Selling Inherited Mineral Rights: What You Need to Know
Inheriting mineral rights can create a valuable financial opportunity, but it can also be confusing. Whether your mineral rights are producing income, sitting dormant, or located in a resource-rich state like Texas, learning how to evaluate and sell them can help you make a smart financial decision.
This guide will help you avoid costly mistakes, estimate value accurately, and decide whether now is the right time to sell. If your property is located in Texas, we’ll also explain why inherited mineral rights in Texas often command a premium price and how to capture that value.
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Garrett Phelan
CEO of US Mineral Exchange with over 27 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. For nearly two decades, he has helped individuals, families, trusts, and non-profits navigate the complexities of mineral and royalty rights to achieve the highest sale prices.
Widely recognized as an industry expert, with an unwavering commitment to a client-first philosophy and extensive industry knowledge, he has been featured in Hart Energy, Yahoo Finance, and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association magazine.
Content
- Inherited Mineral Rights – What to Know Before You Sell
- Texas Sell Mineral Rights
- Guide to Mineral Rights Ownership in 2025
- Common Mineral Owner Questions and Answers in 2025
- Selling Mineral Rights for Maximum Value in 2025
- List Mineral and Royalty Rights for Sale in 2025
- Sell Mineral Rights in Texas in 2025
- Mineral Rights Buyers in 2025
- Sell Mineral Rights in New Mexico in 2025
- Never Sell Mineral Rights? Here are 7 reasons to sell mineral rights
What Are Inherited Mineral Rights?
Mineral rights give you legal ownership of the oil, gas, or other subsurface resources beneath a property. When inherited, these rights are passed through a will, trust, or estate—often without much explanation. Many new owners receive little documentation and have no prior experience managing these assets.
So, what should you do next?
The first step is to confirm ownership and ensure that your name is properly recorded in the county and state where the mineral rights are located.
Inherited rights typically fall into one of three categories:
- Producing rights: currently generating royalty income
- Leased rights: under lease, but not yet producing
- Non-producing rights: not leased and not generating income
Each category affects value differently. That’s why understanding what you own is essential before making any decisions.
What Are Your Options?
After confirming ownership, you typically have two main paths forward.
Option 1: Hold the Mineral Rights
Some owners choose to retain their mineral rights and collect royalty income over time. This can work well when wells are actively producing and the income is sufficient. However, royalty payments fluctuate, and you’ll be responsible for paying income tax on what you receive.
If you’ve ever been told to “never sell your mineral rights,” we encourage you to read our article on 7 Reasons to Sell Mineral Rights for a deeper perspective.
Option 2: Sell the Mineral Rights
Selling allows you to exchange future royalty income for a lump sum payment today. It simplifies estate planning, removes market uncertainty, and provides liquidity for other investments or financial needs.
Unfortunately, many sellers accept the first offer they receive. To maximize value, you must let multiple buyers compete. Learn how in our guide:
How to sell mineral rights.
Why Sell Inherited Mineral Rights?
While some owners choose to hold onto inherited mineral rights, many decide to sell for several compelling reasons:
1. Tax Advantages
Inherited rights receive a stepped-up tax basis. If you sell soon after inheritance, capital gains taxes may be reduced or eliminated. This can save you thousands compared to paying ordinary income tax on royalties. According to the IRS, inherited mineral rights are not taxed at the time of inheritance. Selling at the time of inheritance may allow you to avoid long-term tax liabilities altogether.
2. Immediate Liquidity
Rather than waiting on unpredictable royalty checks, you receive a lump sum now. Many owners use the proceeds to pay off debt, invest in stable assets, or fund retirement.
3. Avoid Oil & Gas Volatility
Oil and gas prices can change quickly. Selling allows you to lock in your value today and avoid the financial ups and downs of the industry.
4. Lack of Control
You can’t decide when, if, or how wells are drilled. If you’d prefer a guaranteed outcome, selling is often the smarter choice.
What Are Inherited Mineral Rights Worth?
Valuing mineral rights is not always straightforward. Multiple factors determine value, including:
- Location
- Lease terms
- Royalty percentage
- Production history
- Future drilling potential
In general, inherited mineral rights can sell for three to six years’ worth of royalty income. However, premium locations like the Permian or Eagle Ford Shale can command much more.
The only way to know the true value is by receiving multiple competitive offers. Learn more about valuation in this article: What Are Mineral Rights Worth?
Inherited Mineral Rights in Texas
Texas is one of the most active and competitive mineral markets in the United States. Key regions like the Permian Basin, Delaware Basin, and Eagle Ford Shale attract buyers nationwide. If you’ve inherited mineral rights in Texas, your property could be significantly more valuable than average.
The largest majority of properties we sell at US Mineral Exchange involve Texas properties. High demand creates more competition among buyers, often resulting in better prices for sellers.
Even in Texas, however, timing matters. Selling too early may leave money on the table. Waiting too long could lead to lower income and less interest from buyers. Contact us for a free evaluation and we can help you determine if now is the best time to sell your mineral rights in Texas.
