What do I need to do to ensure I get maximum value for my farmland?

Every farm is different, and every potential farmland buyer is unique. We’re in the business of knowing farmland buyers and sellers.

Getting the best price for your farmland is all about what you know and who you know. Timing matters – and now is a great time to sell – but every county and state is unique, as are the potential buyers for a particular farm. At Murray Wise Associates we approach a farmland sale differently to ensure that you appeal to the right buyer, and that you are able to get the best possible price for your farmland in your area.

Here’s how we do just that:

Identify all potential buyer groups. We tailor every farmland sale marketing campaign to fit the property we are selling. Typical groups we target are local investors, local farm operators, large regional farm operators, high net worth individuals, large institutional investors and 1031 exchange buyers. The competition amongst various buyer groups in the county and region will help ensure maximum competition and help you achieve top value from the sale. We then present the farmland sale information to these potential buyer groups.

Create full marketing coverage to buyer groups. We approach farmland sale and auction marketing from multiple angles to guarantee we reach every potential buyer. We keep two goals in mind:
1) Make the sale and our marketing materials eye-catching and attractive to these potential buyer groups
2) Give buyers the relevant and timely information on both the farm itself and the sale

Ads are placed in local and regional print media, and the sale is advertised on multiple industry-specific websites and social media is used to spread the word about the sale. Large and colorful signs are placed on the farm to make all aware of the sale. Finally, we spend a considerable amount of time in the region surrounding the farm and visiting with potential bidders to make sure they are aware of the sale and to address any questions or issues about the property or the sale.

An innovative sale method. For farmland properties that are able to be divided up, we will offer the farm in multiple parcels and allow bidding to take place on individual tracts and any combination of tracts, including the property as a whole. All bids are displayed at the front of the room on large projection screens using our proprietary auction software, making it very easy for bidders to see if they are in a winning position – and if they are not, what they will need to bid to put themselves in a winning position. The competition between individual bidders versus larger combination and whole-farm bidders will help drive the overall sale price up and maximize the value amongst the bidders in the room. For properties that may have multiple different features, such as a country home and barn or wooded acres, our multi-parcel system allows a maximum price to be achieved on each feature.

Before you make a decision about selling your farmland, give us a call. If you’re looking for the right partner to help you evaluate selling your farmland, our team has decades of experience in farmland sales and auctions. We create a marketing window that generates maximum visibility to the market and brings buyers to the table. We also provide a defined sale date and closing date, so you know what to expect and when. Murray Wise Associates has a strong track record of exceeding client expectations – with more than $5 billion in land and agribusiness transactions in our 30+ year history.

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