Ep. 23 | Land Sub-Dividing with Teddy Benz | Purpose-Driven Investment Podcast

Join me on Episode 23 of the Purpose-Driven Investment Podcast as I sit down with Teddy Benz, a land investor based in Greenville, South Carolina, who has built a unique real estate business by doing something most investors overlook entirely—investing in land instead of houses.

Teddy’s journey started in software development, but the pull toward entrepreneurship and freedom led him into real estate. After experimenting with creative finance and wholesaling, he stumbled into his first land deal—and everything changed. What began as a simple favor for a friend turned into a scalable, high-margin strategy centered around simple land subdivisions.

In this episode, we break down how Teddy finds undervalued land, why subdividing larger parcels creates massive leverage, and how land investing removes many of the headaches associated with traditional residential real estate. We also dive deep into zoning, road frontage, floodplains, seller psychology, and why direct mail still dominates land acquisitions.

This conversation is packed with practical insight for investors looking to simplify their business, scale intelligently, and create long-term opportunity without unnecessary complexity.

What You’ll Learn:
Why land investing can be simpler and more scalable than houses
How Teddy evaluates land using price-per-acre logic
What “simple subdivision” really means—and why it works
How to identify high-demand counties and growing markets
The best marketing strategies for reaching long-term landowners

Key Takeaways:
Why most landowners aren’t actively selling—and how to reach them
How road frontage and access determine land value
Why buying bigger parcels and subdividing creates outsized returns
How to balance profit, simplicity, and time in land deals
The long-term opportunity in land entitlement and development

Connect with Teddy Benz:
Instagram:   / teddybenz  

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction & Teddy’s background
03:25 – From software developer to real estate investor
06:20 – The first land deal that changed everything
09:40 – How to comp land using price per acre
13:15 – Simple subdivision strategy explained
16:30 – Why the Carolinas are prime land markets
19:45 – Direct mail vs cold outreach for land
24:00 – Seller filters and targeting the right owners
29:20 – Road frontage, floodplains, and access
34:45 – Zoning, surveys, and subdivision decisions
39:00 – Selling land: off-market vs MLS
42:30 – Teddy’s long-term vision and development goals

Watch Previous Episodes:
Episode 1 – Avoiding Foreclosure with Edith Fitzgerald
   • Ep. 1 | Avoid Foreclosure with Edith Fitzg...  

Previous Episode – Voucher-based Investing with Felix Buchanan Sr.
   • Ep. 22 | Voucher-based Investing with Feli...  

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About the Purpose-Driven Investment Podcast:
This podcast is about real conversations with real people. We explore creative real estate, investing strategies, and business decisions that create returns that matter—not just financially, but personally and communally.