Unwavering Integrity

Good real estate agents have integrity. They have empathy for everyone involved in the buying and selling process. It’s Integrity, first and foremost. That’s necessary across the real estate market.

“You have to do the best you can for your buyers and sellers,” said Ben Harshyne, a Land Specialist and Team Leader in Iowa. “With that can come a lot of complex scenarios. You have to be fair with everyone, including other agents and people you’re representing.”

With sellers, you have to tell them an accurate and ethical number the property is expected to sell for. You can’t just give them a number that benefits you by selling the property. It’s wildly unethical for an agent to price it cheaply and sell it for a quick commission check.

Harshyne says he’s seen other real estate agencies price something too low, and next thing you know, the property is for sale a second time.

Similarly, he’s seen examples of competitors promising sellers unreasonably high prices, only to keep reducing the price over a long period of time.

“That’s probably the tactic that’s most used by new agents that are trying to compete against us,” Harshyne said. “A popup brokerage will overinflate a price just to get the listing. That’s sometimes our biggest hurdle.”

The result? Generally, the land stays on market for a long time. Then, it’s either taken off market, or goes through numerous price reductions, before eventually selling.

While Whitetail Properties can make no guarantees, it’s built the brand upon treating all parties fairly. This leads to reasonable time on market, and sale price at fair market value. All parties are treated well.

Of course, Whitetail Properties sets listings at their fair market value, effectively treating sellers, buyers, and themselves with equitable fairness. Whitetail Properties Land Specialists are straightforward with sellers, and explain what they honestly believe the real estate is worth.

Experience on the Land

Harshyne notes that experience matters. “Everyone had a day No. 1,” Harshyne said.

That said, even Land Specialists who are early on in their real estate career walk into it with extensive understanding of key aspects of rural land. Ask them if they’ve farmed. Inquire how long they’ve been involved in the outdoors and what their knowledge consists of in the land types they represent.

“In Whitetail Properties, a barrier of entry is a passion for and experience with the outdoors,” Harshyne noted.

So, it’s important to ask real estate agents if they’re landowners, or not. Many Whitetail Properties Land Specialists are and can relate to the dynamics of the landowners experience and perspective.

Local Market Knowledge

Experienced real estate agents come with high knowledge of local and regional markets. A skilled Land Specialist knows the best parts of counties and can use experience to identify a broad range of valuable attributes different landtypes offer that are appealing to potential buyers. According to Jeff Propst, a Whitetail Properties Land Specialist and Team Leader in Missouri, they also provide value by doing a lot of research and conveying needed information to buyers.

“Having a Land Specialist who’s willing to dig into the details, especially on the surrounding neighborhood, is important,” he said. “They’ll study how to lay out the farm and maximize the value of the property.”

Harshyne sells properties with great regularity. He — like all Whitetail Properties Land Specialists — is in tune with the market value. “Going in, I’ll say their place is worth “X” price per acre with detailed validation and proof,” Harshyne said. “Another brokerage might come in and say the place is worth significantly more per acre without validating the proposed price.”

When that happens and a landowner goes with a brokerage that just lists with an agent because they proposed a higher price, the properties just sit on the market. Most certainly, the other brokerages aren’t doing the sellers any justice. The goal is to sell the property. Not waste the seller’s time and burn through their patience.

“When people sign up to sell, they have an expectation of moving it,” Harshyne said.

Specialized Knowledge

The real estate market is full of niches. One example of this is hunting. Those unfamiliar with the nuances of hunting struggle to sell hunting land.

“From a hunting perspective, I’d want to go with an agent who is a very serious hunter,” Propst said. “They should have the knowledge and experience with successful hunting strategies."

According to Propst, when buying or selling recreational ground, it’s crucial that real estate agents understand the nuances of quality habitat needs. That includes bedding cover, food sources, water sources, access, and more. They should be able to read the topography and know how to hunt.

“I’d want to know that a Land Specialist had an intimate knowledge of the area they’re working,” Propst said. “We get asked all of the time about what portions of counties are best for hunting.”

Perspective buyers commonly ask about neighbors, and their typical hunting practices. Land Specialists can’t always know the general practices about neighbors, but they do what they can to find potential answers so the most informed decisions can be made about how the situation with a property aligns with their goals.

Access to Advanced Technical Tools

Whitetail Properties has access to the latest in technological tools. They also have the ability to boost the visibility of your property so many more buyers can find that land listing in many different ways.

“At Whitetail Properties, we’re very involved with training,” said Dustin Pavelski, a Land Specialist in Pennsylvania and New York. “We have training tools and programs. We have access to many resources. That includes 400-plus other Land Specialists across the country. If I haven’t dealt with something in Pennsylvania, maybe someone in Iowa or Colorado has.”

Whitetail Properties Land Specialists have the ability to bounce ideas and questions off other Land Specialists who’ve already met challenges and solved them. This leads to faster solutions and better results for Whitetail Properties clients and makes their unique business model so valuable to buyers and sellers working with them for the best outcome.

In today's accelerating technological landscape, buyers and sellers should work with a land specialist who utilizes cutting-edge tools to perform their job at the highest level. Quality land specialists are utilizing leading mapping software, detailed comparable sales functions, high-quality videography and photography equipment and ways to showcase listing opportunities through industry leading websites and outlets.

