Remember several years ago when gasoline skyrocketed to $4.00 per gallon? Of course you do, but did you quit driving, or even change your driving habits much? Probably not.

Now, what if the price had gone to $41.60 per gallon? Think you might have changed your driving, or even stopped driving at all.

In the North Carolina mountains, that’s exactly what happened in April of 2009 when asking prices for 100 acres or more of mountain land shot up to $42,211 per acre. At that same time, the average selling price was a mere $4,017 per acre.

Can you guess what happened next? Yes – that’s correct – land buyers simply said “I don’t think so!” – and promptly disappeared from the land market. That unbelievable level of asking prices was the single most destructive move to hit the land market in North Carolina.

So… How did asking prices manage to climb to such oxygen-deprived levels back in 2009? Better yet, was there already in place something that might have prevented the destructive rise in asking prices?

Most land brokers, also being REALTORS®, subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics – right?  Take a look at the very first Article in that Code:

Article 1

When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client.

Better yet, look at how the following clarifies that first Article:

Standard of Practice 1-3

REALTORS®, in attempting to secure a listing, shall not deliberately mislead the owner as to market value.  

Nevertheless, in a market where actual selling prices averaged $4,107 per acre for 100+ acre parcels, brokers were taking listings with asking prices that AVERAGED $42,211 per acre. Is that what is called “protecting and promoting the interests of their client”?

In defense of those brokers, property owners wishing to sell were, at the same time, succumbing to plain old human greed. Reacting to false, unfounded rumors of huge sale prices, they were making unreasonable demands on their brokers to list at ever-higher prices. Brokers, under the onslaught of demands from sellers, capitulated and took the listings at unwinnable prices – and the land market collapsed under the weight.

Now – we all know we are not in control of mankind’s greed for affluence. Brokers do have one powerful tool at their disposal however. On the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs sits the ‘‘Eagle and Fledglings Statue’‘ – given as a gift to the Academy in 1958 by the personnel of Air Training Command. This statue contains the following inscription by Austin Dusty Miller:

“Man’s flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge.”

Very simply, there’s power in knowledge! Therein lies the broker’s solution to accepting grossly overpriced listings – KNOWLEDGE.

If a broker specializes in land (another powerful concept), he or she can list only properties priced to sell instead of wallowing through months and years without showings and buyers. This is accomplished by acquiring a complete knowledge set of actual sale prices over a period of years for land – and only land.

The first step is to acquire from the county tax office a database of all property owners owning over 100 acres. These records can often be acquired over the Internet (Google the “GIS” for your county), or by requesting a CD with the information from the tax office. These records general include the last sale date, and some reference as to the last sale price.

With that information, a fruitful database of actual sales can be compiled showing acreage, last sale price, sale price per acre, Parcel ID #, and name and address of the owner. Once you have 5 or 10 years of actual sales, and can present that data in a friendly, readable form to sellers, you will have ½ of the necessary knowledge needed to list property at fair market value. Notice that I said only ½ of the knowledge.

“What’s the other ½” – you ask? Property for sale now by all other brokers in the area will complete your knowledge base.

If a broker belongs to MLS, listing information can be researched through the MLS land listings. The database of property for sale now should include a Parcel ID number, the asking price, the acreage, and the asking price per acre. Convert that data into a table that is easy for property owners to view and decipher. Be sure to use some identifying information such as owners name, Deed Book and Page, or Parcel ID number. This gives your table added credibility to the person reviewing it.

When reviewing your tables with potential listing property owners, begin with past sales first. Explain that all information was taken directly from the local tax office – not your personal files. By presenting past sales in an objective manner, you reduce the raw emotion likely when they find prices  not as high as they thought.

Next, move on to properties currently listed for sale. These properties will be the competition faced by the property owner once they list. They are normally higher – being asking prices – and are likely to be more pleasing to the prospective listing individuals.

