Selling California Trust-Owned Land in 2026: What to Know

Owning land in California can feel like holding a rare asset—until you need to sell it and discover it’s titled in a trust. A trust sale can absolutely be done, but the process has extra legal steps, tighter documentation requirements, and higher expectations for fiduciary decision-making. This guide breaks down how to sell California land held in a trust, what to prepare, and how to choose between a traditional sale and a faster cash offer.

Why Selling California Land From a Trust Matters Right Now

California land values and demand drivers have shifted fast in recent years—especially in agriculture. In 2025, farmland values in parts of the state dropped sharply: almond orchards fell below $44,000 per acre from about $60,000 a few years ago, and many sales landed in the low- to mid-$30,000 range, according to Farm Progress. The same reporting notes that pistachio orchard sales in Kern County slid from a high of $55,000 per acre in 2023 to $35,000 per acre in 2024, with some sales as low as $10,000 per acre (Farm Progress).

These price resets have real consequences. An estimated $17 billion of value in irrigated lands has been erased, based on 8.5 million acres at an average value of $10,000 per acre, citing Scott Bozzo of Macotera Ag Group via Farm Progress. Yet even in a down cycle, California remains a national outlier for high-value specialty crops: U.S. farmland values reached a record $4,350 per acre in 2025, and California’s highest averages are driven by vineyards, orchards, and irrigated specialty crops, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (USDA’s 2025 Land Values Report). Cropland values also rose by $260 per acre year-over-year in 2025, with California reporting some of the highest average cropland values (American Farm Bureau Federation (USDA’s 2025 Land Values Report)).

At the same time, California’s land isn’t valuable only because of crops—it underpins entire regional economies. California’s working landscapes generate $404 billion in sales annually and support nearly 1.5 million jobs and 75,500 businesses, according to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). In 2024 alone, California’s agricultural sectors generated $310.8 billion in sales and contributed more than 1.2 million jobs (UC ANR). Even in top-producing counties, the story is nuanced: Kern County exceeded $8.62 billion in gross agricultural sales in 2023, as reported by the Kern County Department of Agriculture via Farm Progress.

Finally, development pressure continues to reshape pricing and buyer intent. Approximately 28,000 acres of agricultural land is projected to convert to future urban development under city and county general plans, according to the Delta Stewardship Council. For trust-held land, that mix of volatility, opportunity, and conversion pressure makes timing and execution especially important.

What It Means to Sell Land Held in a California Trust

A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee holds title to property for the benefit of beneficiaries. When the trust owns the land, the trustee (not the beneficiaries) typically signs the listing agreement, purchase contract, disclosures, and deed—so long as the trust document grants that authority. Because the trustee owes fiduciary duties, the sale must be handled carefully, documented clearly, and aligned with the trust’s terms.

How to Sell California Land in a Trust: Step-by-Step

1) Review the trust document and trustee authority

Start by reading the trust instrument (and any amendments). Confirm:

• The trustee has explicit power to sell real property.
• Any required approvals are identified (beneficiaries, co-trustees, trust protector, etc.).
• Distribution rules for proceeds are clear (retain in trust, distribute, or reinvest).

If the trust language is unclear—or if multiple parties must consent—get guidance from a California trust/estate attorney before you market the property.

2) Confirm how title is vested and collect key documents

Before escrow, verify the vesting on the current deed and match it to the trust’s legal name. Gather:

• Trust certification or abstract of trust (commonly requested by escrow/title).
• Copy of the trust (or relevant excerpts, depending on escrow requirements).
• Property tax bills, legal description, APN, and any prior surveys or easements.

3) Price the land with today’s market realities in mind

Land valuation in California can change quickly based on water reliability, permanent plantings, crop economics, zoning, access, and development potential. Use multiple inputs:

• Appraisal: A licensed appraiser experienced in your land type (row crop, orchard, recreational, desert, infill, etc.).
• Comparable sales: Recent nearby land sales adjusted for water, improvements, and condition.
• Specialty-crop context: For orchard/vineyard properties, pay attention to current orchard sale comps and financing appetite. For example, almond orchard pricing in 2025 fell below $44,000 per acre from roughly $60,000 a few years ago, with many sales in the low- to mid-$30,000 range, per Farm Progress. In Kern County, pistachio orchard sales dropped from $55,000 per acre in 2023 to $35,000 per acre in 2024, with some as low as $10,000 per acre (Farm Progress).

