BLOGS

The Challenge of Finding Viable Small Land Sites

For small to medium-sized developers, finding suitable landfor development presents a significant challenge in today's competitive property market. The process traditionally involves countless hours of research across multiple platforms, sifting through planning applications, and conducting site visits—often with limited information at hand. This inefficiency can lead to missed opportunities and poor investment decisions.

The good news? Technology is transforming how developers identify and evaluate small land sites. REalyse, the UK's most powerful residential data platform, has revolutionized this process by integrating over 100 data sources into a comprehensive solution designed specifically for property professionals.

Why Small Land Sites Present Unique Opportunities?

Small land sites offer distinct advantages for developers looking to build a diverse portfolio:

• Lower initial capital requirements compared to larger developments
• Faster completion times and quicker returns on investment
• Reduced planning complexities in many cases
• Opportunities in established areas where larger plots arescarce
• Potential for higher margins when developed efficiently

However, these opportunities come with their own set of challenges—primarily, how to efficiently identify viable small sites among countless possibilities. This is where data-driven approaches become invaluable.

Leveraging REalyse's Data Sets to Find Small Land Sites

REalyse Core, the company's all-in-one geospatial dataanalysis platform, combines four critical data sets that work together to help developers identify and evaluate small land sites with unprecedented efficiency:

1. Land Data: TheFoundation of Site Identification

 REalyse's land data provides comprehensive information on land ownership and attributes across England and Wales, enabling developers to:

• Quickly identify land ownership details, including leaseholds and freeholds
• Filter land plots by specific parameters including acreageand site coverage
• Visualize land plots on interactive maps for spatial context
• Save potential sites to project folders for further evaluation

  This functionality allows developers to pinpoint small land parcels that meet specific size requirements—a crucial first step in the site identification process.

  2. Planning Data: Understanding Development Potential

 Once potential sites are identified, REalyse's planning data helps assess development potential:

• Access to planning applications throughout the UK, visualized on interactive maps
• Historical planning data spanning up to 5 years (in theStandard tier)
• Detailed information on each application, including scheme specifics and involved parties
• Policy overlays including conservation areas, brownfield sites, and Tree Preservation Orders

By integrating planning data with land ownership information, developers can quickly understand the regulatory landscape affecting potential sites and identify areas with favorable planning histories.

3. Demographics Data: Targeting the Right Markets

Understanding local demographics is crucial for successful development. REalyse provides:

• Population data including age breakdown and density
• Housing information on dwelling types and rent vs. sales distribution
• Socioeconomic indicators such as income data, education levels, and crime rates
• Heat maps visualizing demographic variables across regions

This data helps developers identify areas with suitable demographic profiles for specific development types, ensuring projects alignwith local market demands.

4. Comparables Data: Validating Investment Potential

REalyse's comparables data supports accurate valuation and market analysis:

• Comprehensive sales transactions from the Land Registry across England and Wales
• Detailed property information including floor plans, photos, and price per square foot
• Coverage of both rental and sales listings for a complete market picture
• AI-enhanced comparables identification for more accurate property valuation

This information helps establish land values based on local property transactions, supporting assessment of development viability for smalll and sites.

The REalyse Advantage: Integrated Workflow for Finding Small Land Sites

What sets REalyse apart is how these four data sets work together within an integrated workflow:

Step 1: Initial Site Identification

Using the Land Search feature, developers can filter landplots by specific criteria such as size and ownership type. The platform's visualization tools place these potential sites in their spatial context, allowing for quick initial assessment.

Step 2: Planning and Regulatory Assessment

With potential sites identified, developers can overlay planning applications and policy information to understand development constraints and opportunities. This integration of land and planning dataprovides crucial context for site evaluation.

Step 3: Market and Demographic Analysis

REalyse's heat maps and demographic data help developers understand the local market context, identifying areas with favorable demographic trends and market conditions for specific development types.

Step 4: Financial Viability Assessment

Finally, comparables data helps establish potential endvalues, supporting detailed financial viability assessments for development projects.

This integrated approach transforms what was once atime-consuming, multi-platform process into a stream lined workflow within a single platform.

Key Features of REalyse Core for Small Land Site Identification

REalyse Core offers several standout features specifically valuable for developers seeking small land sites:

Explore

Provides quick access to all relevant datasets, visualized through charts, lists, and maps— from neighborhood detail to the whole UK. This comprehensive view helps developers quickly identify potential opportunity areas.

Main Map

Described as "the most powerful tool available to analyze property markets,"  the map visualizes any combination of market, demographic, policy, comparable, land, planning, construction, and amenity data. This spatial visualization is particularly valuable for understanding small land sites in their broader context.

Land Search

Enables users to find and filter land plots by specific criteria, overlay relevant planning and policy information, and create short lists for further analysis— streamlining the site identification process.

Dashboard

Allows users to collect different charts, maps, and recordsin customizable arrangements, facilitating data visualization and analysis formore informed decision-making.

Templates and Export

Creates detailed interactive digital reports that can be converted into fully editable Word documents, facilitating collaboration and presentation to stakeholders.

Real-World Benefits for Small to Medium-Sized Developers

The REalyse platform delivers tangible benefits for developers seeking small land sites:

Time Efficiency

What once took hours or days of research across multiple platforms can now be accomplished in minutes, allowing developers to evaluate more potential sites and make faster decisions.

Comprehensive Analysis

By integrating land, planning, market, and demographic data, REalyse provides a holistic view of development opportunities that would be difficult to achieve through traditional research methods.

Risk Reduction

Access to comprehensive data reduces information gaps, helping developers make more informed decisions and mitigate risks associated with small site development.

Competitive Advantage

The platform's efficiency and depth of information give users a competitive edge in identifying promising small land sites before they reach the wider market.

Getting Started with REalyse Core

REalyse offers three subscription tiers with increasing levels of data access and functionality:

Starter: Includes basic datasets such as 2 years of planning applications, 6 months of transaction data, and land ownership information.

Standard: Expands to 5 years of planning data with enhanced filters, 2 years of transaction and listing data, and additional planning policies.

Enterprise: Provides full access to all datasets, including comprehensive planning data, comparables, land transactions, and unlimited reporting features.

This tiered approach allows developers to select the level of access that best suits their needs and budget, with the ability to scale upas their business grows.

Conclusion: Transforming Small Land Site Identification

For small to medium-sized developers, finding viable smalll and sites has traditionally been a resource-intensive process fraught with information gaps and in efficiencies. REalyse Core transforms this process through its comprehensive integration of land, planning, demographic, and comparables data.

By providing a single platform for site identification, regulatory assessment, market analysis, and financial evaluation, REalyse empowers developers to make more informed decisions, reduce research time, and gain a competitive edge in the market for small land sites.

Ready to Transform Your Land Search Process?

Experience the power of REalyse Core for yourself. Try the platform today and discover how integrated data can streamline your search for small land sites, helping you identify opportunities that others might miss.

Try REalyse Core Today – Your competitive advantage infinding small land sites starts here. Try Free Trial