LandHub.com is purchased on Flippa, and we have an exclusive interview with the new owner!

For the first buyer interview of 2015 we look back at the auction of LandHub.com, which successfully closed in December. New owner K. Michael May discusses a variety of topics including his prior website acquisition, his marketing plans for LandHub moving forward, and his recommendations for other entrepreneurs looking to buy websites on Flippa!

Tell us about your background as web entrepreneur

I have a Marketing degree and started my career with AT&T, which is where my love of technology grew. I jumped to commercial real estate during the dotcom crash, but I continued to dabble in technology. I then started my first site in 2009 during the economic downturn. Next, I made my first website purchase in December 2013, when I bought GymPosters.com for $15,500 on Flippa. It’s been a great site that practically runs itself, though I am considering selling it to raise capital for LandHub. I’ve also been in marketing, sales and technology throughout my entire career.

What brought you to Flippa?

I was looking for a new business after becoming bored with Commercial Real Estate. Flippa is the only place I’ve found that actually provides real data so you can quickly tell the winners from the losers. I was originally looking for a part-time site to compliment my “day job,” which is why I bought GymPosters. I recently started looking for something that had huge potential and could become my sole source of income. I searched Fllipa for months, bid on a bunch of sites, and then finally found LandHub.

Tell us about LandHub, what is the site about?

LandHub.com is a search platform for all things land. It gives land sellers and brokers the ability to use tools to market their land through our website. It started as RuralPropertyFinder back in 2005 and was switched over to LandHub last year. The previous owner invested a lot of time and money into developing the backend for email and social media integration. Most of our clients are real estate brokers and landowners, and we connect them through a portal that will soon allow integration with white hat social media solutions.

How did you come across LandHub on Flippa, and why did you ultimately decide to place a bid?

I really wanted a site that tied in with Commercial Real Estate, so I got in the habit of checking the Flippa app on my phone every day to see new listings. It took me a while to find LandHub, but I liked the listing as soon as I saw it. The seller was an open book and provided tons of data. After asking a bunch of initial questions, I connected with the seller on LinkedIn. Surprisingly, we ended up sharing a few connections, which allowed me to trust him more. The owner was an expert in the real estate field and had already done all the leg work and backend development on the site. He was working on a new project and simply didn’t have time for the LandHub. The site itself is a great fit for my background, and the prospect of helping people buy and sell land truly excites me, so I placed a bid.

What are your plans for LandHub moving forward?

My first goal is to implement a comprehensive marketing strategy. I have already hired a telemarketing team and email/social media expert. Next, I’ll be working on SEO and a few design changes. After we improve the rankings, we’ll ramp up social media and start adding videos – you can actually make some pretty cool land videos using drones, the FAA just approved the first realtor last week. I will also be getting the Craigslist piece working so all listings will automatically post there, and we’ll soon be launching our white label email and social media marketing platform, allowing users to manage everything directly from our site. Ultimately, my plan is to turn this into a fully functional company that will be my primary source of income.

Any advice for other web entrepreneurs looking buy websites on Flippa?

Do your homework and research the site and future opportunity. Get to know the seller. Skype for a video review of the financials, talk on the phone and research online. My seller and I shared a few LinkedIn connections, which gave him more credibility. Turns out he’s a great guy, a total guru in this space, and has been a huge help so far. Also, patience, patience, patience. I literally looked every day for months before I found the perfect fit. On that note, I highly recommend the Flippa iPhone app, as it allows you to check listings whenever you want. That was key for me since I’m always traveling. Don’t wait until the last minute, set the top price you’re willing to pay and place your bid. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the auction but you should take all emotion out of it.