This guide details a simple step-by-step process about where and how you can buy virtual land in the metaverse. We’ll also deep-dive into what metaverse land is, explain the differences between centralized vs decentralized metaverse platforms, highlight different ways to buy metaverse land, and bring out the main reasons companies are investing in metaverse land.

What is the metaverse? 

Some platforms that began as VR-first have also expanded to broader access. Meta, for example, has been working to extend Horizon Worlds beyond headsets via mobile and web experiences.

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What is virtual land in metaverse?

Top metaverse platforms to buy virtual land on

There are two different kinds of metaverse platforms to buy virtual land on; one is decentralized, meaning these are blockchain-based platforms, and the other type is centralized – jump here to find out what the main differences are before you continue reading.

Some of the leading top metaverse platforms are:

1. Decentraland (MANA) (decentralized);
2. The Sandbox (SAND) (decentralized);
3. Axie Infinity (AXS) (decentralized);
4. Roblox (RBLX) (centralized).

After you buy metaverse land, owning a digital land plot is similar to physical real estate. Virtual plots of land are programmable spaces where people can build or design their own houses, art galleries, event spaces, or virtual shops – imagination is the limit; however, what you can exactly build, depends on your chosen metaverse platform.

Recommended video: How to buy land in the metaverse (for beginners)?

Each plot of land is sold as non-fungible-tokens (NFTs) in two ways: directly on the metaverse platform like Decentraland or on an NFT marketplace like OpenSea. The NFT gives you the rights to own and develop a specific virtual area on a particular metaverse games platform.

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Why buy land in metaverse?

Industry forecasts suggest that virtual real estate could expand significantly over the long term. However, adoption has been uneven, and growth remains highly dependent on platform activity, user engagement, and broader developments in immersive technologies.

During the early stages of the metaverse boom, a number of global brands and professional services firms experimented with virtual real estate by launching branded experiences and offices. While these initiatives demonstrated potential use cases, long-term commercial adoption remains uncertain and continues to evolve.

More cautious participants tend to focus on established platforms with active user communities, functioning marketplaces, and recognizable ecosystems, while closely monitoring whether these environments maintain long-term relevance.

Centralized vs decentralized metaverse

On one side, there are centralized metaverse platforms such as Roblox or Niantic, or Meta-owned Horizon Worlds; others are decentralized blockchain and crypto-based metaverse platforms like The Sandbox, Decentraland, or Somnium. 

Currently, the most prominent metaverse platforms for buying virtual land are blockchain-based Decentraland and Sandbox on the Ethereum blockchain, run by a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) – a group of platform users. 

All purchases, for both virtual land as well as other digital assets in the game, are made in cryptocurrency in the form of NFTs, so the user has the full right and ownership of them, unlike with a centralized platform, where funds go to platform owners. 

How to buy land in the metaverse? 

Buying land in the virtual world may seem daunting at first due to specific terminology as well as specific processes involved, but in reality, you have to follow a simple process to buy land in the metaverse, and in a few steps, you can be a proud owner of digital land or real estate.

Where to buy metaverse land

You can purchase virtual metaverse land in one of two ways:

1. On an NFT marketplace;
2. Directly on the specific metaverse platform.

You can purchase land on an NFT marketplace like OpenSea and search for land NFTs of a specific metaverse, or alternatively, head straight to a specific metaverse platform, such as Decentraland Marketplace, and buy the land NFT directly.

Alternatively, you can head to your chosen metaverse platform, in this case, the Sandbox, and purchase virtual land NFTs from there.

Once you have chosen a metaverse platform, you can compare listings on the platform’s native marketplace as well as major third-party NFT marketplaces. Availability, supported blockchains, and fees vary by marketplace and network.

Before proceeding with the land purchase, make sure you go through the following steps:

Step 1 – Select a metaverse platform

The first step would be to decide on which metaverse platform you want to buy land on, which depends on various factors —price, land size, and the seller. If you don’t have a specific platform in mind, doing some prior research on which suits your aim best is a solid idea. 

Just like some areas of the world like London, New York, or Tokyo are where real estate prices are the most expensive, up-and-coming areas can offer more lucrative deals; however, they come with higher risk.

