3 Case Studies: The Advantages of Using a Mineral Rights Broker

Selling mineral rights isn’t like selling a house or a car. There’s no public listing service.

Most of the buyers operate behind closed doors. And the value of your minerals can swing wildly depending on who’s looking, what they know about your property, and how desperate you are to sell.

This is one of the biggest financial decisions many mineral owners will ever make. But too often, owners are under-informed and overwhelmed.

Unsolicited offers often show up in the mail, with a number that feels exciting. It’s easy to think, “This is more money than I ever expected from these minerals, I should take it.” The problem is, that offer might be based on outdated production numbers, incomplete information, or designed to take advantage of your lack of market knowledge.

A mineral rights broker works differently. They represent you, not the buyer.

Their job is to bring transparency to a process that is otherwise stacked against the seller. That starts with evaluating what you own, gathering the right data, and packaging your minerals in a way that attracts serious buyers.

More importantly, a broker can run a competitive sales process. That means multiple buyers, each making offers, knowing they’re bidding against others. This competition often drives the price up significantly. Without that process, you’re just hoping the first offer is a fair one.

Many mineral owners also make the mistake of accepting verbal offers or signing deals without understanding the fine print. A broker helps navigate contracts, vet buyers, and ensure you’re not getting taken advantage of with unfavorable terms or hidden clauses.

In short, if you sell mineral rights on your own, this nearly always benefits the mineral buyer. Using a broker helps level the playing field and can unlock the true value of what you own.

It started with a check for $100.

That’s what a mineral owner in West Texas was receiving each month from an old oil well on their family’s property. The well had been producing for years, and the income had slowly dwindled. It didn’t seem like much. Just a little extra money every month.

Then came an offer in the mail.

A mineral buyer offered to purchase the mineral rights for $1 million.  At first, the owner was stunned. They had no idea the minerals could be worth anywhere near that amount. And since they had only been getting $100 a month, the offer felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They almost signed the paperwork.

But something didn’t sit right. The suddenness of the offer and the lack of clear explanation made them pause. Fortunately, they reached out to a mineral rights broker for a second opinion.

That decision changed everything.

The broker reviewed the mineral rights ownership, current production, and nearby drilling activity. It turned out that new horizontal wells had been permitted near the property. The production outlook was much stronger than the owner realized.

The broker then ran a formal sales process, putting the minerals in front of a broad network of competitive buyers. Within a few weeks, several offers came in. Some were around $1.1 million. A few went higher.

The winning offer: $1.3 million!

By working with a broker, the owner increased their sale price by $300,000 over the original offer. That’s money they would have never seen if they had taken the first deal.

Not possible right?   WRONG!  This situation happens constantly.  Mineral buyers make a fortune buying mineral rights off market with no competition.

This case is a perfect example of how royalty income alone doesn’t always reflect true mineral value. A $100 check each month might make you think the property isn’t worth much. But buyers look at future potential. And a good broker knows how to position your minerals to bring that potential to light.

After her father passed away, Susan inherited mineral rights in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma. She didn’t know much about oil and gas, but paperwork in his estate mentioned royalty income and several producing wells. A few months later, she started receiving checks for around $200 a month.

Then came the offers.

One buyer reached out and offered her $75,000 for the minerals. Another said they’d go up to $90,000 if she acted quickly. To Susan, it seemed like a fair deal. After all, she barely understood what she owned, and $200 a month didn’t feel like much to give up.

She was about to accept.

Before signing, a friend encouraged her to get a second opinion. That’s when she contacted a mineral rights broker.

The broker started by reviewing her ownership, checking nearby activity, and analyzing recent production. Susan learned that she wasn’t just inheriting a monthly check. She was inheriting an asset in one of the most active oil and gas regions in Oklahoma.

The wells she was being paid on were only part of the story. Additional drilling was already planned in the area, and new permits had been filed. Her minerals had more value than she realized.

The broker marketed her position to a wide network of mineral buyers. With real competition, the offers quickly increased. One buyer came in at $160,000. Another went up to $180,000. The final sale closed at $210,000.

That was more than double what she had nearly accepted.

This is a common story for people who inherit mineral rights. They receive something they don’t fully understand, and they assume the first offer is probably close to fair. In Susan’s case, getting expert help made all the difference. She walked away confident that she got full value for what she owned.