Be wary of listing property at the same level as others for sale now. Being higher than what past buyers have been willing to pay, these asking prices are the “wished for” prices of present owners – and not necessarily indicative of present value.

In summary, many properties in today’s land market are flat out overpriced – well above what any respectable buyer will pay. The broker who educates prospective sellers about the realities of today’s land marketplace will come away with attractive properties – at fair prices. What’s more – buyers are always waiting!

Before going to go preview rural land with a real estate agent, ask them what’s in their truck. I never was a Boy Scout. I would have loved to have been one, but just never got the experience. The Scout motto, “Be Prepared” resonates deeply with me. So take a look at the inventory of my truck and hopefully you will see what I mean.

• 2 Compasses
• Handheld GPS
• Plat Books for the 8 surrounding counties
• Gazetteer for Alabama
• Sundry assortment of aerial and topographical maps
• Blank copies of contracts to purchase and listing agreements
• Dozens of Real Estate Consumers Agency and Disclosure (RECAD) forms
• 3 bottles of water
• 2 blaze orange vests and hats
• Come-along
• 30 feet of heavy chain
• 20 foot tow strap
• 3 AlaLandCo signs, 4 directional signs (2 pointing right, 2 to the left)
• Shovel
• Post hole diggers
• Large and small pruning shears
• Pickaxe
• Hatchet
• Bolt cutters
• Pruning saw
• $20 bill for emergencies (such as paying someone to pull you out of the mud)
• Pistol with extra ammo
• A bundle of keys to various properties
• 2 walking sticks
• Digital Camera with extra batteries
• Flip Cam
• Smartphone w/charger
• Rope, ratchet straps, and bungee chords
• 2 rain jackets
• Gerber multi-tool
• Roll of flagging tape
• Wasp spray
• Insect repellant
• 2 pairs of binoculars
• Laser range finder
• 1 pair of snake boots
• 1 pair of taller neoprene boots
• Small towel

When I look at this list it shows there are 4 main scenarios I prepare for:

1. Know exactly where you are; don’t get lost.
2. Make your customer comfortable and safe.
3. Don’t get stuck.
4. Be prepared to do business if they are ready.

Most land companies have tools at their disposal such as ATV’s or UTV’s to make showing land easier. Many agents use laptops and tablets to aid in mapping and navigation as they travel a property. The point of this article is for consumers to know that not all real estate agents are equally competent about land transactions. If you are meeting an agent to preview some rural land and the agent shows up in their Mercedes sedan, you might want to consider taking a look with someone who specializes in land sales. I tell people not to trust an agent with a clean truck. It means they are not doing what they’re supposed to be doing: showing land. Look for some dents and a little trail-pinstriping that is proof they know their way around the woods.

It is not helpful at all to see a piece of property with someone who wants to “paint a picture from the road” and describe what the land is like. You have to get out on it and touch corners and see the ups and downs of the tract. It burns me up to see agents advertise land and only post two maps and a picture from the road. I lost a listing to another agent last year that offered to sell some land at a lower commission than I did. Once the listing was secured, the agent posted 5 pictures on their personal website and offered a 7 word description of a $500,000 tract. Now tell me if the sellers were better served by this agent at a lower commission or by paying a little more and getting exceptional marketing and service.

Let me also dispel the notion that women are not qualified to be land agents. I know some knowledgeable and real land pros like Marisa Morgan Dallman from Kansas, Susan Morrison from Alabama, Jennifer Beecher from Georgia, and Beverly Callaway with AlaLandCo. I am not ashamed to say that Beverly is a better hunter than I am too. She has lots of experience in the woods, is very knowledgeable about land-related issues, and has helped transact some large deals in the past two years. The biggest land deal in my county this year was put together by Kay Beckett with Bill Mackey Realty. She made lots of other agents in the area envious when she sold nearly 4000 acres of ground this spring.

