Mike Browning

Tag: Broker Opinion of Value

  • Why I Don’t Ask

    Why I Don’t Ask

    Not upfront anyway.

    If you’ve ever requested a Land Reality Check from me, you may have noticed that I don’t ask why you’re requesting it.

    Most people in real estate start there. They want to know if you’re looking to sell, how soon, and what your motivation is. That makes sense from their perspective, because those answers usually shape how they handle the conversation.

    The reason I don’t ask is because I don’t want that to influence the analysis.

    People come to me in all kinds of situations. Some are thinking about selling in the near term. Some would sell at the right number but aren’t in any hurry. Others are just curious and want to understand what they have. All of those are completely valid, but none of them should change how the property is evaluated.

    So when I put together a Reality Check, I try to approach it the same way every time.

    I assume you’re what I’d call a sensible seller. Someone who might want to sell in the near term, but isn’t under pressure. Not a forced sale, but also not someone holding out indefinitely waiting for a perfect scenario.

    That middle ground is where most real transactions actually happen.

    You’re not trying to squeeze every last dollar out of it, but you’re also not looking to give it away. You’re trying to make a decision that makes sense, both financially and practically.

    That’s the lens I use when I look at comparable sales, how buyers are behaving, and what your property would likely look like in the current market.

    Once you see it laid out that way, you can decide how it applies to your situation. You might be more motivated than that. You might be less. You might not be planning to do anything at all.

    That part can come later.

    The first step is just understanding what you have and how it would likely be received, without that being shaped by what you think you might want to do.

    That’s why I don’t ask.

    PS – You don’t have to be ready to sell to get a Reality Check. You don’t need a timeline, and you don’t need a plan.

    You just need to give yourself permission to take a look at what you have.

    That’s what the MBR Land Reality Check is for. No pressure, no obligation, just a clear look.

    Is it a bad idea to understand where things stand?

    Take a look.

    PPS – If you’d rather just follow along for now, you can sign up below and get these posts in your inbox.

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  • It Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

    It Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

    If you have the right person on your side

    Most landowners assume selling property is going to take a lot of time and effort.

    They’ve usually seen enough to believe that. There are a lot of moving parts. Pricing, marketing, negotiations, due diligence. None of it is complicated on its own, but it stacks up and tends to show up all at once.

    So people expect to be tied to it. Phone calls, emails, decisions every day.

    Sometimes that’s true. But usually it isn’t, if things are handled correctly.

    I worked with a landowner who had owned a lot for about seven years. He planned to build, then didn’t.

    The main concern wasn’t whether it would sell. It was whether it would be positioned correctly from the start.

    Here’s how he described it after the fact:

    “Great. Mike was on top of the entire process. He knew the market. It was priced appropriately to sell it. Instantaneously we had 3 offers. Mike outlined all 3 and negotiated what we felt was the most solid offer. It was an extremely easy experience.

    The main communications happened when I was at a WGC event in Austin. A couple of phone conversations on the golf course was all it took to reach a deal.

    I had owned the property for 7 years and decided not to build. The final outcome was better than expected.

    I had a good experience with Mike. Although we never met I was confident in his skills and ability and he came through.”

    We never met in person. Most of it was handled remotely, with a few conversations when decisions needed to be made.

    That’s not unusual when things are set up correctly.

    Pricing does most of the heavy lifting. If it’s right, the right buyers show up early and you’re choosing between options instead of chasing interest.

    Clarity matters just as much. Multiple offers don’t help if you can’t tell which one actually closes. Laying them out side by side usually answers that.

    And the process itself needs to be managed, not reacted to. Title, access, timing, expectations. Handle those early and they don’t come back later.

    Not every deal is that clean, and some shouldn’t be. But when the setup is right, the amount of effort required tends to drop more than people expect.

    PS – Most landowners aren’t planning to sell today.

    But situations change. And when they do, the people who already understand the market usually have a better experience.

    That’s what the MBR Land Reality Check is for.

    It looks at nearby sales, current listings, development pressure, and the details that don’t show up from the road.

    Is it a bad idea to know where things stand?

    Get yours here.

    PPS – If you’re not ready for that but like seeing how these deals actually work, you can sign up below and get these posts in your inbox.

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