How to hire a land acquisition specialist

How to hire a land acquisition specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step land acquisition specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a land acquisition specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new land acquisition specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your land acquisition specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a land acquisition specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a land acquisition specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a land acquisition specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of land acquisition specialists.

   Type of Land Acquisition Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Land Acquisition Specialist	Property, real estate, and community association managers take care of the many aspects of residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They make sure the property is well maintained, has a nice appearance, and preserves its resale or leasing value.	$23-50
   Director Of Property Management	A director of property management oversees and directs the property management programs and projects of an organization. They take the lead in identifying and meeting the needs of different facilities, researching client and business opportunities, gathering and analyzing data from annual and monthly reports, coordinating with suppliers and contractors, and making significant decisions... Show more	$29-72
   Real Estate Manager	A Real Estate Manager manages the financial aspects of a property. They collect rent and prepare and maintain financial statements... Show more	$27-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Real Estate
   • GIS
   • Construction Management
   • Market Analysis
   • Financial Analysis
   • HOA
   • Google Earth
   • Purchase Agreements
   • Market Research
   • Lease Extensions
   • Ground Leases
   • BLM
   • Financial Models
   • Government Officials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage land-related licensing, permitting and zoning processes including reporting, oversight of requirements and monitoring to ensure compliance.
   • Coordinate activities and secure contractual agreements associate to the development of telecommunication towers on private owner properties in the Midwest.
   • Prepare bi-weekly payroll, including withholding deposits and payroll returns.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your land acquisition specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A land acquisition specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, land acquisition specialists' average salary in oklahoma is 40% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level land acquisition specialists earn 55% less than senior-level land acquisition specialists.
   • Certifications. A land acquisition specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a land acquisition specialist's salary.

   Average land acquisition specialist salary

   $71,623yearly

   $34.43 hourly rate

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   Entry-level land acquisition specialist salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a land acquisition specialist job description

   A good land acquisition specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a land acquisition specialist job description:

   Land acquisition specialist job description example

   Apex Clean Energy is seeking a Land Acquisition Specialist who will be responsible for researching, acquiring, and negotiating all necessary documents and agreements for site acquisition for Apex's renewable energy projects. Responsibilities will include land acquisition, agreement negotiation and management, and land divestment. Reporting to the Land Director, Development, this role will work closely with Land Acquisition Managers, Project Developers, and Public Engagement Managers and will be responsible for continuously delivering project information to both internal and external stakeholders throughout the land acquisition process.
   
   Our ideal candidate will have directly related land acquisition and contract negotiation experience, experience working on renewable energy projects, and advanced customer service skills. We are seeking someone with a strong proactive approach to their work as well as someone with the utmost degree of professionalism and dependability. In addition, advanced negotiating, communication, organizational and attention to detail skills are critical to success as is a comprehensive understanding of land, legal, and energy industry principles, processes, and procedures.
   
   Our projects are located across the United States. Our Project Development Department is split into 6 regionally-based teams, each team responsible for the development of several utility-scale wind and solar projects. The specific location of the project(s) you will work on are dependent both on our need as a company, your location, and your ability to travel.
   
   This is a full-time non-exempt position that is benefits eligible with project and travel expenses covered. This role will be hired temporarily through our professional staffing agency with the potential for regular full-time employment at Apex Clean Energy, pending quality of work and business needs.
   
   Hours: Full Time
   Type: Non-Exempt
   
   Department: Project Development
   
   Travel: 40-70% to project area of interest
   
   Office Location: Remote
   
   Primary Responsibilities
   
   Analyze public records then negotiate, request, and consummate all necessary agreements with third party participants to ensure Apex Clean Energy has rights for development of wind, solar, storage or other renewable energy.
   
   Site due diligence and factual research into land attributes and project constraints (such as real estate title, physical, political, local, cultural and project development issues); Gather recorded deeds and determine availability for leasing and applicable regulatory guidelines, acquire interests in prospective lands by leasing directly from landowners or via negotiating agreements with industry competitors.
   
   Accurately update all systems as determined by the department's needs.
   
   Assist Land Management department in title curative corrections with landowners.
   
   Advise management and other departments of pertinent matters related to ownership of leases
   
   Be proactive in determining effective negotiating tactics and strategies, finding and developing prospective opportunities for our participation and improving operating efficiencies and productivity.
   
   Serve as initial point of contact for Apex's Project Development team, perform office support duties, and facilitate office productivity.
   
   Assist in coordination of public open houses, landowner meetings, or other events related to projects development and community outreach.
   
   Effectively communicate with management using an easily understood format as well as attend, prepare for and schedule meetings as necessary.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right land acquisition specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with land acquisition specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit land acquisition specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your land acquisition specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit land acquisition specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting land acquisition specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new land acquisition specialist

   Once you've found the land acquisition specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new land acquisition specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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