Help Needed: Tips for Selling Land and Info on Manado's Diving Community

Likaka

Member
Joined
May 19, 2024
Messages
11
Hi all,

My aunt has been trying to sell her land for almost a decade without success. I would like to know if there are any ways to facilitate the sale of her land.

My aunt has had four agents, mainly based in Bali and Jakarta, representing her in selling the land all these years without success. I would appreciate any advice you could give us.

Additionally, I would like to know more about the diving community in Manado because we want to reach out to potential clients. Although we are not interested in diving ourselves and are unfamiliar with this aspect, any insights you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Hi all,

My aunt has been trying to sell her land for almost a decade without success. I would like to know if there are any ways to facilitate the sale of her land.

My aunt has had four agents, mainly based in Bali and Jakarta, representing her in selling the land all these years without success. I would appreciate any advice you could give us.
Did you compare similar properties currently on the market and recent sale prices in the same region?
 
Everybody has land in Manado, Tomohon, Tondano, Bitung, …

Already very difficult in itself and forget it with agents from Java & Bali.
 
There are lots of things to consider - the location of the land, the size of the land, the designated use of the land & if it is a large property maybe it could be broken down into smaller individual plots.
Is it in the zone that had the destructive earthquake? All of these will factor into to the price and the salability of the property.
If it can't be sold could it have some change of use and be rented out. There are many uses one could have with a large plot of land that would attract investors. You have to be creative with your thinking.
 
Did you compare similar properties currently on the market and recent sale prices in the same region?
I tried to research the sale prices in that region online, as I am currently not based in Indonesia, but I found that they can fluctuate a lot. So, I asked my aunt, who lives in Indonesia, to search for the prices instead. I guess she’s still working on it…
 
Everybody has land in Manado, Tomohon, Tondano, Bitung, …

Already very difficult in itself and forget it with agents from Java & Bali.
Yeah… I understand the difficulty, as Manado isn’t as popular as Java or Bali, but I still want to find a way to help my aunt.
 
There are lots of things to consider - the location of the land, the size of the land, the designated use of the land & if it is a large property maybe it could be broken down into smaller individual plots.
Is it in the zone that had the destructive earthquake? All of these will factor into to the price and the salability of the property.
If it can't be sold could it have some change of use and be rented out. There are many uses one could have with a large plot of land that would attract investors. You have to be creative with your thinking.
Thanks so much for your advice. Since the land is very close to Sam Ratulangi International Airport, we once decided to market it as suitable for leisure tourism. Unfortunately, the tourism business there seems to have died down after Covid-19, making it hard to use tourism as a selling point. The area rarely experiences destructive earthquakes, so it is safe to start any business. I will ask my aunt if she wants to rent it out.
I would appreciate it if you can give me some creative suggestions🙏:hail:
 
Last edited:
Thanks so much for your advice. Since the land is very close to Sam Ratulangi International Airport, we once decided to market it as suitable for leisure tourism. Unfortunately, the tourism business there seems to have died down after Covid-19, making it hard to use tourism as a selling point. The area rarely experiences destructive earthquakes, so it is safe to start any business. I will ask my aunt if she wants to rent it out.
I would appreciate it if you can give me some creative suggestions🙏:hail:
Creative suggestions cost money if they aren't your own.
 
How about lowering the price until you find a buyer?
We found that the average price in that region is about USD $9-10/m², but we lowered the price to USD $7 per square meter for several months and still couldn’t find any buyers.
 
Be wary about posting on Facebook as Facebook now seems to be a trolling hangout for scammers.
Yes, indeed. We have come across quite a lot of scammers over the years, so we don’t post it on Facebook or other social media.
 
We found that the average price in that region is about USD $9-10/m², but we lowered the price to USD $7 per square meter for several months and still couldn’t find any buyers.
The thing is - if its close to the airport then its not on the coastline so I dont really understand why you target divers. Maybe I dont understand and your property is in the perfect diving location but I have been to manado many times (last trip was 2 weeks ago) and have always either stayed on Bunaken or if in Manado then right on the coastline. I don't want to have to drive to the shore, then boat for 30 mins before my dive if I can avoid it (and in Manado there are plenty of options right on the water already).
Tourism has taken a huge hit from the lack of Chinese coming into the area post covid - I only met 1 chinese diver on my recent trip.

