Committee votes to seek realtors to sell county-owned parcels; RFP to be issued

The Ashland County Land Records Committee voted to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to real estate brokers to market and sell county-owned parcels, directing that the solicitation seek comprehensive services including market analyses and outreach to adjacent property owners.

A committee member proposed using a realtor to set market prices and to avoid later disputes from previous owners over sale values. Members discussed alternatives — hiring an appraiser or using town assessed values — and concluded that realtors would be better positioned to produce market pricing and manage sales and outreach.

The committee agreed that solicited proposals should describe how the broker would price properties, attempt to sell the full list of parcels (rather than picking only the most marketable), and notify adjacent landowners about available properties. Members also suggested the county consider an ongoing relationship with a broker to handle future county-acquired properties.

The motion to issue an RFP passed with all committee members voting in favor; no dissent was recorded. The committee instructed staff to prepare the RFP and to include terms that address properties that do not sell on initial listing.