How Outdated Land Data Hurts Home Builder Profits

Sponsored Content
Published

Sponsored Content

The home building industry has embraced cutting-edge tools — from AI-generated designs to offsite modular construction. But when it comes to acquiring land, many firms are still stuck using outdated tools built for a different era.

The result? Slower deals. Missed opportunities. And a widening gap between companies that move fast and those that fall behind.

Speed matters in land development. Yet many teams still rely on fragmented data, siloed systems, and manual research to evaluate sites. In today’s high-stakes environment, that’s not just inefficient — it’s risky.

Home builders stuck with legacy systems face:

  • Disconnected workflows – Juggling multiple data sources leads to blind spots and delays.
  • Incomplete or outdated information – Parcel records and zoning data that lag behind reality can derail deals.
  • Siloed teams, limited scalability – When development, finance, and sales work from different playbooks, strategic alignment suffers.

Modern builders are solving this by turning to real-time land intelligence platforms — like Acres.com — to streamline site selection, uncover off-market deals, and reduce acquisition timelines.

Smart Site Selection Starts with Shared Criteria

One of the biggest inefficiencies in land acquisition? Lack of alignment from day one. Builders using Acres can set site selection criteria across their entire team — fast.

Use Acres' Layer Library to overlay zoning laws, flood zones, infrastructure, and environmental data in one place. Factor in regional variables like schools, easements, or build costs without toggling between platforms. You can even upload your own local datasets and view them instantly — no complex integrations required.

With everyone working from a single source of truth, decisions get made faster — and with more confidence.

Acres Layer Library
Acres' Layer Library

Off-Market Doesn’t Have to Mean Off-Limits

Public listings only tell part of the story. The most competitive builders look beyond what’s on the market and use data to spot hidden opportunities.

With Acres, you can:

  • Factor in regional variables such as easements, schools, and environmental risks.
  • Instantly access zoning laws and restrictions.
  • Evaluate lease and build costs.
  • Establish project scale and housing types.

In hot markets, this kind of intelligence helps you act faster and outmaneuver the competition.

From Siloed to Streamlined: The New Standard for Land Teams

It’s no longer enough to “go digital.” Builders need solutions purpose-built for modern land acquisition — platforms that integrate zoning, sales comps, ownership, and infrastructure data in real time.

Acres.com delivers that. And with mobile access, field teams can view parcel boundaries, landowner data, and save research on the go — even offline.

Builders using Acres:

  • Identify and connect with landowners in key development areas.
  • Generate custom boundary lines to refine searches.
  • Save and share research lists across your team.
  • Go beyond public listings to uncover high-potential properties.

The Future of Land Is Transparent, Real Time, and Connected

Those still relying on legacy tools risk more than inefficiency — they risk their balance sheet. The land acquisition process is evolving quickly. The question is no longer if the industry will modernize — it’s who will move first.

Builders betting on better data are already winning.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Sep 24, 2025

New Home Sales Post Unexpected Large Gain in August

Sales of newly built single-family homes jumped 20.5% higher in August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 from an upwardly revised reading in July, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales is up 15.4% from a year earlier. The three-month moving average of new home sales was 713,000, an increase from the 656,000 in July. New home sales remain down 1.4% on a year-to-date basis.

Membership | Legal

Sep 23, 2025

NAHB Members: Join the Housing Industry’s Attorney Network

Doing business with fellow members is a core value of the NAHB Federation. To strengthen that commitment, NAHB is building a network of attorney members to assist peers with legal issues.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Sep 24, 2025

Single-Family Construction Loan Volume Falls Back

The NAHB Land Acquisition, Development and Construction (AD&C) loan survey in the second quarter reported tightening credit conditions for builders. Consequently, FDIC data reporting the outstanding volume of 1-4 family construction loans fell in the second quarter.

Economics

Sep 23, 2025

Beyond the Official Unemployment Rate: A Deep Dive into U.S. Unemployment

In August, the official, or standardly referenced, unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3%, up from 4.2% in July. This marks the highest level in nearly four years, though it remains historically low.

Economics

Sep 22, 2025

Single-Family Homes Are Built Faster in 2024

Building a new single-family home took less time in 2024 compared to the previous two years. On average, it now takes 9.1 months from start to finish.