The key is finding an agent that has the knowledge and skills to offer you the best advice and who you feel has your best interests at heart. You have worked way too hard for your money to lose it in a land deal because of an inexperienced or unqualified agent. Find an agent who can be your trusted advisor for all things pertaining to land, and get out there with an agent who is prepared and buy some dirt.

Not every real estate licensee is qualified to help you buy or sell rural land. Their license may make it legal to practice, but their inexperience in land transactions could be costing you thousands of dollars.

WARNING: Some agents who primarily sell residential real estate and dabble in rural land sales will be offended by this article.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice states:

Article 11
The services which REALTORS^® provide to their clients and customers shall conform to the standards of practice and competence which are reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines in which they engage; specifically, residential real estate brokerage, real property management, commercial and industrial real estate brokerage, land brokerage, real estate appraisal, real estate counseling, real estate syndication, real estate auction, and international real estate.

REALTORS^® shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competence unless they engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service, or unless the facts are fully disclosed to the client. Any persons engaged to provide such assistance shall be so identified to the client and their contribution to the assignment should be set forth. (Amended 1/10)

The point of Article 11 is to protect consumers and clients from hiring an agent that is not competent in specific areas of real estate. All real estate agents and brokers are not members of the National Association of Realtors, and that is fine. An agent does not have to be a member of an association to be a great real estate agent (so please don’t scream at me in the comment section below). The point of me quoting the Standard of Practice is to show that on a national level there is recognition that there are different aspects of transacting real estate, and that an agent should be competent in the field in which they practice.

Oftentimes I will have a satisfied client or friend ask me if I would be interested in helping them sell their personal residence. I immediately tell them what a horrible residential agent I would make, wearing muddy boots into their house, etc… I honestly tell them “no” because that is not what I do. I am not a residential agent. I have no expertise in that field at all. Listing a residence would possibly be an opportunity for me to make some more money, but I know that I can not provide the level of service my client needs. I want to leave them with a good taste in their mouth about me and my company.

Land Brokerage was recently added to this NAR list due to the recognition that this vein of real estate requires a special knowledge base and skill set to conduct transactions successfully. For instance, a few years ago I was representing a seller on a 32 acre tract and the buyers hired an agent to represent them. This agent was primarily a residential agent but was helping them sell their commercial building and they decided to use him to buy a rural homesite too. When we were previewing the land he wore his nice loafers and slacks, and decided not to walk the perimeter of the tract with me and his buyers. When we all met up again after seeing the property, the buyer asked me,”Will the property perc.?” I said a perc. test would need to be done. The buyers’ agent asked me, “What is a perc. test?” The buyer and I looked at each other silently with a mutual understanding that this agent was not very knowledgeable about rural homesites because he did not know how to gauge the land’s suitability for a septic system. He was accustomed to in-town transactions.

A landowner or buyer of rural property can put their assets or money at risk by enlisting the help of an agent that is not competent in land sales. Every business person has to make the best decision they can with the information that is available to them at the time. The job of a good agent is to bring all of the available information to the table so the buyer or seller can exercise good judgment in a transaction. Sometimes people entrust a friend or relative who sells real estate to help them buy or sell land. Unless they are experienced or uniquely qualified, I would recommend using a land specialist. You will usually come out better, and afterward you will still be on speaking terms with your friend or relative.

Readers may say, “Jonathan I think your exaggerating the number of problems in land sales.” I am a relatively new agent, only getting my license in 2008. But it seems like every land deal I have has some crazy wrinkle in it. I have had listings with 2 camp houses vandalized, a property with a registered sex offender next door, found marijuana planted, a survey that showed a barn on the wrong land that had to be taken down, title problems that killed a deal, a dead man found in a pond of one of my sellers that we had to disclose to the buyer, racist adjoining owners, and lots of other experiences that are funny now but kept me up at nights then. People who have been in the land business longer than I, have many more horror stories. Yesterday I sat in the living room of an owner that bought 100 acres that were distressed in 1999, and he spent the next 10 years in court fighting claims of adverse possession and lawsuits from surrounding owners. He had no title insurance and spent 3 times the price the surveyor quoted him initially to have the survey drawn. At the end of the 10 years he only owns 20 acres and has spent thousands of dollars on attorneys and surveys. It took such a toll on him personally and financially that it is visible how beaten down he is by the whole experience.

