The land and its use
Note the location, approximate total acreage and estimated workable acreage separately. Gather any available surveys, field or drainage maps and relevant crop history. Identify the source and date of each record.
PRIME Farms practical guides
Better questions.
A clearer next step.
Prepare for a farm sale or search with a few useful starting points.
Use these checklists to organize your questions. You do not need every answer before speaking with the team.
01 / Farm owner checklist
Before you
bring a farm to market.
Start with what you know. Your agent can help identify the information that needs to be confirmed.
Discuss your farm ↗Buildings, access and services
List the residence, barns, storage and other structures. Note access points, water sources and services, along with the records you have about them. Mark unknowns for follow-up.
Occupancy and arrangements
Identify current occupants, rental or crop arrangements, and questions about access or possession. Bring the relevant documents to your agent and legal adviser before assuming what a buyer can do or when.
Your sale priorities
Consider timing, privacy, what would be included in a sale and what you would retain. Discuss price and terms together, including any constraints that could affect your next move.
02 / Farm buyer checklist
Define the farm.
Then investigate the fit.
A useful brief gives the search direction and makes it easier to compare individual properties.
Share my buying requirements ↗Location and intended use
Choose your preferred municipalities or counties and practical travel limits. Describe the operation, expansion or longer-term plan the property needs to support.
Total acres versus usable acres
Separate overall parcel size from the land you expect to work or use. Ask about soil information, drainage, access and the evidence behind acreage or productivity statements.
Buildings and operating requirements
Distinguish must-haves from improvements you could make later. Include housing, storage, livestock facilities, equipment access and service requirements where relevant to your plans.
Budget, timing and checks
Discuss your purchase range, financing preparation and preferred possession timing. Identify the property, legal, planning and technical questions that require investigation with the appropriate advisers.
03 / The property-marketing conversation
Make the farm
clear to the right buyer.
The marketing plan should reflect the property and your agreed scope. Discuss the deliverables, channels and responsibilities before launch.
Meet the team behind the plan ↗Establish the facts
Organize the property's defining features and supporting information. Separate verified details from estimates and questions still to be answered.
Build the presentation
Consider the photography, video and written presentation that would help a buyer understand the land, buildings, setting and intended use. Agree on access and the appropriate production scope.
Choose the buyer audience
Discuss which types of buyers the property may suit and how the agreed listing and marketing channels will reach them. A marketing plan is not a guarantee of a particular buyer or result.
Review the response
Agree how enquiries, showing feedback and next actions will be reviewed. Use the response to inform the ongoing property strategy and your decisions.
04 / Independent starting points
Soils. Land values.
Original sources.
Read the source date, geography and method before applying a report to your plans.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ontario soil surveys
Browse the Government of Canada's county soil-survey reports and maps. Surveys vary in age and scale. Use them as background alongside property-specific records and appropriate investigation.
Browse Ontario soil surveys ↗Farm Credit Canada
Farmland-value reports
Read FCC's annual regional reporting and dated updates for broader market context. A regional benchmark or percentage change does not establish the value of an individual farm.
Read FCC's farmland-value reports ↗PRIME Farms checklists reviewed October 16, 2026. These are planning prompts, not a property appraisal or legal, tax, financing or technical advice. Property-specific questions belong with your real estate representative and the relevant qualified advisers.