There are 2 types of landowners I meet.

1) The Naïve Owner:

“Developments are easy, right? Hire an architect, find a builder, done deal. Nothing could go wrong.”

2) The Terrified Owner:

“I wouldn’t touch a development project with a ten-foot pole. Too complicated with too much risk.”

That split is what shaped our business model.

When I first joined the family business, my dad and I partnered with a landowner here in Seattle. He had a great site and no development experience.

We brought the process, he brought the land.

We structured it as a JV.

That deal launched the development arm of GIS Companies.

Since then, we’ve done the same thing again and again:

✅ The landowner brings the site
✅ We handle entitlements, design, financing, and construction

Everyone shares in the upside.
Incentives are aligned.
No one gets steamrolled.

Most owners don’t realize this is an option.

They think it’s either:

A. Sell the land and walk away, or
B. Try building themselves, pray nothing goes wrong

But there’s a third path.

And if you structure it right, everyone wins, even in a down market.

We’ve seen this work in Seattle, Idaho, and are partnering with land owners in the PNW and across the U.S.

The lesson?

You don’t have to be naïve or terrified.

You just need the right team, clear structure, and a playbook to turn your land’s potential into profit.

What partnership helped you get to the next level, and what made it work?

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If you’re holding land and wondering what’s next, let’s talk.

There’s probably more on the table than you realize.