Land Acquisition Manager

Roguesearch; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Roguesearch is seeking an experienced land acquisition professional for the Bakersfield area to drive ground-up residential development opportunities. You will lead acquisition efforts, run negotiations, and coordinate with developers, brokers, and city officials to secure land assets.

The role demands a strong track record in sourcing and closing land deals, knowledge of zoning and municipal processes, and the ability to work independently within a national developer network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of land acquisition experience for ground-up residential projects.
• Extensive experience sourcing and negotiating land deals from inception to closing.
• Knowledge of Central Valley land markets and relationships with local landowners, brokers and officials.
• Working knowledge of zoning, land-use practices, development standards, and utilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all land acquisition activity for the Bakersfield area.
• Find, place under contract, obtain governmental approvals, and close on new land assets (undeveloped land and developed lots).
• Collaborate with property owners, brokers, developers, and city officials to secure land.
• Generate acquisition opportunities through a network of industry contacts in the Bakersfield area.
• Respond to new leads with initial action plans and research qualifications.
• Conduct Title and municipal research and initial outreach for potential leads.
• Perform financial analyses of potential acquisitions and support proforma pricing.
• Provide property details, seller demands, terms, and contact information for approvals.
• Prepare letters of intent and maintain relationships with developers, brokers, and landowners.
• Underwrite and analyze financial aspects of development opportunities.
• Communicate with city officials and negotiate purchase contracts.
• Prepare memoranda and analytics for corporate approval of land buys.

Skills

Land acquisition

Real estate development

Financial analysis

Negotiation

Industry networking

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Bring your experience in land acquisition, real estate development, etc and join our client - a Fortune 500 Residential developer/builder who has been the leader in their industry for 20+ years.

Highlights:

• Financial Stability: A bullet-proof balance sheet, strong liquidity (cash stores), and low leverage (debt) allow for this builder to weather macroeconomic uncertainties better than competitors.
• Multi-brand strategy: Serving all major buyer groups – entry, first time, move up, luxury, active adult and BTR increasing number of deals this land acq team can consider.
• Established Development Partner: Support of National Development firm will aid in being able to go after unique and complicated land deals or land assemblages.

What you’ll do:

• Oversee all land acquisition activity for the Bakersfield area
• Find, place under contract, receive governmental approval, and close on new land assets, this includes undeveloped land + developed lots
• Work with property owners, brokers, land developers, city officials and others to secure land.

Responsibilities:

• Generate land acquisition opportunities through a network of industry contacts including major developers and landowners in the Bakersfield area
• Receive and provide initial response plan for all new leads from outside sources
• Perform Title and municipal research and initial “cold call” inquiry for potential land leads
• Complete financial analysis of potential acquisitions, including specific market research to substantiate proforma pricing.
• Provide all pertinent property description information, seller demands, terms, conditions and contact information to management
• Prepare letters of intent
• Maintain close relationships with land developers, brokers, and landowners
• Underwrite and analyze the financial aspects of each development opportunity
• Communicate regularly with city officials
• Negotiate purchase contracts with sellers
• Prepare memoranda and other documentation and analytics for corporate approval for land buys

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• 5+ years of experience acquiring land for ground-up construction projects (residential preferred)
• Extensive experience sourcing and negotiating land deals from inception to closing, with the ability to independently source deals through off-market opportunities, broker relationships, and field research
• Knowledge of the Central Valley land markets to include experience developing relationships with local landowners, brokers, civic officials, zoning officials, engineering community, etc would be a strong benefit
• Working knowledge of zoning and land use practices, development standards, and utility solutions