The point of this article is for consumers to select the agent who can best help you conduct your land transaction smoothly with your best interest in mind. Look for agents that in addition to being licensed have some professional experience or designations that will be of use to you in your deal. Agents with a long history of land sales or a background in forestry, geology, soil sciences, a long-term farmer, or are members of the Realtors Land Institute are all good things to look for. Check them out before enlisting their help. When you use an experienced land professional, you are increasing your odds of enjoying a smooth successful transaction. Let your land agent spend the sleepless nights; that’s what we get paid to do.

Photo by Rick Lipscomb - stormtracker2.com

Our nation has been assailed by many natural disasters in the past two months. My home state of Alabama was ravaged by vicious tornadoes on April 27. During the search and rescue process, I learned one way that real estate agents can assist in the process.

On April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa, Alabama took a direct hit from an F5 tornado, devastating the city and the area where it struck. Homes and buildings were removed, and the area looked as if it had been run over by a large lawnmower. Many people lost their lives during the storm.

Within a few days, I received a call from a Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy who was assisting the local EMA in tracking down property owners in areas affected by the storm. He asked if I was Jonathan Goode, and I said “yes”. He said there was a property listed as “Goode Investments, LLC.” that had been damaged by the storm, and he was calling to ask if I am the owner. I told him I was not, and asked him how he found my name. He said he did a google search for “Goode Investments in Alabama”, and came across my name. At once I realized what an unlikely task this man had of tracking down property owners by google search. So I told him to give me one second and I would try to help him.

I pulled up Tuscaloosa County’s Tax Assessor’s GIS website, which is called emapsplus.com. I clicked on maps, and Alabama, and then to Tuscaloosa County. I gave him a 30 second tutorial on how to search by property owner or by address, and he was instantly enthused at how this would improve his searching ability. The information provided by the tax assessor often includes the owner’s name and mailing address, but often leaves out the telephone number. By cross-referencing the information provided in emapsplus with a site like whitepages.com, it is possible to find out the best way to contact owners of properties affected by storms.

After this experience it dawned on me that the people tasked with finding these property owners were probably not given very good tools to do it with. Why would a sheriff’s deputy know about the county tax assessor’s GIS site? So I wanted to put out a call to all of our real estate agents, tax assessors, and EMA agents to let you know that it is possible to cooperate in a meaningful way to help track down property owners. In an effort where efficiency means minutes and minutes can mean lives, we need to use the expertise we have to aid the work of emergency officials. I hope to get this information to our local and state EMA offices before they need to put it into practice again. It could save resources, time, and even lives.

In my most recent article entitled “Your Choice for a Heart Attack… Cardiologist or Orthopedist?” I explained the importance of choosing a specialist – whether having a heart attack or planning to buy/sell land.

In the case of a medical specialist, you would certainly expect to find a doctor with extensive experience treating your specific health concerns – someone with a proven history of many successes.

Once you agree that choosing a specialist in land is just as important as choosing the right medical specialist, you’re faced with a new challenge – how do you recognize a land specialist?

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the expression “if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck – it’s probably a duck!” Most of us understand that cute saying, but how does a land specialist look? How does a land specialist “quack”?  Does a land specialist “waddle”?

Jonathan Goode read my last article and commented that:

“I tell people all the time who are looking for land to never trust a real estate agent with a clean truck. That means they aren’t getting out and doing what they are supposed to.”

First, how does a land specialist NOT look?  Although you would expect to find a specialist who works in a well-organized office environment, complete with large flat-screen TV’s for land presentations using Google Earth mapping – it might NOT be a good indicator if he or she has on patent leather shoes, a business suit, and drives a BMW or Dodge Caravan.

