This course was developed by the REALTORS^® Land Institute specifically for those real estate practitioners that are interested in learning about land transactions.  Below is a list of the Land 101 course objectives as well as the Land 101 course outline.

For more information on the REALTORS^® Land Institute, visit their website at www.rliland.com.  Interested in obtaining the Accredited Land Consultant ALC  designation? Click on the following link to view the ALC designation requirements.    

The overall goal of the Land 101 course is to introduce real estate professionals to the land brokerage business. In each Course Module, you will examine a different topic, and together they create a comprehensive guide to help you begin to understand this business. By the time the course is complete, the participant should be able to: 

• Differentiate between the different land types.

• Describe the fundamentals of the land brokerage business.

• Explain assemblage and the site selection process.

• Identify the factors that influence land values.

• Recognize the different appraisal methods.

• List the major factors in subdivision development.

• Know when to bring in an expert in a land-related deal.

• Explain the process for getting started in land brokerage.

• Identify how RLI can be a valuable resource. 

• Understand the tax issues involved in land brokerage.

• Identify property rights and the major restrictions.

• Describe the major environmental factors that affect land brokerage.

• Understand the issues related to wetlands and brownfields.

• List the key issues for conservation easements.

• Identify key legislative, regulatory and land rights issues.

• Define highest and best use, and explain its impact on the land brokerage business.

• Explain rent theory.

• List several methods to package a property.

• Understand the legal ramifications of a land contract.

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MODULE 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF LAND BROKERAGE

• Land Ownership

  • History

  • Statistics

• Components of Land Use

  • Location and Timing 

  • Highest and Best Use

• Key Land Terms

  • Units of Measurement

  • Productivity Measures

  • Reading Land Maps

• Soil Types       

• Getting Started in Land Brokerage

MODULE 2: LAND TYPES

• Agricultural Land

  • Cropland

  • Ranch/Pastureland

  • Timberland

  • Agricultural Recreational Use

  • Agricultural Land Leases

  • USDA’s Farm Service Agency

  • Trends in Agricultural Land 

• Rural Land

  • Homes

  • Rural Recreational Land

  • Undeveloped Rural Land

• Urban Land Development

  • Commercial Land

  • Industrial

  • Retail

  • Office

  • Hospitality

  • Institutional

  • Self-Storage

  • Senior Living

  • Urban Land Leases

• Urban Recreational Land

  • Residential Land

  • Subdividing Urban Land

  • Market Analysis

• Transitional Land

  • Comparative Advantage

  • Highest and Best Use

  • Accessibility

  • Location

  • Size and Shape

  • Topography and Soil

  • Environmental Factors

  • Transportation

  • Utilities

  • Government and Legal Factors

MODULE 3:  LAND VALUES 

• Components of Value

  • Scarcity

  • Utility

  • Demand

  • Effective Purchasing Power

• Principles of Real Property

  • Anticipation

  • Balance

  • Change

  • Competition

  • Conformity

  • Contribution

  • Substitution

• Factors that Determine Market Conditions

  • Rent Theory

  • Supply and Demand

• Appraisal Methods

  • Market Comparison (Direct Sales Comparison)

  • Cost Approach

  • Income Approach

MODULE 4:  THE LAND TRANSACTION 

• Introduction to Marketing Land

• Packaging the Property – Developing a Marketing Plan

  • Formal Presentation or Brochure

  • Flyer

  • Advertising

• Marketing Your Properties

  • “Have/Wants” Session

  • RLI Network

• Sale Process

  • Traditional Sales

  • Auction

• Taxation

  • Tax Deferred 1031 Exchanges

  • Qualified Property

• Three Common Types of Exchanges

  • Simultaneous Exchange

  • Delayed or Starker Exchange

  • Reverse Exchange

  • Boot Considerations and Taxable Gain

  • Treatment of Selling Expenses Paid

• IRS 1033 – Threat of Condemnation

• Estate Planning

• Generation Skipping Transfer Tax

• Writing the Contract 

  • Provisions, Addendums

  • Legal Description

  • Purchase Price

  • Taxation Issues

  • Possession

  • Assignment of Risk

  • Method of Payment

• Assistance

MODULE 5:  TOOLS, TIPS AND GIVEAWAYS   

• Land Tools

  • Land Listing Sites

  • Land Values

  • Agricultural Information

  • Urban Development Information

  • Recreational Information

  • Real Estate Resource Links

• Geographic Mapping and Locational Systems

  • GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

  • GPS (Global Positioning Systems)

  • Aerial Photography

  • Mapping Services and Products

  • Looking for a Specific Map?

• Digital Photography and Image Editing Links

• Government and Statistics

• Business Tools

  • Specialized Real Estate Software

  • Marketing

  • Business Services

  • Software Links

  • PC Resources

  • Internet and E-mail Services

  • Credit Reports

  • Public Records

• Miscellaneous Resources

• Research Information

• Internet-Based Education

• Associations

MODULE 6 LAND USE – RIGHTS AND REGULATIONS

• Land Rights Issues

• Property Rights

  • Personal Property Rights

• Land Use Restrictions

  • Private Land Use Restrictions

  • Governmental Rights – Restrictions on Private Usage

  • Taxation

  • Police Power

  • Eminent domain

  • Escheat

  • Governmental Regulations

  • Types of Restrictions

• Building Local Relationships

MODULE 7:  ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS    

• Due Diligence

• Conducting an Environmental Site Assessment

• Wetlands

  • Wetland or Wasteland?

  • Army Corps of Engineers

  • Environmental Agencies

  • Mitigation

  • Preservation

  • Setback Distance

• Brownfields

  • Contaminated Sites

  • Federal, Local Incentives for Cleanup

• Water

  • Rights

  • Irrigation

  • Floodplains

  • Water Quality

  • Groundwater

  • UST (Underground Storage Tank)

  • LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tank)

• Timber

• Environmental Issues in Agriculture

  • Soil Erosion

  • Water Contamination

• Regulatory

  • Government Agency Impact

  • Upland Habitat 

  • Endangered Species

  • Summary of Flora and Fauna  

MODULE 8:  ENVIRONMENTAL TOOLS, TIPS AND GIVEAWAYS

• Environmental

• Regulations

• Sample Disclosure Forms

• Legal Sites

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End of outline