Ten questions to ask any mineral buyer. Including us.

Use these on everyone, including us. A serious buyer will answer all ten without flinching; a flipper or a lowballer will get vague around numbers three and four. Our answers are included so you can hold us to them.

1. How did you arrive at this number? Expect specifics: which wells, what decline, what nearby activity, what multiple or per-acre value. Berlin: we put the full reasoning in writing with every offer.

2. Will you show me the valuation in writing? If the answer is no, the work does not favor you. Berlin: yes, always.

3. Are you buying for your own account, or will you assign this contract? Assignment language means your "buyer" may be a middleman shopping your deal. Berlin: we buy to hold, for our own account, and our agreements do not get flipped.

4. How long is your option or due-diligence period? Long periods can tie up your minerals for months with no obligation to close. Berlin: we sign when we intend to close, and most transactions fund within 30 days.

5. Who pays closing costs, title work, and recording fees? Berlin: we pay all of it. The offer you accept is the amount you receive.

6. What happens if my title needs curative work? Some buyers use title problems to renegotiate late. Berlin: we cure title at our cost, and we tell you about issues when we find them, not at the closing table.

7. What happens to royalties for months before closing? Prior-period money should be addressed in the agreement, in writing. Berlin: spelled out in every PSA before you sign.

8. Can I sell part of my interest instead of all of it? All-or-nothing pressure serves the buyer. Berlin: partial sales are routine here.

9. Will you pressure me with a deadline? Markets move, so offers cannot stay open forever, but 48-hour expiration games are a tell. Berlin: take our written offer to your attorney, your CPA, and our competitors.

10. What have you actually bought around here? Buyers with real local history can name counties and closings. Berlin: ask us about Custer, Roger Mills, Haskell, Logan, or Comanche County, Kansas, and see recent transactions on our homepage.

If a buyer fails the checklist and their number is still highest, that can be fine; just tighten the contract. If you want a bid from the buyer who wrote the checklist, it costs nothing to find out.