Exceptional Communication

Quality Land Specialists exhibit strong communication skills. They have the right personality to connect with buyers, sellers, other real estate agents, etc. Altogether, people genuinely enjoy working with and being around them.

“If you’re selling a property, you want to hire an agent who is enthusiastic about properly marketing the listing and getting it in front of buyers,” Harshyne said. “They must be proactive in finding a good, strong buyer. Land Specialists have the proper tools, the personality, and are driven enough to get a deal together on their behalf.”

Additionally, good Land Specialists have exceptional negotiating skills. After all, their job is to represent the buyer or seller. A good outcome for the client is priority No. 1.

Furthermore, the best real estate agents show attentiveness to detail. This is necessary for studying property characteristics, pouring through listings to find the right one, and more. It’s especially important when reading through purchase contract details, and other documentation involved in the buying and selling processes.

Frequent Networking

A significant element of being a good Land Specialist includes frequent networking. That involves getting to know many individuals in the community, state, and throughout the nation.

“I’ve been with Whitetail Properties for 17 years,” Propst said. “I have a long list of contacts. An older, more seasoned agent can sometimes find properties that aren’t even on the market yet. Someone without experience often can’t due to a limited contact base.”

Fortunately, Whitetail Properties Land Specialists have extensive lists of contacts. If they don’t have the right listing for buyers, they can work with other brokers and sellers to find the right listing. Oftentimes, they can find sellers who haven’t even listed yet.

“We have five or six properties under contract right now that were never listed,” Propst said. “That’s all because we know the sellers from working in this area. So, if someone comes to me and says they’re interested in buying a farm like this, I might not have that listed, but I can generally find it. That’s due to longevity in the business and having a lot of quality contacts from doing business the right way."

Elevated Creativity

Good real estate agents have an elevated sense of creativity. They provide extensive problem-solving skills. Adaptability is baked into their personality, and it’s a skillset in their toolkit.

“I think one of the best qualities of a Land Specialist is the ability to put deals together that aren’t already there,” said Joey Bellington, a broker and Land Specialist in Texas.

He sees a lot of new guys thinking they’re limited to present listings. Oftentimes, that isn’t true. There’s an ability of deal generation which requires creativity.

“Maybe they find the perfect property, but it’s three times the size of the buyer’s budget,” Bellington said. “An average agent might think, Oh well, that stinks. However, a good Land Specialist calls other listing agents, or landowners they know, and sees if they’re open to selling a portion of the listed property.”

Thinking creatively for the client, and not just saying “here’s the inventory,” is important. That type of close-minded mentality isn’t good for representing buyers or sellers. Instead, Whitetail Properties Land Specialists think creatively.

For example, from a seller’s perspective, you might see a farm, and it appears to be only a cattle ranch. But it might be better off to market it a different way. Or, it might be better sold in two or three different tracts, rather than as one large parcel. That way, it can maximize the sales total and make multiple buyers happy.

In summary, don’t let inventory limit you. Be creative. Find solutions. Deliver for sellers and buyers alike.

Great Work Ethic

Finally, real estate agents should display great work ethic. That includes a presence of steadfast persistence.

“Persistence is a big one,” Harshyne said. “They should be persistent to help you find the property you want. You’ll have specific criteria. The agent should get after it and use their network to find opportunities to present to those buyers.”

“It’s straightforward but true — when I think about qualities that stand out, being hard-working is important,” Bellington said. “This job is not one where everything falls in your lap. You have to go out and create opportunities. That takes significant effort and time.”

He says that work is an underlying theme in the most successful Land Specialists. Those who do the best jobs for their clients share that quality trait. They put in the time and effort needed to help clients succeed in their goals.

Simply, motivation matters. Moreover, self-motivation is key. Ask Pavelski, and self-motivation is a crucial characteristic of being a great Land Specialist. He says, with real estate deals, issues sometimes arise.

“Being able to think outside of the box is how good Land Specialists get deals for that next step,” Pavelski said. “They offer other opportunities to their clients.” Ultimately, they find unique ways to keep deals together for buyers and sellers alike.

Pavelski also notes that it’s crucial to get out and grind in search of potential listings. Finding inventory is needed to help buyers. Locating buyers is needed to help sellers. Great Land Specialists accomplish both of these things.

A Proven Track Record

Finally, good real estate agents have a proven track record. They move listings in a manner that benefits sellers and buyers alike.

In many places, it’s a fairly defined market. That’s true for Harshyne’s area in Iowa.

“Across the board, the land market — recreational ground and rural land in general — is pretty regionally defined,” Harshyne said.

Oftentimes, in such defined markets, you can observe any given property, and the price-per-acre difference in it selling or not, might only be $500 to $1,000.

Whitetail Properties Land Specialists are among the best in the world at assessing and listing land at proper market value. Therefore, sellers should know that, when a Whitetail Properties Land Specialist provides a number, landowners can rest assured it’s the right one.

Overall, Whitetail Properties Land Specialists achieve real estate success for its clients. Contact them today with any of your real estate needs.