Keep in mind that “land” (the nice proper name) is also called “dirt”.  Thus, a more appropriate attire for a specialist might be a neatly ironed crisp sport shirt, monogrammed with the company’s name, accompanied by a rugged pair of jeans, hiking boots, and a solid 4-wheel drive SUV vehicle.  A trailer hitch on the back is just icing on the cake validating that you’ve encountered a true outdoor person.

But wait – how does a specialist “quack”?  When you ask a question, what happens when specialists open their mouth to speak?  First, the non-specialist will quack the loudest offering meaningless questionable blather and few specifics or little evidence to back up the quacking.

A specialist speaks with soft authority because such an individual will have paperwork, surveys, deeds, tax information, topo maps, aerial photos, and accurate market statistics that validate the information provided.  If you hear a lot of quacking with nothing to back it up – beware.

Finally, how does a duck, I mean a land specialist, walk?  Better yet, how does the specialist show you land? Do you find yourself loaded into that Dodge Caravan and paraded past property after property without stopping (as you stare out the window)?  Do you have to abandon that BMW before reaching the property because it’s on a 16% grade up a treacherous and very muddy logging trail?

Depending on the size of the land parcel being shown, a specialist will lead you on a hiking trail into the property for an up-close and personal look at what you’re buying.  On larger parcels, the specialist will provide a UTV, i.e. Polaris Ranger, Rhino, or Gator, so you can ride in comfort, yet be out in the open to experience the sights and smells of the outdoors.

The specialist will have a topo map, aerial photo, or survey map and use a compass or GPS technology to locate landmarks and boundary lines.  Most important, you will not find yourself lost.  On one occasion, in attempting to show another company’s 1,800 acre land parcel, I asked the other agent to provide a preview, showing me all the old trails so I could provide a suitable tour for my prospective buyer.  His answer?  “I don’t know – I’ve never been on the property!”

A specialist will also be able to point out the different tracks left by wildlife – from deer & turkey to bear and bobcat.  A tuft of coarse hair left on the barb of a fence whispers that a deer passed recently. A pungent odor in the air warns that B’rer Bear recently crossed the trail.

So… a land specialist does not “look” like a big city businessperson, nor “talk” in vague terms.  Neither will the specialist show you land in a vehicle chosen by the rich & famous or more often used to ferry the kids to soccer practice.  The specialist is a real outdoor person, not afraid to get out in rain or snow, nor afraid to get those hiking boots wet and muddy.  You’ll be treated with the respect you deserve and leave with a fistful of hard facts and answers.

My future articles on land specialization will dive into the details of land buying and selling including such topics as: 1) Streams vs springs vs. creeks, vs. rivers vs. ponds, 2) ridges vs. hollows, vs. valleys, 3) woodland vs. agricultural vs. meadow vs. cutover timberland, 4) access via state road, county road, right-of-way, easement, or cart path, 5) climate vs. weather, 6) boundary lines, surveys, metes & bounds, witness trees, and blazes, 7) fee simple title, commissioners’ deeds, and quit claim deeds, 8) wildlife, 9) flood plains, 10) acres, poles, chains & rods, etc., etc.

Stay tuned – there’s more to come!