There isn't so much happening near the airport (from a tourist perspective) and I dont think I would want to stay there - I would prefer to stay somewhere beautiful in the hinterland or if diving then right on the coastline personally. So maybe cast your net beyond tourism - or hold till it becomes more appealing in future (potentially). Land is only worth what someone is willing to pay at the end of the day.
 
Ya, if you go to hotspots like the golf area or citraland you can expect 3 juta per m2. North of the airport that drops to 100K or less. So it’s practically impossible for us to make some good (and not too generic) remarks about it without having more info. But like I said, forget working with Jakarta or Bali real estate agents; you’d better go there but even that is no recipe for success.
 
The thing is - if its close to the airport then its not on the coastline so I dont really understand why you target divers. Maybe I dont understand and your property is in the perfect diving location but I have been to manado many times (last trip was 2 weeks ago) and have always either stayed on Bunaken or if in Manado then right on the coastline. I don't want to have to drive to the shore, then boat for 30 mins before my dive if I can avoid it (and in Manado there are plenty of options right on the water already).
Tourism has taken a huge hit from the lack of Chinese coming into the area post covid - I only met 1 chinese diver on my recent trip.

There isn't so much happening near the airport (from a tourist perspective) and I dont think I would want to stay there - I would prefer to stay somewhere beautiful in the hinterland or if diving then right on the coastline personally. So maybe cast your net beyond tourism - or hold till it becomes more appealing in future (potentially). Land is only worth what someone is willing to pay at the end of the day.
Because the land is between the airport and the ferry harbour, Pasar Jengki, which travels between Manado and Bunaken Island, and most of the travelers in Manado are divers like you, we thought it was suitable to market it for tourism and specialize in the diving industry.

I understand that staying near the coastline is more convenient for divers, as it saves driving time to the harbour. I am glad to learn about the perspective of a diver. We will consider marketing it beyond tourism.
 
Ya, if you go to hotspots like the golf area or citraland you can expect 3 juta per m2. North of the airport that drops to 100K or less. So it’s practically impossible for us to make some good (and not too generic) remarks about it without having more info. But like I said, forget working with Jakarta or Bali real estate agents; you’d better go there but even that is no recipe for success.
The land is located southwest of the airport, and I checked the Google map, there is no golf course nearby, only residential areas. I am happy to provide any information about the land if you ask. Yeah, we stopped working with those agents now since they know nothing about Manado. We don’t think they have the ability to sell the land. The comments from you and other users are more useful.
 
Hi all,

My aunt has been trying to sell her land for almost a decade without success. I would like to know if there are any ways to facilitate the sale of her land.

My aunt has had four agents, mainly based in Bali and Jakarta, representing her in selling the land all these years without success. I would appreciate any advice you could give us.

Additionally, I would like to know more about the diving community in Manado because we want to reach out to potential clients. Although we are not interested in diving ourselves and are unfamiliar with this aspect, any insights you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hello Likaka,
A land close to the airport has little interest for the diving operators. As it has been said by @gemima, when you dive you definitely want to be close to the dive spot of interest, preferably on the island of Bunaken/SIladen/Gangga/Bangka/Lembeh, definitely not anywhere in Manado and, even less, close to the airport which would require a 40m drive to reach Marina/Kalimas and an additional 30 mn or so boat ride before diving. And that is if you dive the Bunaken National Park. No way you reside close by the airport if you intend to Dive Bangka or the Lembeh Strait.

If it's located DIRECTLY on Jln A.A Maramis it may interest an hotel investor aiming at corporate business if the land is bog enough, a logistic company...etc. If it's not on Jln A.A Maramis then it would just be for a housing development. However having planes flying over my house is not necessarily high in the list of thing I would consider to build my home. :LOL:

Dealing with an agent based outside Manado would be a waste of time. It would lead you nowhere. Lands are sold mostly through word of mouth here. I've been living 25 years in Manado and have probably done close to 30 land transactions, mostly as a buyer. We never ever dealt with an agent. The land we bought have been sourced through two means: 1} People having heard that a land would be for sale in my hood or anywhere and knowing us, or having heard by the friend of a friend of a friend that we have bought a land in the 10 km radius of the one one they try to sell. 2)Repossessed land sold on auction.

