Frequently Asked Questions

What is ‘infill’?

Infill is the re-use of developed land, where streets, schools, transit, and infrastructure already exist.  A majority of the buildings in the United States are outdated.  Many houses/buildings are 100+ years old.  It makes far more sense to start over on these sites rather than try to bring an aging structure up to modern standards (imagine trying to update a car or plane from the 1920s up to modern codes).    

What does Infill Brokers do?

We specialize in the brokering of infill properties.  That includes brokering houses and buildings where the value is ‘in the land’.  It also includes selling the new or newer structures, including single family, multi family, and commercial buildings, that are built on infill sites.

What areas do you serve?  Are you opening more offices?

We currently have offices in Denver , Dallas , and Detroit (we like 6 letter cities starting with D!).  We are planning on opening in several more cities in the coming months.  If you are interested in becoming the broker in charge of an infill Brokers office in a new city, please contact Jason Lewiston . To list an infill site, or new/newer construction, please contact us today.

Do you specialize in commercial or residential?

We broker all types of properties.  And since many cities across the US are rezoning single family sites to multi-family uses, those labels are becoming irrelevant in urban areas.

Are you trying to rezone properties?  Are you a political group?

No and no.  While we firmly believe that urban areas should increase density, especially near mass transit, we will gladly broker single family sites.  And while we will help with rezonings, if requested, in general we understand better than most how difficult those are to achieve. 

Are you a ‘discount’ brokerage firm?

No.  We specialize in a of very specific area of real estate and charge a flat rate for our services . We do not ‘stage’ properties, hold open houses, oversee inspections, co-ordinate repairs, etc. that a broker of older homes is required to do.  

Do you compete with ‘full service’ brokers?

No.  Actually we work WITH other brokers.   They often have general expertise, while we have specialized knowledge in infill/zoning/land development.  We highly encourage sellers, and their brokers, to employ us to present their properties on our site, if they believe that the site may be a ‘tear down.’

So should I list my house with you or a ‘full service’ broker?

If the value of your real estate is in the land (ie if the house/building is simply in the way), which is the case in a growing number of urban and inner ring suburban properties in the United States, then list with us.  If the house/building could remain, then list with a full service broker, and hire us to market the site as a possible infill site. If you are selling a new build on an infill property, list with us.  We have 30 years of experience with these properties .

Shouldn’t I just remodel and then sell my old, outdated house? 

No.  Extensive remodeling almost never makes economic sense.  By the time you are done updating the plumbing, heating and cooling, and electrical systems, taking out walls, adding brick, matching shingles, repainting, whatever, you will have been much better off starting over, with a new foundation.  Sell your old and well located house as an infill site.  We don’t drive ‘remodeled’ 1920s cars, or fly ‘remodeled’ 1950s jets, for good reason.

I looked up the value of my site on Zillow and/or the Assessor’s office.  Is that accurate?

With infill sites, ie sites where the existing building is going to be removed and replaced with a new building, those ‘estimates’ are often inaccurate, to say the least.  Again, this is a highly specialized area of real estate requiring significant knowledge and experience that the people at Zillow rarely possess.  We do have that experience.  We will give you a fair assessment of value for your infill site.

If I sell my infill site to a developer through your company, will they simply ‘tie it up’ for months to see if it is a ‘buildable’ site ?

No, because we have eliminated the need for long contingencies, by providing on our platform all of the information that a developer would need.  Therefore as your broker we will recommend short contingencies (30 to 60 days) in  a purchase agreement before deposits go ‘hard’ (non-refundable), we will recommend reasonable deposits, and a reasonable closing date.  We have done this more than a few times, from all sides of the transaction.

If I own a ‘tear-down’ or ‘scrape’ house or building, shouldn’t I just sell it by owner?  Why do I need you guys?

Infill sites are complex, so pricing and selling them is also complex.  Without us, developers often ‘tie up’ potential sites for long periods of time with ‘soft’ (refundable) deposits while they do all of the research that we provide on day 1.  We will get you a fair price with fair terms and get the property closed.  We are well worth the fee we charge.

Are you developers?  Can you build a building for me?  Can I use the sample architectural plans on your web site?

Infill Brokers is not a development company.  We of course work every day with many builders/developers, and we can always help in finding one for you if you want to build.  The architectural plans on our site are available for purchase from the architects we hire.  The architect can also customize them for you.  We can also recommend civil engineers, landscape architects, soil engineers, and contractors.

What if I’m a senior and I paid very little for my house years ago?  Won’t I have to pay a lot in taxes when I sell?

We always recommend talking to a tax expert, but it is often the case that a significant portion of your gain can be sheltered from taxes.

What do I need to do before I sell my house or commercial building as a ‘scrape’ site?

Not much.  We will make it abundantly clear in writing to the Buyer that the structure is being sold ‘AS-IS’, and that you are not going to repair/replace anything if you don’t want to. 

Are you on the MLS?  Other web sites like Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, Realtor.com, and Loop.net?

Yes and yes, all of them.  We will place all properties on the MLS and other sites.  However those sites do not provide a tenth of the information we provide on our platform, so we will direct people to see the listing on our site.

How do I start?  Do I have to pay you upfront?

Call us .  If the site is a tear-down, we will enter into a contract with you directly.  If the site is a new build, we will enter into a contract with you directly.  If the site is listed with a broker as a ‘possible’ infill site, we will enter into contract with the broker to place it on our site, and send all inquiries generated to him/her. We get paid at closing.  There are no upfront fees of any kind.  Nor are there any hidden fees.  We charge a flat fee at closing, and make sure that you will recommend us to your friends.