More Golden Rule, less smoke and mirrors.  If we could get that idea through our society, it would be great.  My goal is a bit less ambitious though.  I would just like to get that idea through to those that I deal with on a professional basis every day.  I’m not throwing stones at everyone involved in the real estate industry, indeed over the years I have picked out a group of professionals that I choose to work with because I can trust them.  I cull the ones that I can’t pretty quickly…and so do other professionals in the industry, I might add.  However, people come and go from our industry, as do buyers and sellers.  I guess my folly is the belief that everyone would like to stay in business long-term, and therefore will do what is right.  I have made a conscious decision to trust first in all of my life’s relationships, and business is no different.  If you don’t choose to trust first, then you end up being one of those people that no one trusts.  Jaded if you will.  I guess that’s the reason I feel blindsided by misdeeds and untruths that people are involved in.  Why shouldn’t we have an industry where people trust and are trustworthy?  I understand that all news is not good, but just because it isn’t does not give you the right to hide it, spin it, ignore it, or flat-out lie about it.  Rest assured that it will come out at some time.  Maybe you bargain that you will be long-gone before it does, and maybe you are right.  How does that help you when you lay your head down on your pillow at night?  Facing a problem head-on may not be the most comfortable thing, and it might even make the deal go sour. However if you do that, then you will not be the one who is responsible for the hurt feelings, lawsuits, and other injurious occurrences.  You may have to deal with some of those things, yes…but not because you are at fault.  That’s a whole different position to work on a problem from.  It’s a position of strength and certainty.  You needn’t hide anything that you have done, or try to remember your version of how it happened, or invent a scenario that puts you in a better light.

This is not the popular way to climb today’s ladder of “success”.  Most people want to short-cut the tried and true method of honest dealing.  In society as a whole people will claw at you, climb over you, and knock you off the ladder just to better their position.  Often this is done with total disregard for the downstream consequences for themselves and their victims.  Often these same people are the first ones to cry out as victims themselves.  I would argue that ill-gotten “success” is not success at all though.  It’s willful defeat with a tainted sugar-coating that will eventually melt away.  Step back and take a look at your business practices.  Would you like to be treated the way that you treat others? Would you trust yourself if you were involved in a transaction with someone just like you?  If you did not answer yes to both of those questions, please accept my gracious request that you find another line of work, or seriously change your business practices before we all catch up to your game.  More Golden Rule, less smoke and mirrors.

So… for the past week, you’ve been experiencing shortness of breath, a slight pain in your chest, radiating down your left arm… and it seems to be getting worse.  You recognize that it’s time to see a doctor.  The only question is: “Which doctor?”

There are many choices: opthomologists, gastroenterologists, orthopedists, cardiologists, and the list goes on.  Would you choose one of the first three, or realize that the only correct choice is a cardiologist?

At first glance, you might say, “Why does it matter, after all they’re all licensed doctors!”  While that’s true, each specializes in a different part of the body, i.e. 1) the eyes, 2) the digestive system, 3) bones & joints, and 4) the heart.

The first three know little about the “SA node”, the “Bundle of His” or “Atrial Fibrillation”, but it’s the cardiologist who knows the working of the heart from “A-fib” to “V-fib”.  Each of the doctors, by specializing in a specific field of medicine, understands all the hidden defects that lurk beneath the surface, and how to approach them successfully.

So, what’s that got to do with real estate – and more specifically raw land?  Like doctors, real estate brokers are all licensed by the state to practice in the real estate field.  Unlike doctors, however, there are no residencies required to practice a specialized type of real estate.  In real life, most new licensees think real estate means “houses” and thus enters the field of “residential” real estate.

This is a specialized practice of its own.  It’s a world where termite inspections, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, deed restrictions, and homeowners associations abound.  Contracts that address personal property, zoning, discount points, VA & FHA loans, and home inspections are the norm.

But wait!  If residential real estate is a specialty, there must be other specialties too.  Consider just a few, like commercial real estate, industrial real estate, multi-family real estate, and “raw land”.  Although there is little public knowledge of these very different fields of expertise, the National Association of REALTORS® addresses this important aspect of real estate in its Code of Ethics – to which all REALTORS® subscribe.

Article 11 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics reads as follows:

The services which Realtors® provide to their clients and customers shall conform to the standards of practice and competence which are reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines in which they engage; specifically, residential real estate brokerage, real property management, commercial and industrial real estate brokerage, land brokerage, real estate appraisal, real estate counseling, real estate syndication, real estate auction, and international real estate.

