Right of Way Agent - #4985

Contract Land Staff, LLC; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Contract Land Staff, LLC is seeking an experienced Right of Way Agent in Kalamazoo, MI to perform field investigations, value land rights, and coordinate permit related tasks. The role requires independent work and expertise in acquiring land rights and title research.

The candidate will negotiate with landowners, analyze appraisals, and advise the client on settlements, while potentially engaging in condemnation-related activities if negotiations fail. Local conhecimento is essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Right of Way/Real Estate experience with at least 1 year acquiring land rights.
• Must be local to Kalamazoo, MI.
• Proficient in land title research.

Responsibilities

• Contact landowners to negotiate acquisition of real property rights and related matters.
• Analyze property appraisals and advise client on settlements using real estate practice standards.
• Represent client in negotiations with landowners and attorneys.
• Recommend whether to pursue further negotiations or condemnation litigation.
• Prepare lawsuit packages for condemnation proceedings and assist attorney.

Skills

Communication skills

Negotiation

Problem solving

Independent worker

Education

Associate degree or 2 years college + experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

PC literacy

Job description

Job ID: #4985
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posted Date: 10/07/2026
Job Category: Acquisition

Job Description

CLS is looking for an experienced Right of Way Agent local to Kalamazoo, MI. This position is responsible for the field level investigations to obtain all information needed for land values, agencies requiring permits, crop data, potential areas of concern along the route, etc. This person is an experienced agent, able to perform a variety of duties independently.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Contact the owners of interests in land regarding the acquisition of real property rights, amendments of rights, notifications of entry, settlement of claims and other matters.
• Responsible for purchasing property by negotiating with the property owners, analyzing property appraisals, and making recommendations to the client using real estate practices, legal concepts, governmental standards and regulations.
• Represent the client in complex negotiations with property owners and attorneys.
• Responsible for recommending to the client whether a reasonable compromise is likely and further negotiations should be pursued or whether to pursue condemnation litigation.
• Responsible for recommending payment increases to the client if the property owner has a legitimate basis for seeking a substantially higher amount.
• Responsible for estimating areas of potential damage in advance of construction and accumulate information as to damages occurring during construction.
• Responsible for preparing lawsuit packages for condemnation proceedings, assisting the client’s attorney, and serving as an expert witness in mediation or trial if the negotiation process fails.
• Capable of working unsupervised in a variety of roles.
• Well qualified in a specialized area such as regulatory matters or acquisition that they are selected to work only in this area of special expertise.
• May be responsible for Right of Way operations and maintenance.

Accountability:

• This position is responsible for working with all office staff, ensuring a healthy work environment and the satisfaction of all staff.
• Must be able to work effectively and professionally with office staff, the client and landowners.

Qualification Requirements (minimum and preferred requirements):

• Must have 5+ years of Right of Way/Real Estate industry experience with at least 1 year acquiring land rights.
• Must be local to Kalamazoo, MI.
• Must be proficient in land title research.

Education:

• Associate’s degree or two years of college and two plus years of Right of Way experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• Experience in interpretation of documents and in the use of all of the tools required in the Right-of-Way field.
• Broad array of knowledge in all phases of Right-of-Way.
• Understanding of environmental issues.

Licensing:

• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• Must maintain minimum automobile liability insurance in the amount of $100,000/$300,000/$100,000.

Language Skills:

• Requires excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
• Must be able to write clearly and concisely to prepare reports, specifications, and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, percentages, and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several variables in standardized situations.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Intermediate computer skills and familiarity with general PC operation.
• Intermediate software skills with all Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to learn new computer programs rapidly.
• Ability and willingness to move rapidly from place to place and meet timeline constraints.
• Capacity to be flexible, multi-task and maintain a great attitude.