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Based on an in-depth case study in the Madagascar highlands, this article illustrates how family rules shape land sales markets. While the rights to use an inherited plot can be held at the individual level, the rules surrounding the sale of the plot remain under the control of the extended family. Family members enjoy a priority rule that gives them preferential access as potential buyers. This provides land access opportunities to young and/or landless households provided they belong to the right family network. When selling within the extended family, the seller can also engage in a specific type of land sale, locally known as an “alive sale.” “Alive sales” include a redemption right for the seller, which is relevant in a context dominated by distress sales. ‪By shaping the circulation of the information on the sales as well as the content of the transferred rights, family regulations can mitigate some exclusion effects of land sales markets.)‪