There is no such thing as a real "market price" in Manado and it's pointless to "compare similar properties currently on the market and recent sale prices in the same region" because, in Sulut, differences can be enormous for two similar land in the same neighbourhood. At the end of the day what makes the selling price is how bad the seller needs to sell it. And that, if it's the case, it is not something to have the buyer understand it. Before buying a land or even before asking where it is or before even seeing the land title I am interested in who owns it and why they possibly want to sell it.

Honestly, if you don't live in Manado or at least have family/people you trust to represent you/your aunt, it's gonna be hard to sell your property.
 
Hello Likaka,
A land close to the airport has little interest for the diving operators. As it has been said by @gemima, when you dive you definitely want to be close to the dive spot of interest, preferably on the island of Bunaken/SIladen/Gangga/Bangka/Lembeh, definitely not anywhere in Manado and, even less, close to the airport which would require a 40m drive to reach Marina/Kalimas and an additional 30 mn or so boat ride before diving. And that is if you dive the Bunaken National Park. No way you reside close by the airport if you intend to Dive Bangka or the Lembeh Strait.

If it's located DIRECTLY on Jln A.A Maramis it may interest an hotel investor aiming at corporate business if the land is bog enough, a logistic company...etc. If it's not on Jln A.A Maramis then it would just be for a housing development. However having planes flying over my house is not necessarily high in the list of thing I would consider to build my home. :LOL:

Dealing with an agent based outside Manado would be a waste of time. It would lead you nowhere. Lands are sold mostly through word of mouth here. I've been living 25 years in Manado and have probably done close to 30 land transactions, mostly as a buyer. We never ever dealt with an agent. The land we bought have been sourced through two means: 1} People having heard that a land would be for sale in my hood or anywhere and knowing us, or having heard by the friend of a friend of a friend that we have bought a land in the 10 km radius of the one one they try to sell. 2)Repossessed land sold on auction.

There is no such thing as a real "market price" in Manado and it's pointless to "compare similar properties currently on the market and recent sale prices in the same region" because, in Sulut, differences can be enormous for two similar land in the same neighbourhood. At the end of the day what makes the selling price is how bad the seller needs to sell it. And that, if it's the case, it is not something to have the buyer understand it. Before buying a land or even before asking where it is or before even seeing the land title I am interested in who owns it and why they possibly want to sell it.

Honestly, if you don't live in Manado or at least have family/people you trust to represent you/your aunt, it's gonna be hard to sell your property.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on properties near the airport and the preferences of diving operators in Manado. Your experience with land transactions in the area really shows.

I get what you mean about diving operators wanting to be close to Bunaken, Siladen, Gangga, Bangka, or Lembeh for convenience. Being near the airport can mean a longer drive and boat ride to get to the good dive spots, especially if it's for Bunaken National Park or places like Bangka and Lembeh Strait.

You made a good point about Jln A.A. Maramis—it might attract interest from hotels or logistics companies, especially if the plot is big enough. According to Google Maps, the distance between Jln A.A. Maramis and the land is about 7.7 km, approximately a 12-13 minute drive, so they are quite close actually. I hear you on not wanting planes flying overhead if you're thinking about living there, but the land is about 14 km away from the airport, so it shouldn’t be too close to annoy anyone.

It's interesting how land deals in Manado mostly happen through word of mouth or auctions. Your insight about the lack of a fixed "market price" makes sense. Did you mean the price depends on how badly the seller wants to sell it? Looking at the map, do you think the land is near your neighborhood?

Your advice about having local connections or family around to sell property in Manado makes sense. It sounds like personal relationships and knowing the local scene really matter. I’ll ask my aunt if she can find someone trustworthy to represent us.
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I do not have the experience of land dealings that atlantis has, but I know a handful of realtors. According to them, it is hard to get an accurate market price because the sale price data is difficult to research. Typically a portion of the sale is done in cash and not recorded to evade transfer taxes. Actual sale prices are by word of mouth and even then people sometimes lie or just don't say. Listing costs and property taxes are very low, so property owners will occasionally put properties up for sale at a listing price way over market value hoping to find a buyer. They have no real need to sell the property, so unless they get far over market value, they will just hold on to it.
 

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