plat map, look for:

Streets touching your parcel.
Easement strips marked with dashed lines or labeled widths (like "20' ingress/egress easement").
The legend, which explains how easements are drawn.

Plat maps are valuable because they visually prove access. If your lot touches a dedicated street or easement, you're on solid ground.

3. Check the County GIS Map

Many county GIS viewers have a layer or legend for easements.
Turn on options like "Easements" or "Rights of Way."
Easements may appear as dashed lines or shaded strips across parcels.
Click them to see details, if available.
Not every county includes easement data in GIS, but if yours does, it can save you time.

4. Title Search (Optional but Reliable)

If you want a guaranteed answer without doing the legwork, order a title search from a local title company or attorney.

Cost is usually under $200.
They'll pull every recorded easement, lien, or restriction tied to the property.
This is the fastest way to get professional confirmation.

⚡ Pro Tip: Don't get overwhelmed by all this.

You don't have to master deeds, plats, and GIS maps. If you can't find the answers yourself, just call the county planning office, recorder's office, or a title company and say:

"I'm confirming whether parcel [APN/address] has legal road access or a recorded easement. Can you check?"

They deal with this every day and can usually point you in the right direction quickly.

👉 Key Takeaway:

Easements matter because they prove access. You can find them in deeds, plat maps, GIS layers, or by ordering a title search. But don't overthink it — a couple of calls to the county can give you the answer just as easily.

3Step 3: Confirm With the County Planning or Roads Department

Once you've reviewed the deed, plat map, or GIS map, the next step is to double-check with the county directly. This keeps you from misinterpreting documents and gives you an official answer you can share with buyers.

Call the County Planning Department, Zoning Office, or Roads Department (whoever manages property access in your area).
Give them your parcel APN or property address and ask:
- "Does this parcel have legal road access?"
- "Is the road public or private?"
- "If it's private, is there a recorded easement for access?"

If you already found a reference to an easement or plat in your deed, mention it:

"The deed references Plat Book 12, Page 45. Can you confirm this plat provides road access for my parcel?"

Take clear notes with names, dates, and direct quotes. This shows buyers you did your homework and adds credibility.

👉 Remember: If you're stuck or documents don't make sense, calling the county is the fastest way to cut through the confusion.

4Step 4: Physically Check the Road (If Possible)

If you (or someone you hire) can visit the property, a physical check is the best way to show buyers the road situation.

Drive up to the property and note whether the road is paved, gravel, dirt, or unmaintained.
Take ground-level photos of the entry point so buyers can see it's drivable. This instantly reassures them.

Private or Dirt Roads (Critical Point):

If the road is private or dirt, make sure it looks passable and not overgrown. This step can make or break your sale.

I've had land that only sold after I invested in making the road accessible. Before that, buyers would drive as far as they could, stop short of the actual parcel, and turn around. They never even reached the property to see it. Once the entrance was cleared and drivable, the same land sold quickly.

👉 If needed, hire someone to mow, trim, or lightly grade the road entrance. It's often a small investment that pays back many times over in the sale price and speed.

Pro Tip:

If you have neighbors using the same road, consider reaching out to them. They may be willing to pool resources to maintain or improve the access road, since it benefits everyone.

Extra boost: If you do improve the road or entrance, highlight this in your listing: "Easy access — road recently cleared and drivable." Buyers love seeing you've already removed that barrier.

5Step 5: How to Show Access in Your Listing

Buyers don't need complicated legal explanations — they just want reassurance that the property is usable and easy to reach. Keep your wording simple, positive, and accurate.

Here are safe, proven ways to phrase access depending on the situation:

If paved road access:

"Easy access with paved road frontage directly to the property."

If dirt or gravel road access:

"Accessible by maintained dirt/gravel road, only minutes from [nearest town/landmark]."

If access via easement:

"Legal access provided by recorded easement (driveway/road easement already in place)."

If access is uncertain or not verified:

In most cases, it's best not to mention access at all in your listing. Phrases like "Buyer to verify access" tend to scare buyers away, even when access probably exists. Instead, focus on the positive features of the property (size, location, views, zoning potential). If a serious buyer asks about access, you can explain what you know and what steps they can take to confirm.

👉 Key Principle: Less is more. Your job is to attract interest and spark conversations, not to overwhelm buyers with disclaimers. Use your listing to highlight the positives — save the legal fine print for contracts and direct discussions.

⚡ Pro Tip:

Road access is a deal-maker or deal-breaker. Confirm it early, document it clearly, and present it in the best possible light. Even a dirt road can be appealing if you frame it as "peaceful privacy" instead of "hard to reach."

🛣️ AI Tools Bonus: Easement Extractor (Upload & Summarize)

Upload deed / plat / title PDF or DOC → get a clean easement summary you can use

• Use Case

Quickly find everything about easements inside your uploaded deed, plat map, title commitment, or survey—then get a plain-English breakdown for sellers/buyers, plus alerts for any referenced-but-missing documents.

• Prompt

Act as my easement extraction assistant. I will upload one or more PDFs/DOCs (deed, plat, title commitment, survey). Parse only the uploaded files and produce a concise summary of all easements referenced. Highlight any citations to other records (book/page, instrument #, separate agreements) that were not included in my upload and tell me exactly what to pull next.

What to extract for each easement:

Type & purpose: ingress/egress, utilities (power, water, sewer, pipeline, drainage), conservation, etc.
Who benefits / who grants: dominant vs. servient estate (if stated).
Location & width: bearings/feet, "along east boundary," "20′ wide," book/page references.
Key rights & limits: construction/maintenance rights, no-build zones, surface use limits, gates.
Duration: perpetual/term, release/abandonment conditions.
Document trail: quote short phrases + cite Book/Page or Instrument # exactly as written.
Impact on use: where you can/can't build/park/plant; driveway or utility routing implications.

Also detect & flag:

Referenced-but-missing docs: Any outside documents the files point to (e.g., "Plat Book 12, Page 45," "Inst. 2020-009876," "Road Maintenance Agreement dated…"). List what's missing and why it matters.

Output format:

Access Snapshot: one line (e.g., "Recorded 20′ ingress/egress along east line; legal access present.")
Easement List: bullet per easement with Type • Beneficiary • Location/Width • Purpose • Book/Page.
Referenced but Missing: list each cited external doc not provided + how to retrieve (Clerk/Recorder, Book/Page, Instrument #).
Map Note: simple instruction to mark on a lot map (e.g., "shade 20′ strip on east boundary").
Buyer-Facing Line: 1–2 sentence plain-English reassurance for listing/text.
Uncertainties: anything unclear in the docs + the exact follow-up to confirm.
Quick Call Script: one sentence to ask the county/title if clarification is needed.

Important rules: Use only the content of the uploaded files; do not assume facts not in the documents. Quote short phrases where helpful. Keep the summary tight and practical.

• Inputs

Uploaded files: one or more deed(s), plat(s), title commitment(s), or survey(s) in PDF/DOC format.

Goal: confirm and summarize road access & easements, highlight missing external docs, and produce a simple summary for marketing + due diligence.

• Example Input

Uploaded files:

- Warranty_Deed_2021-011234.pdf

- TitleCommitment_ScheduleBII_2024-07-15.pdf

- Boundary_Survey_2020-09-02.pdf

Goal:

Extract and summarize all easements affecting access or building, and alert me to any Book/Page or Instrument # that I still need to pull (e.g., referenced plats, separate utility/pipeline agreements).

Lesson 12 of 37