4) Prepare the property and reduce buyer uncertainty

Land buyers move faster when you remove unknowns. Consider:

• Clearing trash, debris, or unsafe structures.
• Ordering a boundary survey (or at least confirming corners and access).
• Compiling water information (wells, districts, allocations, SGMA considerations, and historical use where available).
• Organizing zoning, permitted uses, and any reports you already have (soils, percolation, environmental, etc.).

5) Market the land to the right buyer pool

Match marketing to the property’s highest-probability buyers:

• MLS + land platforms: Useful for broad exposure, especially for buildable, recreational, or residential-adjacent land.
• Targeted outreach: Farmers, neighboring owners, developers, and 1031 exchange buyers.
• Development framing when appropriate: Where general plans indicate future conversion potential, disclose and support the claim with planning context. Statewide, about 28,000 acres of agricultural land is projected to convert to future urban development under city and county general plans, according to the Delta Stewardship Council.

6) Handle trust-specific legal and disclosure requirements

Trust sales add an extra layer of compliance:

• Fiduciary duty: The trustee must act in the best interest of the beneficiaries and follow the trust’s instructions.
• Disclosures: California is disclosure-heavy; land may require additional clarity on access, utilities, hazards, and known limitations.
• Title and escrow coordination: Work with a reputable title/escrow team familiar with trust vesting and trustee deeds.

7) Evaluate offers and negotiate terms that protect the trust

When offers arrive, assess more than price:

• Buyer proof of funds or financing strength.
• Contingencies (inspection periods, water verification, feasibility studies, entitlement timelines).
• Closing timeline and risk of fall-through.

In softer segments—where irrigated land values have been hit and an estimated $17 billion in value has been erased across 8.5 million acres at an average value of $10,000 per acre (Farm Progress)—certainty of closing may matter as much as the headline number.

8) Close escrow and distribute proceeds according to the trust

To close cleanly:

• Open escrow and follow the title company’s trust requirements.
• Sign the correct deed (often a trustee’s deed) exactly as instructed for vesting.
• Direct proceeds to the correct account and distribute or retain funds as the trust requires.

Common Curveballs When Selling Trust-Held Land in California

• Rapid price swings: Even in high-output regions—like Kern County, which exceeded $8.62 billion in gross agricultural sales in 2023 (Farm Progress)—orchard values can move quickly, changing what buyers will pay.
• Water and environmental constraints: Water availability, groundwater rules, and environmental constraints can reshape appraisal outcomes and buyer financing.
• Tax complexity: Capital gains, property tax considerations, and trust accounting rules often require CPA and attorney input.

Alternative Option: Selling Trust Land to a Cash Land Buyer

If you want to avoid a long marketing cycle, showings, and extended contingencies, a land-buying company can provide a faster, simpler path. This route often trades maximum sale price for speed, fewer conditions, and a predictable close—an approach that can be attractive when markets are volatile (such as the 2025 downturn in some orchard segments reported by Farm Progress).

Cash buyers may also fit situations where beneficiaries prefer certainty, the property needs cleanup, or trust administration timelines matter.

Final Thoughts

Selling California land from a trust is absolutely doable, but it works best when you treat it like a structured transaction: confirm trustee authority, document everything, price the land based on current comps, and choose a selling method that matches your priorities.

California’s land economy remains massive—$404 billion in annual working-landscape sales supporting nearly 1.5 million jobs and 75,500 businesses (UC ANR)—even as specific categories experience sharp resets. With the right preparation and professional support, you can sell trust-held land confidently and move proceeds where they belong: in alignment with the trust and the beneficiaries’ best interests.