For example, Roblox has seen world-renowned celebrity artists like Tai Verdes, Zara Larsson, or Lil Nas X holding virtual concerts on the platform. Decentraland has hosted virtual fashion shows featuring brands like Adidas or D&G, and even hosted a 4-day festival with Deadmau5 and Paris Hilton – all of which drive up the demand and prices. 

However, as plots on these platforms can vary widely in price depending on location, demand, and market conditions, with premium parcels commanding significantly higher valuations than peripheral areas, you should also check for other opportunities. Other growing metaverse platforms include Voxels (formerly Cryptovoxels), Axie Infinity (AXS), Aavegotchi, and Bit. Country, or Somnium.

Step 2 – Buy cryptocurrency

Most metaverse platforms and NFT marketplaces require you to purchase metaverse crypto beforehand. It means you have to first register with a digital wallet – the wallet type depends on which metaverse platform you wish to buy land. For example, Decentraland can connect to Metamask, Fortmatic, WalletConnect, or Coinbase Wallets.

For ease of use, we recommend integrating a digital wallet that can be added to your browser, as you can automatically log in and connect two separate accounts – the wallet and the platform accounts.

Because different platforms and marketplaces operate on different blockchain networks, transaction fees and required tokens can vary. Some land NFTs are traded directly on Ethereum, while others may use alternative networks or scaling solutions. Always check which currency is required and what fees apply before completing a purchase.

You can purchase these digital currencies on crypto exchanges such as Binance or Coinbase, which also connect directly to your digital wallet. Once you have signed up with a digital crypto wallet and purchased some crypto, you can continue to the next stage and select the piece of land you wish to own.

Step 3 – Select a piece of metaverse land

Once you have selected the metaverse platform, set up your digital wallet, and purchased some crypto, the next step is to choose the plot of land to buy. 

The main things to consider before buying land in the metaverse are: 

• Metaverse land price;
• Size of the virtual land area;
• The digital currency you have to pay in; 
• Who is the seller of the land; 
• Transaction history;
• Utility potential (gallery, events space, shop, etc.);
• How big is the metaverse platform; 
• Area: is it close to a hub, shops, galleries, event spaces, etc.

Similar to the real world, where it is more expensive to buy property near landmarks, land closer to the “hubs” or shops and other public spaces tend to be more pricey in the virtual world.

For example, on Decentraland, users gather around Genesis Plaza, the platform’s main central hub and primary entry point for new visitors. Plots located closer to Genesis Plaza and other high-traffic districts are generally more expensive, as visibility and footfall tend to be higher in these areas.

Step 4 – Finalize your virtual land purchase

Once you have decided on the best area to buy for your needs and have deposited funds to your digital wallet, you have to head to the secondary NFT marketplace or the metaverse platform directly, link your account and your wallet and click buy. 

The NFT you purchase contains coordinates to the area you control and shows where it is located on the metaverse map. Once the transaction is confirmed, you can see the NFT in your digital wallet, and will be registered as the new owner. Depending on the aim of your purchase, you can either hold on to it as a long-term investment, flip it for profit, or build something on it.

Step-by-step process to buying land on OpenSea 

OpenSea is one of the best-known NFT marketplaces for buying and selling digital assets, including virtual land NFTs across several blockchain networks.

It is better to purchase virtual land on a third-party platform if you already know which land and on which metaverse platform you want to buy.

Step 1 – Register and sign in to your account

In the first step, you have to register your account on the OpenSea NFT platform. This is relatively easy and only takes a few simple steps to complete. 

You can connect directly to your digital wallet:

Step 2 – Search for the virtual land you want to buy

The second step is about finding the land plots that are on sale on the platform – at this stage, you should already know which metaverse platform you wish to purchase land on, in this case, Decentraland:

On there, you can see all the details: how many items are listed overall, the price, the digital currency they are sold in, and filter for “buy now,” “auction,” “new,” or “has offers” status options to choose the most suitable land for your needs. 

When you click on each listing, you can see details such as purchase history, the average price over time, and the seller, among other crucial details to analyze before buying.

Step 3 – Finalize the purchase

And we have made it to the final step – the purchase! Once you have chosen the platform, analyzed and confirmed all the details, and done your research, you can click “make an offer” or “buy,” depending on the listing type.

