Land is only worth what you're allowed to build on it. In Miami-Dade, the difference between a parcel that pencils and one that doesn't usually comes down to entitlements — not price per square foot.
Start with what's allowed
Before you model a single unit, understand the zoning: permitted uses, density caps, floor-area ratio (FAR), height limits, and setbacks. A by-right site you can build today is worth a premium over one that needs a rezoning fight.
The feasibility gauntlet
- Zoning & land use. Confirm the program is allowed — or map the realistic path to approval.
- Density & FAR. How much can you actually build, and does it support the pro forma?
- Site conditions. Access, utilities, environmental, and parking all move hard costs.
- Approvals timeline. Time is capital — entitlement risk is the biggest variable in any ground-up deal.
The cheapest land is rarely the best deal. Entitled, by-right ground that you can move on quickly almost always wins.
Where a broker adds value
Sourcing the right parcel is half the battle; quietly assembling adjacent lots, reading the approval landscape, and bringing finished projects to the right buyers is the other half. That's the full development cycle I work end to end.
Igor Presman
Commercial Broker · Trybal Group
