Joint Development Agreement (JDA)

Also known as: JDA

A Joint Development Agreement is a contract under which a landowner contributes land and a developer contributes construction and capital, sharing the resulting built area or revenue.

The landowner does not sell the land outright, which is what distinguishes a JDA from an outright acquisition and makes the title position more delicate: defects surface after the developer has committed capital, and the developer's remedy lies in contract against a counterparty who may have little else. Full title diligence before execution, not after, is therefore the standard discipline - and the landowner has a reciprocal interest in verifying the developer.