The Magazine of the American Landowner is an essential guide for investors, landowners, and those interested in buying or selling land. The award-winning quarterly is known for its annual survey of America's largest landowners, The Land Report 100.
Issue link: http://landreport.epubxp.com/i/705552
74 The LandReport | S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 LANDREPORT.COM A M E R I C A ' S BEST BROKERAGES Lashley Land and Recreational Brokers www.lashleyland.com ( 308) 532-9300 2015 Sales: > $50 Million Who: Experts in ranches of all sizes as well as pivot- and flood- irrigated along with dry cropland and recreational properties. Wow: Sold the 7,000-acre Sandhill Ranch for $6 million. Insight: "We currently have over $100 million worth of real estate listed for sale, up substantially from 2015," says Mike Lashley. Pifer's Auction & Realty www.pifers.com (877) 700-4099 2015 Sales: $100 - $250 Million Who: Full-service auction, real estate, and land management firm specializing in the sale and management of farmland. Wow: Oversaw more than 300 transactions in 2015, including a 20,000-acre ranch in Western North Dakota. Insight: "This may be the best buying opportunity that we have had since 2010," says Broker Steve Link. G R E A T L A K E S 1 Stop Realty www.1stop-realty.com (507) 634-7033 2015 Sales: < $50 Million Who: Full-service real estate firm specializing in the management and sale of farmland with special expertise in 1031 exchanges, absentee landowner manage- ment, and auctions. Bear Island Land www.bearislandland.com (888) 621-2268 2 015 Sales: < $50 Million Who: Northern Minnesota- b ased leaders in recreational property and timberland. Insight: "Inventory is still very high with little activity in the undeveloped lakeshore segment of the market," says Owner Charlie Chernak. "Remote timberland parcels are still fairly active, with the driving force being deer hunting." Lakeland Realty www.lakelandrealtywi.com (715) 358-5263 2015 Sales: < $50 Million Who: Northern Wisconsin timberland and recreational land specialists. Insight: "We are finally starting to sell acreage properties in some markets for price-per- acre numbers that are at or close to peak 2006 prices," says Broker Ryan Hanson. LandRadar.com by Close-Converse www.landradar.com (218) 828-3334 2015 Sales: > $50 Million Who: Through its land advisors and the www.LandRadar.com website, Close-Converse markets vacant rural land in 10 counties throughout North Central Minnesota and has overseen conservation transactions that have protected significant land assets for future generations. Who: 2015 sales volume increased 25 percent. Insight: "The Great Recession's slide in land prices created an unparalleled opportunity for peo- ple to buy the land they wanted at very favorable prices, and to finance that purchase at interest rates most of us will never see again," says Broker Rod Osterloh. Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin www.landandfarmguy.com ( 608) 341-8164 2015 Sales: < $50M Who: Certified land specialists serving Wisconsin. Insight: "Winter is typically a slower time for land sales in Wisconsin, but we saw a busy winter, and it seems like a very good sign for the land market into 2016," says Broker Paul Braun. Wingert Realty & Land Services www.wingertrealty.com (800) 730-5263 2015 Sales: $50 - $100 Million Who: Regional leader in land sales, investments, and exchanges throughout Minnesota and Iowa. Insight: Land values declined 5 percent last year, according to Owner/Broker Charles Wingert. M I D W E S T Halderman Real Estate Services www.halderman.com (800) 424-2324 2015 Sales: < $50 million Who: Family-run brokerage, farm management, appraisals, and national auction service founded in 1930. Wow: Acquired 2,500 contigu- ous acres for a national livestock producer expanding into Indiana. Insight: Most areas saw lower demand for land with prices declining 5 to 20 percent. 2016 forecast includes continued softening of the market due to reduced farm earnings. Hertz Real Estate Services realestate.hertz.ag (800) 593-5263 2 015 Sales: $250 - $500 Million Who: Leaders in Midwest farm- l and from analysis and valuations to sales and auctions with an emphasis on 1031 exchanges. Wow: Listed and sold a 1,155- acre property for $8 million with 13 parcels/buyers in Lee County, Iowa. Insight: "The Midwest farmland market has nearly tripled in value over the past 10 years, and the market is adjusting to lower commodity prices and land rents," says Randy Hertz. Martin, Goodrich & Waddell www.mgw.us.com (815) 756-3606 2015 Sales: $50 - $100 Million Who: Leaders in acquisition, sale, appraisal, and management of agricultural properties. Wow: Sale of a 607-acre contiguous tract of high-quality farmland at $11,000 per acre. Insight: "We are experiencing an increased supply of farmland available for sale as well as strong demand for quality farmland priced 15 to 25 percent below the peak values of 2013," says Operations Manager Mark Mommsen. Mossy Oak Properties AgriRec Land www.agrirecland.com (888) 311-5263 2015 Sales: > $50 Million Who: Specializing in agricultural, hunting, and rural properties across Illinois, Indiana, and Western Kentucky with a team that includes foresters, wildlife biologists, farmers, and hunters. Wow: Fourth consecutive year of growth. Insight: "In 2015, we saw a softening of tillable land prices due to continued low commodity