The Best Ever CRE Show JF 4038: Building a Scalable Land Business, Managing Risk and Raising Capital ft. Mark Podolsky
Sep 24, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Mark Podolsky, founder of The Land Geek, reveals his journey from burnt-out investment banker to land investing expert with over 6,500 transactions. He shares his strategy of buying rural land at deep discounts and generating passive income through seller-financed notes. Mark elaborates on how he built systems to scale his business, the importance of risk management, and why he prefers many small deals over large projects. Lastly, he highlights his commitment to educating new investors and offers turnkey programs for busy professionals.
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Buy Pre-Auction With Data-Driven Offers
- Use lists and automated scrubs to acquire pre-auction land and avoid competitive auctions.
- Price offers by assessor value rules (e.g., divide comps by four) and expect ~3–5% response, ~1% close rate.
Flip To Neighbors And Finance Like A Car
- When reselling, market to neighbors first then national land platforms and use seller financing like a car payment.
- Structure deals with a down payment plus monthly payment (e.g., $2,500 down, $299/mo, 9% for 60 months) to generate steady cashflow.
Systemize Before Scaling
- Treat land investing as a systemized business: build SOPs, use software, and hire virtual assistants.
- Delegate intake, due diligence, marketing, and selling so you become CEO rather than operator.
