Researching Land Investments and LLCs

The value of land in the United States is worth trillions of dollars, making it a significant asset class and an important store of wealth for some households. The USDA estimates that U.S. farmland alone is worth over $3 trillion. For prospect researchers, valuing land investments can be challenging, as wealth screening tools often undervalue land relative to actual market prices. Additionally, land is frequently owned through corporate entities, such as limited liability companies (LLCs), which can obscure individual ownership. As a result, some individuals' wealth may be underestimated in donor databases due to their land holdings. In this session, I will explore the various types of land investments, with a particular focus on farmland, and discuss how to assign appropriate valuations. I will also cover the common corporate structures used for land ownership and the reasons individuals use them. Finally, I will provide tips to help prospect researchers uncover the true owners of land when corporate entities are involved.