There’s one particular, rather unexpected type of land that fits this bill, and which some people are now buying and reselling to make a quick buck.
Cemetery plot flipping may be a dark concept, but it’s not all that surprising given the commodification of, well, everything, alongside people’s desire to leverage anything they can in this economy.
It’s sort of ideal, when you think about it: the demand for plots is persistent despite market conditions, supply is extremely limited, and a costly or DIY revamp isn’t even possible. Not everyone will be a homeowner in their lifetime, but everyone’s lifetime will end, and the 33% of Americans who opt for a traditional burial will need somewhere to rest when that happens.
Dying is big business
All of the many other expenses of dying aside, premium plots can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, with plot price jumps substantially exceeding general inflation in recent years and private cemeteries and crematories serving as a $4-billion industry.
As Wake Forest University Cemetery Law Professor Tanya Marsh told Freakonomics Radio back in 2024, “Cemeteries are just another real estate use, right? So if you’re thinking about what’s the use for a particular piece of land and how can I make money from it, cemeteries might be an option.”
While owning a plot isn’t the same as owning the land itself — it just entitles you to internment rights on real estate owned by the company, church, or government body that owns the cemetery — this type of deed is still highly coveted. Enough so to warrant an entire brokerage industry for buying and selling it.
Some brokerages position resting places as long-term, potentially lucrative asset investments, but also note their drawbacks. Bayer Cemetery Brokers, for example, highlights a 65% price appreciation of the property type between 2018 and 2024, while consumer inflation rose 25% in comparison.
The firm notes that while plots can and often do increase significantly in price over time because of how scarce they are, they are quite a niche market, especially when it comes to location, and can be difficult to sell if you’re not willing to wait for the right buyer to come along.