How to Estimate Value in Texas
In Texas, value depends largely on the type of property:
- Producing Rights: Without future upside, producing rights are typically worth 4–6 years of average monthly royalty income
- IMPORTANT NOTE: If you receive offers much higher than this range, be cautious. That usually signals something unique about your property. Let us help ensure you don’t leave money on the table.
- Leased but Not Producing: Estimated at 2–3× your last lease bonus
- Non-Producing, Unleased: Often worth less than $1,000 per acre unless located near active drilling
How to Maximize the Value of Inherited Mineral Rights
To get the best price, you must create competition. That’s where US Mineral Exchange provides an advantage.
Why Competition Matters
Most mineral owners who sell privately reach out to only one or two buyers. This shotgun approach rarely leads to fair market value.
We’ve seen sellers receive offers of $10,000 per acre only to discover their property was worth $25,000 or more after listing with us. That’s a 150% increase.
Sadly, we’ve also spoken with owners who accepted a low-ball offer and couldn’t undo the agreement. Avoid this mistake by starting with the right strategy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Inherited Rights
We’ve published an entire post about Common Mineral Owner Mistakes, but here are four of the most important ones to avoid when selling inherited rights:
- Accepting the first offer
- Choosing the wrong broker
- Not understanding the paperwork
- Navigating the entire sales process alone
You can avoid these problems by working with a trusted marketplace. US Mineral Exchange has helped thousands of mineral owners sell for premium market value through a private, competitive bidding process.
How to Sell Inherited Mineral Rights
Option 1: Sell on Your Own
Selling directly is possible, but it’s labor-intensive and risky. You’ll need to find buyers, negotiate terms, and handle legal paperwork. Most owners who go this route leave significant value behind.
Option 2: Work with US Mineral Exchange
Our proven process ensures you get the best results:
- Contact us for a free consultation
- We create a marketing plan for your inherited rights
- Thousands of verified buyers compete for your listing
- We manage negotiations and closing with no surprises
Our success-based commission model means we only get paid if we beat your current offer. There’s no risk to list, and our sellers consistently see higher prices.
Why List with US Mineral Exchange?
Since 2012, US Mineral Exchange has helped thousands of mineral owners sell for maximum value. We offer:
- No listing fees
- No obligation to sell
- Verified buyers only
- Fast and secure closing
- Trusted experience and top-rated service
Whether you want to sell now or simply explore your options, we’re here to help.
Already Have an Offer? Let Us Beat It
If you’ve already received an offer, that’s a great start—but don’t stop there. We’ll show you what real competition looks like.
If we can’t beat your current offer, you owe nothing. But in most cases, sellers walk away with far more when buyers compete through our platform. See what our clients say.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Leave Money on the Table
Inheriting mineral rights may feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate the process alone. Understanding your options, avoiding common mistakes, and working with the right marketplace can make all the difference.
If you’re thinking about selling or just want to understand your property’s value, contact our team today. There’s no pressure—just honest guidance from industry experts who care about your financial outcome.
US Mineral Exchange is the most trusted mineral rights broker in the business. Let us help you unlock the full value of your inherited mineral rights.
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Free Consultation
Free Consultation
Common Questions
The more information you can provide about your property the better! We can give you a better idea about the value of selling mineral rights if you provide more information. The most important thing we need is for you to answer the questions and provide your state and county.
If you have the required documents to list, providing those is extremely helpful!
Absolutely not! When you inquire at US Mineral Exchange we will not be putting any pressure on you to sell. We will help answer any questions you have whether you are interested in selling or not.
At US Mineral Exchange, we take privacy very seriously. We will NEVER sell your information or use it without your consent. When you send us documentation or tell us about your property, that information does not go outside our company without your consent. Even when you list a property for sale on our website, we strictly control who has access to the information about your listing so that only legitimate buyers will be able to see property details.
Many mineral owners make the mistake of getting an offer and quickly selling. They then accept an offer far below market value because they felt pressure to sell. There is nearly always a better price available.
Imagine you were selling a home. Would you get the best price from a random person who walks up and makes you an offer? No way! Now imagine you list the home on the MLS where thousands of potential buyers know your house is for sale. The key to getting the best price is competition. Our guide to selling mineral rights explains everything.
The reason that so many mineral owners decide to sell mineral rights at US Mineral Exchange is access to our large network of mineral rights buyers. Our goal is to help you get top dollar for selling mineral rights by getting your property in front of a huge audience of buyers. This allows buyers to compete against one another which ensures you get fair market value for selling mineral rights.
There are absolutely no cost to list your property. When you locate a buyer by listing your property with us, we are paid a commission directly by the buyers closing agent. This means you never have any out of pocket expenses ever. We only get paid if we can get you a better price than the current offer you have in hand.
FREE GUIDE
Download our free mineral rights guide now! Learn more about your mineral rights.