Global philanthropist Louis Glickman was renowned as a shrewd property investor. His catchphrase was “The best investment on Earth is earth,” and he always told his friends the best time to start investing in your land is yesterday.

I tell our people it’s today, and recently clients and friends have asked me if this is still the case when we are on the brink of a recession, and here’s why it’s still true.

Even when land values vary year to year in terms of price, eventually it always goes back up.

This makes it a much more stable long-term investment over stocks or other liquid assets, which can change daily.

If you are in the market for land as an investor it can be a great time to buy while there is less competition in the market and prices are lower.

And if you are a seller you can use the time to start preparing your land to make it more attractive for sale later. This could be through subdividing into smaller lots for residential and rural land, or possibly planting forests for emissions trading for rural land.

Either way, the money you invest into your own land will provide you with more opportunities when it comes to sell.

‘If you have pockets of land which you could be prepared to sell, talk to a smart surveyor now’

A NEW WORLD

Post pandemic the world has undoubtedly changed. One of the trends internationally is for those who can afford it to seek more land and move away from built-up cities into greener pastures where they can see or touch something natural as the antidote for their incredibly busy lives.

Although construction is slowing and new developments are slower to sell, land sales continue to gradually trend upwards over time all around the world, with the Forbes Real Estate Council continuing to show positive land sale trends worldwide.

And while people cut back on their movies and meals out, they are still looking for somewhere safe to store that nest egg … and land remains one of the safest places to stash it.

BUYERS AND SELLERS

If you have pockets of land which you could be prepared to sell, talk to a smart surveyor now.

They should be able to give you a good understanding of the mood of the local market and also talk about how best to subdivide your land into parcels which meet future local demand.

Ask about different potential land uses and consider all options before you get them to prepare submissions for council.

If you are thinking now could be the right time to invest in land, you are right.

It’s a great time to pick up a good investment – but again, talk to your surveyor who can help you with the due diligence on the land you intend to buy and ensure you pay the right price for future returns.

But don’t delay; the best time for investing in land is today.