Let’s just get this out of the way: The MLS is not a marketing plan.
It’s a filing cabinet. A place where listings go to sit—not a place that sells land on its own.
If your agent’s whole pitch is, “We’ll get it on the MLS,” you might as well bury a ‘For Sale’ sign in a hayfield and hope someone trips over it.
Land Doesn’t Sell Like Homes
Residential listings get fed into dozens of websites automatically. Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin—you name it.
But land? It doesn’t follow the same rules. Most land listings never look right on residential sites. Why?
- No physical address
- No bedrooms, bathrooms, or square footage
- Bad photos or missing details
- Poor categorization (or no category at all)
So, what happens? Your 160-acre irrigated field ends up lost between a townhouse and a mobile home on a cul-de-sac.
What Real Land Marketing Looks Like
Marketing land properly means telling the story of the property, the opportunity, and the lifestyle.
Here’s what I do instead:
- Drone footage—because aerial context matters.
- Custom mapping—topography, soil class, boundaries, and access. I use id for all of my custom, detailed maps.
- Professional photography—not cell phone pics with a smudged lens.
- Property-specific outreach—to land buyers, investors, and brokers.
- In-house promotions—email blasts, social pushes, and agent networks.
- Listing optimization—on land-specific platforms, not just MLS.
This isn’t “extra.” It’s the bare minimum your land deserves.
Strategy > Syndication
I don’t just “list” a property—I position it. That means understanding the buyer type, timing the market, and packaging the listing so it gets the right attention from the right people.
If your land isn’t being marketed like a one-of-a-kind opportunity, then what’s the point?
The Bottom Line
The MLS is a tool—not a solution. If your agent treats it like a finish line instead of a starting point, it’s time to have a serious conversation.
Because land doesn’t sell itself. It needs strategy. It needs exposure. And it needs someone who actually knows dirt.
Meet the Author
Derek Zarello is a Wyoming land and ranch broker, Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), and owner of United Country Real Estate | Zarello Land & Legacy. Based in Casper, Derek specializes in marketing, selling, and valuing rural properties across Wyoming, including small and large acreage, ranches, and unique recreational tracts.
With a background in the automotive industry and years of real estate experience, Derek combines negotiation skill with deep knowledge of Wyoming’s landscapes, water rights, and zoning laws. He’s a board member of the Wyoming Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute and is recognized for his deep understanding and appreciation of Wyoming’s rural markets, from evaluating rural potential to highlighting recreational value, ensuring every listing tells the right story.
Derek’s marketing approach blends professional photography, drone video, detailed mapping, and AI-driven digital campaigns to reach targeted buyers nationwide. His Know Your Dirt™ series educates sellers, buyers, and agents on best practices in land transactions. Read his original article here.