John and Linda had owned mineral rights in New Mexico for decades. The royalties had been modest for most of their life, but steady. As they got older, managing finances became more important. So when a buyer contacted them and offered $500,000 for their minerals, they were interested.

The buyer was friendly and persuasive. He told them it was a strong offer and suggested they act quickly, since the market could change. For John and Linda, half a million dollars felt like a good deal. They were close to retirement and liked the idea of simplifying things.

They were ready to move forward.

Luckily, their daughter stepped in. She had worked in finance and wasn’t comfortable with them signing anything without getting a second opinion. She encouraged them to talk with a mineral rights broker first.

The broker reviewed their ownership and took a deeper look at the area. It turned out their minerals were in a very active part of the Delaware Basin, with strong production and more wells being planned. There was much more long-term value than the original offer reflected.

The broker ran a competitive sales process and presented the minerals to multiple buyers. Within a few weeks, several offers came in. The final deal closed at $640,000.

Not only did John and Linda make $140,000 more, but the broker also helped them understand the terms of the sale and made sure there were no surprises in the contract. The deal was clean, and the couple felt confident they had made the right choice.

This case is a reminder that many buyers try to close deals quickly, especially with retired mineral owners who may not have the tools or knowledge to evaluate the offer.

A mineral broker’s job is to protect the seller and bring real transparency to the process. For John and Linda, it made all the difference.

Most professional mineral rights brokers charge a 6% commission. This is a fair and common fee in the industry. And in nearly every case, the broker will only get paid if the deal closes. There are no upfront costs, and no fee unless you sell.

That 6% goes toward marketing your minerals, gathering data, coordinating with buyers, and running a competitive sales process. It also covers the broker’s time in helping you understand what you own and navigating the transaction from start to finish.

At first, some owners hesitate when they hear that number. But the bigger picture is what matters.

A good broker can often bring in multiple qualified buyers who bid against each other, which almost always increases your final sale price. The results often speak for themselves.

Let’s say you sell for $700,000 without a broker. It feels like a win. But what if a broker could have brought you $850,000? Even after paying a 6 percent fee, you would still come out far ahead.

Choosing to work with a broker is not about spending more. It’s about making more.

Pro Tip:  Most mineral owners accept the highest offer they find on their own. They convince themselves the found the best market price available by simply talking to two or three buyers and accepting an offer.  This is how you sell below market value and lose out on substantial money. 

Free Mineral Rights Brokers

You may come across someone claiming to be a “free” broker. These are not true brokers. In most cases, they are flippers pretending to work on your behalf.

Here’s how it usually works. They find a seller, get the minerals under contract, and then quietly shop the deal to buyers at a higher price. The seller never sees the offers or knows what the minerals actually sold for. The flipper pockets the difference.

For example, they might tell you they have a buyer at $500,000 and lock you in at that price. But behind the scenes, they sell the same interest for $625,000 and keep the $125,000 spread. You don’t “pay” a fee, but you never even had a chance to see the real market value.

There is nothing transparent about this approach. And once the deal is done, you’ll never know how much you left on the table.

Pro Tip:  If you don’t know what commission % your broker is making or it’s not in writing, your “broker” is likely flipping the deal.

Saving 6 Percent and Losing $100,000

There was a mineral owner in North Dakota who refused to use a broker. He had a direct offer in hand and didn’t want to pay a 6% commission. He figured he was saving money by going it alone.  WRONG.

That same month, his cousin sold an identical acreage position within the same unit. The cousin used a mineral rights broker who marketed the minerals broadly and brought in multiple buyers. After the 6 percent commission, the cousin still cleared $100,000 more than the first seller.

One mineral owner “saved” 6 percent, but they lost out on over $100,000 because they didn’t get competitive bids.

Trying to avoid paying a broker’s fee might feel smart in the moment. But if that decision leads to accepting a lowball offer, it can cost far more in the long run.

Don’t be that person.

Selling mineral rights is a big decision, and it’s not something to take lightly. Many owners accept the first offer they receive without knowing the true value of what they own.

A professional broker helps change that. By creating competition and guiding you through each step, a broker can often bring in a much higher sale price. You not only get more value, but also peace of mind knowing the process was handled the right way.

If you’re thinking about selling, reach out to Mineral Rights Alliance for a free consultation. We’ll help you understand your options and make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.

It could be the smartest move you make as a mineral owner.