A step-by-step guide to buying land on Decentraland 

Decentraland is one of the largest decentralized metaverse platforms, established in 2017, where there are 90,601 individual plots of virtual land. For each piece of land, called parcels, users can use the MANA token, the platform’s digital currency, to purchase land in Decentraland.

Step 1 – Register your account

First of all, head to the Decentraland platform and create your account. 

From there, you have to connect your crypto wallet to your Decentraland account, and you are all set up to go ahead and purchase the land on the Decentraland marketplace.

Step 2 – Head to Decentraland Marketplace

Once you have registered as a user on the Decentraland platform, head to Decentraland Marketplace, provided you have already signed up with a crypto wallet such as Metamask, and if needed, connect to your wallet by using a Chrome extension: 

After which, you can connect to your wallet again (unless already connected). 

After a successful connection and sign-in, you should click “start browsing”, which takes you to the page where you can choose between various digital assets, including land: 

On that page, a map of the whole Decentraland is displayed, with available plots of land highlighted in blue. The green area represents Genesis Plaza, Decentraland’s central hub, while surrounding districts and neighborhoods function as themed zones with varying levels of activity and pricing.

Step 3 – Choose the plot of land you want to buy

The next step is identifying which plot you want to purchase. When you hover around each plot of land, highlighted in blue are the ones that are for sale, you can see its price, who is selling it, and how big the parcel is:

There you can decide on things like the price, how close it should be to the central hubs, and what kind of potential it has.

Step 4 – Complete the purchase

In the next step, once you have identified the suitable plot, you can click on the blue land that will open the further details, and the “buy” or “bid” options. 

In some cases, premium parcels in high-traffic areas can be listed for very high prices, reflecting location, visibility, and perceived long-term value.

Main reasons to buy virtual land in the metaverse

Reasons to buy virtual land in the metaverse don’t differ much from the real world – in 2021, a digital plot of land next to Snoopverse – Snoop Dogg’s virtual world on the Sandbox platform was sold for a whopping $450,000. 

Buying land next to celebrities or investing in virtual real estate to earn from rent is all the same in the virtual metaverse world, except that it is digital. Like in a real-life scenario, some areas and cities are more desirable and expensive, some up-and-coming and more affordable. 

We are already spending hours on end on our phones, and so immersive digital environments and metaverse-style experiences are expected to continue evolving, particularly in areas such as gaming, entertainment, training, and enterprise applications.

Even though purchasing virtual land may still seem like an odd investment, many see the potential, but the market is still highly speculative. It isn’t just the possibility of long-term gains that drives investor interest and hype – metaverse land also offers the chance to earn passive income through renting out real estate.

Here are some of the main trends and reasons to buy land in the metaverse: 

1. Make a profit 

The metaverse is forecasted to grow, so buying land on the most popular platforms is a way of investing in its long-term growth. As NFT proves its unique ownership, speculators can purchase virtual land to flip it for a profit, rent it out for a virtual store space or events venue, or create a service to be offered on the platform in exchange for money.

2. Be a part of the metaverse experience

In the real world, corporations, retail firms, or other commercial institutions invest in real estate to make a profit, but some people wish to purchase property to become homeowners. Similarly, some users might want to be part of the metaverse development – to be immersed in the virtual world, and build for fun. 

3. Earn passive income

Owning a plot of virtual land means you get the right to build anything you want on that property. You could build revenue-generating services like casinos, clubs, stores, or event spaces, where you could either hold events, rent the space out for events, or rent it out to someone else to build on it to earn passive income.

4. Advertising

As some parts of the metaverse platforms are increasingly popular for user traffic, it’s a new opportunity for advertisers to promote products and services to the platform users. Landowners can sell their space for advertising purposes to brands wanting to sell their services on digital billboards in high-traffic parcel areas, in popular neighborhoods, or at virtual events – in virtual versions or real-life Times Square. 

5. Provide services

Virtual land owners can also be companies that wish to extend their services and physical world presence in the digital world. On top of advertising and marketing opportunities, they can choose to purchase land and build digital versions of their shops or other businesses in the metaverse. 

For example, according to Analytics Insight, restaurants are increasingly jumping on the metaverse land bandwagon and leveraging it to their benefit. Other use cases for services in the metaverse are shopping, educational services, financial services, events hosting, therapy sessions, or virtual tourism, among other real-life operations that the digital world could enhance. 

