Selling your farm, ranch, or land is often one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make. Here’s how to find the right broker.
There just aren’t many brokers who truly have the knowledge and experience in land and larger property transactions. Choosing a real estate broker is not an easy decision – and we often see people choose a broker for the wrong reasons. Those reasons include:
- “They are the broker I have always used for my residential real estate transactions.”
- “They are friend of a friend.”
- “They members of the same gym or organization.”
- “They are a top producing sales person with a great engaging personality.” …But 99% of their business is residential.
Making the choice to sell your property is a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. Whether it’s a residential home with acreage, a large ranch, or anything in-between, the unique facets of land, by nature, require a specific set of knowledge and skills.Powerful marketing, as well as a thorough understanding of water rights, land use policy, ranch or farm income, development potential, and more, are critical in the selling process.
You should choose your broker like you’d choose an attorney. You wouldn’t choose a patent lawyer to handle your asset protection, would you? Likewise, you shouldn’t choose a residential realtor for your land sale. Look for someone who has years of experience and specializes in land transactions.
How do you choose the right broker to sell your land?
Look for brokers who have a track record of success in selling rural property including farm, ranch, and recreational lands, waterfront, rural residential and estates properties and more. Nothing speaks louder than consistent success.
Any broker should be able to share with you a resume of properties sold, whether in person or on their website. This will tell you everything you need to know about a broker’s true focus and experience in real estate. You also need to look at how these properties were marketed (like photos, descriptions, and more), as well as the time it took to sell them and what they sold for.
At Martin Outdoor Property Group, we believe in transparency and will be happy to share our resume and elaborate on our experience with any potential client. We also have our sold listings on our website for anyone to view.
How is the broker marketing properties?
Marketing is key for any successful real estate sale, but especially so for rural property sales. Unfortunately, too often you will find real estate brokers marketing properties with a big focus on the home – while neglecting critical elements like water rights, access to public lands, timber, soils, livewater, hunting opportunities, locational attributes and more.
As a seller, you want a specialized strategic marketing approach that captures the true and complete value proposition with cinematic photography and video, drone footage, advanced mapping, full feature descriptions, social media, powerful marketing channels and a robust network of key connections.
At Martin Outdoor Property Group, we have spent years innovating and creating what we believe to be the best and most complete marketing approach of any real estate team or broker in Southern Oregon. We would love an opportunity to show you how we do this – just get in touch.
How does the broker show property?
Is your broker or realtor equipped to show land? Some large properties can only be accessed by a UTV or on foot. Does your broker use mapping software to specifically identify all the features of the property and show potential clients in real time on site? Are they able to understand both the features of the property as well as the potential client’s wants and needs?
Don’t be afraid to ask more about the team working to sell your property. For residential properties, it’s customary for the buyer’s agent to show the property. But on rural residential, ranch and land sales, it is important for the listing broker to conduct the tour. This is especially true on larger properties, as the listing broker is the one who really knows both the important details – and how to best show them.
At Martin Outdoor Property Group, our team is not only capable of showing properties of any scale and complexity in the area, but we absolutely love doing it! Whether we are hiking up a steep mountain to a special view point, driving the trails in the Polaris (UTV) or just meandering through a vineyard, we consider it one of the highlights of our jobs.
The personal touch
Selling farm or ranch lands involves a lot of complexity. You want a broker who will take the time to learn the specificity of your land. They should be familiar with:
- Property Infrastructure
- Water Rights and Irrigation
- Land Use (homesites, land partitions, development, etc)
- Potential Agricultural, Timber and Livestock Uses
- Farm and Ranch Income
- Home and Building Features
- Wells and Septic Systems
- Hunting and Fishing Opportunities
- The benefits and challenges associated with adjoing public lands
Don’t be afraid to ask any potential realtors about their knowledge – and how they plan to get to know your property to better sell it.
At Martin Outdoor Property Group, our team simply loves land and all that comes with it. We love learning about each property, exploring each property and sharing that with others. Based on our first hand experience, our team has developed both a depth of knowledge and a trusted network of industry professionals that we believe is second to none in the area.
Finding the right broker to sell your land: Key takeaways
Selling land can be extremely complicated, and that’s why it’s so important to pick the right real estate broker. Brokers who specialize only in residential sales may not have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you through every step of the process.
Taking the time to ensure your realtor is the best fit for you and your property will ensure a smooth process down the line. Most importantly, make sure any potential broker has the right tools and experience for the property you are looking to sell.
About Chris Martin
A Southern Oregon native, Chris Martin has become one of Southern Oregon’s leading real estate professionals, having represented some of the finest rural, farm, ranch, and recreational properties in Southern Oregon. He has closed hundreds of transactions including high-end luxury estates, complex farm and ranch properties, large tracts of recreational land, income properties, and a multitude of rural residential homes. A deep understanding of the land and its values has always been at the center of Chris’ life.