If you've ever scrolled through a real estate forum at 11 PM, wondering why everyone else seems to be closing deals while you're still figuring out how to pull a proper list, I need you to know something: You're not behind. You're not failing. And you're definitely not alone.

I get emails every week from land investors who feel like they're the only ones struggling. They see the success stories, the wire transfer screenshots, the “just closed another $50K flip!” posts, and they wonder what they're doing wrong.

Meanwhile, they're sitting there with a stack of returned mail, three dead deals, and that nagging voice asking,

“Maybe I'm just not cut out for this?”

Let me tell you what's really happening here, and more importantly, how to break free from this comparison trap that's killing your momentum.

The Highlight Reel Effect Nobody Talks About

Here's something I learned after years in this business and countless conversations with investors at every level: Most of what you see online from other land investors is a carefully curated highlight reel.

Nobody's posting about the six months they went without a single accepted offer. They're not sharing screenshots of the $10,000 they dropped on marketing that produced exactly zero leads. You won't see Instagram stories about the deal that fell apart three days before closing because of a title issue nobody caught.

And here's the kicker: Some people aren't winning at all. They're just saying they are.

I've watched investors post about their “growing empire” while privately messaging me for advice on how to make their first deal work. The gap between public perception and private reality in this business would shock you.

Think about it… when was the last time you saw someone post,

“Hey everyone! Just wanted to share that I completely botched another negotiation today and probably left $15,000 on the table!”

Never happens, right? But I guarantee you, it happens every single day.

The Loneliness Factor That Amplifies Everything

Land investing can be an incredibly isolating business. You're analyzing properties from your laptop, sending blind offers to people you've never met, and explaining to friends and family why buying “worthless” vacant lots is actually a brilliant strategy (while they look at you like you've joined a cult).

When you're working alone and hit those inevitable roadblocks (and trust me, EVERYONE hits them), it's easy to think you're the problem. You start wondering if maybe you're missing some secret formula that everyone else knows.

But here's what two decades in real estate have taught me: This business has a learning curve, and it's different for everybody.

I know one investor who closed five deals in their first month. I also know another incredibly successful investor who didn't close their first deal until month thirteen… and now that same person runs a seven-figure operation. The difference is, the second person didn't quit when things felt hopeless in month six.

You're Playing a Completely Different Game

One of the most damaging things you can do is compare your land investing journey to someone who's playing an completely different game than you.

You might be carefully flipping one or two infill lots while building your knowledge and capital.

Meanwhile, you're comparing yourself to someone who's subdividing 150 acres with investor money and a team of five people. That's like being frustrated that your bicycle isn't keeping up with a motorcycle on the freeway.

Here's a question worth asking:

Do you even want what they have?

I'm serious. Do you want the overhead? The payroll? The investor meetings? The complexity?

Or are you actually looking for something simpler? Maybe enough income to quit your job and work from anywhere, closing three to five good deals a year?

If you're chasing someone else's version of success, it's no wonder you feel like you're losing! You're running a race you never signed up for.

The Numbers You Never See

Want to know what really frustrates me about the online land investing world? The complete lack of context around those “success” posts.

That investor who just posted about their $40,000 flip? Here's what they didn't mention:

• The $12,000 they spent on marketing to get that deal.
• The three other properties they're stuck with that won't sell.
• The $30,000 line of credit is being maxed out to keep the business operating.
• The fact that, after all expenses, they actually netted $8,000.

Revenue is not profit. A big deal is not a good deal unless it actually generates a profit. Some of the flashiest operators I've known were running on fumes behind the scenes, desperately robbing Peter to pay Paul to maintain their “crushing it” persona online.

I've watched investors who looked like absolute rock stars flame out completely within a year. They were too busy maintaining their image to focus on building a sustainable business.

What Real Progress Actually Looks Like

Let me paint you a picture of what genuine progress looks like in the land business (Spoiler alert: It's not glamorous).

Real progress looks like pulling lists late at night after your kids go to bed. It's researching counties, getting your mail returned, and tweaking your letters for the fifth time. It's following up with that seller who's been on the fence for three months. It's finally getting a signed purchase agreement and then sweating bullets until the title clears.

It's not sexy. It rarely makes for good social media content. But it works.

This is where having the right systems becomes crucial. I've seen investors transform their businesses not by working harder, but by getting organized. Whether it's using a CRM to track leads, automating follow-ups, or simply keeping better records, sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from boring operational improvements.

Defining Your Version of Success

Here's an exercise I want you to do right now. Seriously, grab a pen:

Write down what success actually means to you. Not what it means to that YouTube guru or that person in your Facebook group. You.

• How many hours per week do you want to work?
• How much money do you need to make for this to feel worth it?
• What does your ideal day look like?
• What are you willing to sacrifice? What aren't you?

You might discover that you only need $5,000 per month to completely transform your life. Maybe you just want to flip two properties per year while keeping your day job. Perhaps you want to develop a rental portfolio of owner-financed land notes. All of these are valid, but you have to define what you want.

Without this clarity, you'll spend years chasing someone else's dream and wondering why it feels empty when you get there.

The Path Forward

If you're feeling behind in the land business, I need you to understand something: You're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be.

Every successful land investor has stood where you're standing right now. They've all questioned themselves, compared themselves to others, and wondered if they were cut out for this. The only difference between them and the people who quit is that the successful ones kept going when it felt pointless.

Stop comparing your Chapter 2 to someone else's Chapter 10. Stop assuming everyone else has it figured out (they don't). Stop chasing a version of success that isn't even yours.

Instead, stay focused on your process. Keep marketing to find motivated sellers, keep analyzing deals, keep making offers. Build relationships with other investors who get it. Learn from your mistakes without letting them define you.

This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. And marathons aren't won by the person who starts the fastest. They're won by the person who keeps putting one foot in front of the other, especially when no one's watching.

Remember: The land business doesn't care about your Instagram follower count or how many people congratulate you in a Facebook group. It only cares about one thing: consistent, intelligent action over time.

That's how you win. Not by being ahead of everyone else, but by being ahead of where you were yesterday.

Now stop reading about it and go do something about it! Your future self will thank you.

What's your biggest challenge in the land investing business right now? Drop a comment below and let's talk about it. Sometimes just knowing you're not alone in the struggle makes all the difference.