How much is land in the metaverse?

The price of virtual land varies widely depending on location, parcel size, platform activity, and overall market conditions. Entry-level parcels may trade at relatively low prices during periods of weak demand, while premium locations near high-traffic areas or major hubs can command significantly higher valuations. Always consult the live marketplace map and recent sales data on the platform before making a purchase.

Indeed, historical prices on major platforms have ranged from low three-figure USD equivalents for peripheral parcels to five-figure valuations for premium locations during peak market cycles.

A brief history of the metaverse

While metaverse might seem like a new concept, the idea of a virtual world and metaverse term isn’t. Technically, it’s been around since 1970, when a computer-generated virtual tour of Aspen, Colorado, called Aspen Movie map, was created. 

Then, in 1838, the first concept of a single 3D image by scientist Charles Wheatstone surfaced, which led to the creation of technology that uses depth illusion to create an image.

The term ‘metaverse’ originates from Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel Snow Crash. In his book, he describes a virtual place where the characters of the book could escape reality. So this is where Meta, formerly known as Facebook, got its name.

In the early 1990s, the global video gaming and entertainment company Sega headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, came out with the first VR arcade machine with a VR motion simulator. 

Fast-forward three decades later, in 2010, entrepreneur Palmer Luckey built the first revolutionary VR headset called Oculus Rift VR, and in 2014, Facebook acquired the company in a $2 billion deal. 

A few years later, in 2019, Facebook launched a social VR platform called Facebook Horizon. In 2021, the company rebranded as Meta, with Mark Zuckerberg committing to building the metaverse. However, many of the technologies Meta promised are still in development.

“Meta’s metaverse push has faced criticism and slower-than-hyped consumer adoption. Horizon Worlds has been criticized for safety and moderation concerns, while Meta’s Reality Labs division has continued to post significant losses, prompting ongoing scrutiny of the company’s metaverse spending.

More recently, reports have indicated Meta is considering deep cuts to its metaverse budget in 2026, potentially affecting the teams and products associated with its virtual worlds and VR efforts. At the same time, Meta has continued iterating on its metaverse ecosystem and tools, while positioning AI and wearables as a major pillar of its next phase.

In conclusion

Digital real estate seems to work similarly to the demand and supply of physical property, where supply and demand and scarcity drive property prices up or down. Metaverses also offer only limited plots of land, which means unique investment opportunities are present. 

However, digital assets such as virtual land are still highly speculative and come with heightened risks for both beginners and seasoned investors, which is why it is crucial to do research before purchasing metaverse real estate. 

Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.

FAQs about buying land in the metaverse

What is virtual land in the metaverse?

Virtual lands are digital images and programmable spaces on different metaverse platforms where users can build and design their houses, virtual NFT art galleries, stores, virtual event spaces, and more. Virtual land is especially popular on the largest blockchain-based platforms, Decentraland and Sandbox.

How to buy land in the metaverse?

Each piece of virtual land is sold as non-fungible-tokens (NFTs); each token gives you the rights to own and develop a specific area on a particular metaverse platform. 

Where to buy land in the metaverse?

In most cases, you can buy metaverse land on an NFT marketplace like OpenSea by searching for land NFTs of a specific metaverse platform, or alternatively, you can head straight to a specific metaverse platform, such as Decentraland Marketplace.

Why do investors buy land in the metaverse?

Corporations and individual investors buy digital land for various reasons: to provide products or services virtually in the metaverse, sell their land for profit, or rent it out to earn passive income. For example, businesses can sell their products by building virtual shops, offering services in virtual casinos or banks, or hosting live events to attract new audiences. 

How much is land in the metaverse?

Prices vary widely depending on platform activity, parcel location, and market conditions. Entry-level parcels may be available during periods of weak demand, while premium locations near hubs or high-traffic areas can command significantly higher prices. You can check Decentraland land prices here on the Decentraland marketplace.

Is the metaverse dead?

The metaverse is far from dead, but it is undergoing a transformation. While the initial hype around a fully immersive, virtual world has faded due to unmet expectations, technological setbacks, and economic challenges, industry insiders believe the concept is evolving. The focus is now shifting to more practical applications such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and digital twin technologies, which are increasingly being used in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.