Ready to turn your unwanted cemetery property and grave plots into cash?

Updated: September 2025

That’s great! But it’s harder than you think.

Selling a cemetery plot can be a sensitive and complex process, whether due to a change in family plans, a relocation, or simply the need for cash. While it may seem daunting, it is possible to successfully sell your unwanted burial property and maximize its value.

This guide outlines the top three ways to sell a grave or cemetery plot.

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Cemetery Property: Top 3 Ways to Sell Graves and Cemetery Plots

1. The Easiest Way: Consult a Cemetery Broker

Undoubtedly, for most people with property located in a full-service brokerage area, a reputable, licensed cemetery broker is the best resource for selling graves and burial plots. Indeed, a cemetery broker is a professional who specializes in buying and selling cemetery property.

The Role of a Cemetery Broker:

• Provide deep understanding of the cemetery industry, including current market trends, local regulations, and complex legal requirements.
• Perform an expert valuation of your property and recommend the best strategy to get you the maximum value for your plot.
• Maintain a wide network of potential buyers, increasing your chances of a quick sale. It also means they can negotiate the best possible price on your behalf.
• Advertise your property on their website, to funeral industry professionals, and directly to both pre-need and at-need buyers.
• Communicate with Potential Buyers: This can be handled in a variety of ways. While some companies simply provide maps and lot numbers to interested parties, a few premium full-service cemetery brokers have dedicated cemetery salespeople who show your grave plots in person. This “gold standard” customer service is especially valuable if you live far from the plots you are selling. It is more likely to result in a successful sale given the personal nature of choosing a final resting place.
• Share expertise and legal knowledge to guide you through the entire process. Their job is to complete all the paperwork and ensure a successful transaction.
• Follow best practice: Cemetery brokers are licensed and regulated and must adhere to strict ethical standards. Licensing requirements for cemetery brokers vary, but states with specific regulations include: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.

Pro Tips for Researching Cemetery Brokers:

Make sure you choose a reputable professional. You can do this by taking these steps:

• Search for keywords like “licensed and bonded cemetery broker.”
• Verify their credentials with the appropriate state authorities.
• Check their customer reviews on sites like Google to research their reputation.

In California, cemetery brokers are licensed by the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.

In New York State, cemeteries are overseen by the NY Cemetery Board.

By engaging a licensed cemetery broker, you ensure a smooth and successful sale, and maximize the value of your property.

2. Sell it Yourself: Specialist Classified Listing Services

A second option is to use an online marketplace or a specialist listing service. This DIY way to sell cemetery property exists, and is useful particularly for those who do not live in a full-service brokerage area. However, it requires more personal effort and careful consideration.

The Pros and Cons of Selling Cemetery Plots Yourself:

• Upfront Fees: Online listings services typically charge flat fee and/or a percentage of the final sales price. They are not full-service cemetery brokers and do not handle the transaction itself.
• Reaching the Right Audience: With a high volume of available plots and a limited number of buyers, it is crucial to connect with a specialized audience. All online marketplaces are not created equal. General marketplaces and social media rarely result in actual plot resales. To stand a chance of selling your plot it’s vital to choose a platform tailored for the unique needs of the cemetery property market.
• Time and Effort: This method requires you to manage significant aspects of the sale process yourself.
• Security Concerns: High value assets like cemetery plots can attract scammers, due to the substantial dollar amounts involved. Some listing services, including several specially for cemetery property, lack the protections needed to keep you in control of the information you share. Be vigilant and choose a tailor-made funeral industry platform with built-in privacy features to protect your personal details.

Pro Tip: For the best chance of a successful and safe sale, only advertise your property on a secure, specialist platform.

These services are designed to connect you with serious buyers and protect you from scammers.

3. The Last Resort: Sell your Plot Back to the Cemetery

Lastly, you can try and sell your plot back to the cemetery itself. Unless your plot comes with ‘right to buyback’ restrictions, this is the last resort for most sellers because it typically yields the least cash for your asset.

• Location-dependent: Receiving a buyback offer is more likely if your property is located in a sold-out section of a popular cemetery. The cemetery will only be interested in plots that they can easily resell.
• Lower Payout: When cemeteries buy back plots, they typically offer significantly less than the current retail price for comparable new plots. Anecdotally, the buy-back amount offered is often in the range of 10-20% of the list price and is frequently lower than what you originally paid for it.
• Right of First Refusal: In some states and locations, the cemetery has a “right of first refusal,” meaning they must be given the opportunity to make a buyback offer before you can sell your plot to a third party.

Pro Tip: Before accepting a buyback offer from a cemetery, get an independent valuation.

If a reputable full-service broker operates in your area, they are your best resource to maximize your property’s value. If not, a trusted online listing service can help you research what comparable plots are selling for on the open market.

Summary

As this guide shows, selling your unwanted cemetery property is a realistic goal. Whether you’re looking to get cash or your circumstances have simply changed, there are clear paths to a successful sale.

For most people, the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way is by using a reputable licensed cemetery broker. If you live outside our brokerage area, our tailor-made national listing service is an excellent alternative.

Check out our other guides: Selling Your Cemetery Property Safely, How to Sell Cemetery Property and Grave Plots and Tips for Selling Cemetery Plots

A Full Service Cemetery Broker

For over 27 years, Bayer Cemetery Brokers has been the trusted name in cemetery property sales. We offer a full-service brokerage in California and the premier national platform for buyers and sellers of cemetery plots across the country.

If you’re interested in purchasing cemetery property, or if you have a burial plot you want to sell, we are here to help:  Contact us here

We are licensed and bonded by the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.