Realtors® shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competence unless they engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service, or unless the facts are fully disclosed to the client.

Going back to the question about choosing a doctor, it becomes readily apparent that for a heart attack, the correct choice is a cardiologist.  For buying and selling raw land, the correct choice is a broker who not only professes to specialize in land, but who can also produce a history of successful land transactions.

To a residential broker, the terms riparian rights, topo maps, rights-of-way, boundary surveys, due diligence, hunting leases, mineral rights, conservation easements, tree blazes, and viewsheds may seem inconsequential.  A land broker understands the impact of each on a contract for the purchase of land.

Sellers and buyers attempting to choose a land specialist should look for a broker who has a wide selection of listed land parcels, not just one or two, and who, further, has no homes listed for sale.  This broker will  use GPS coordinates, and offer detailed topo maps, aerial photos, Google Earth visuals, and property surveys and tax maps.  Sources of land financing will be provided.

The final supporting evidence of a true land broker, is his or her jeans, hiking boots, and willingness to “bushwhack” through wooded land, and hike strenuous trails without complaint.  On very large parcels, land brokers will provide access on a UTV, such as a Polaris Ranger or John Deere Mule.

Whether looking for a “doctor, lawyer, Indian chief”… or land broker, the right choice is always the specialist.

Are you new to the real estate business or just new to selling rural land and farms? Are you not-so-new and finding it difficult to stay in the real estate business in the current market? If you are either of these, I have a few suggestions that might help you be more productive in selling rural properties. OK, so you are probably asking, “Why would I share that information with you?”. It’s simple. The better you are at doing your job, the easier mine becomes. Self-motivated really, but you stand to benefit too. I’ve been around this business for a good while. I’ve seen agents come and go. I’ve seen agents come and stay. Here are a few tips that I have picked up along the way:

1. Don’t be afraid to NOT know something. Some of the worst problems I have seen in selling land arise from an agent being afraid to say, “I don’t know.” As a young agent in particular, you are afraid that it will make you look unskilled and unprofessional. Let me assure you, professionals say “I don’t know.” a lot! The key to this is being able to follow that “I don’t know.” with a sincere, “But I will do my best to find out.” No one knows everything about real estate. Once you get this concept, you are on your way to becoming a good agent.

2. Specialize in a few particular markets within the real estate business. Do not try to be all things to all people. Selling a gas station is a world away from selling building lots on a lake. Your network of buyers, sellers, and supporting professionals will be very different for those. You can’t be great at doing one or the other if you cannot fully immerse yourself into that market. Many agents make the mistake of trying to list whatever is available to list. This is a recipe for burn-out. Again, you can’t be all things to all people. Take time to learn what markets are available to you. Markets may be geographically limited and some may not. They are all dynamic and nuanced, which is why you cannot professionally participate in all markets real estate.

3. Once you have established the markets that you want to work in, communicate with the people in that market. No, I do not mean put the sales pitch on everybody in the market. Get to know them. Get to know the other agents in your market. Be a service to the other professionals in the market. They are a great source of referrals.

4. Get to know the individual properties you are marketing. The important aspects of ownership vary with the type property you are selling. Figure out what these are for your market and have that information readily available when you are asked about it. Again, please, if you don’t know it, don’t make it up! If you are working as a buyer’s agent, you have to know that buyer in the same way a listing agent needs to know his properties.

5. You are better off with a few good, marketable listings than you are with a hundred over-priced, unmarketable properties. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a listing that you do not think is salable. Don’t shy away from letting a client know that his or her expectations are not in line with the market. This will save you a great deal of angst in the long-run.

6. Track your results from your marketing efforts. This will help you spend your limited marketing dollars more wisely. Avoid the shotgun approach. Find out what methods and sources work best for the market you are in. Then concentrate on doing the best job with those avenues that work best. Sellers will want you to go with the shotgun approach. You can be a better agent for them by being able to explain that you spend your efforts maximizing proven methods rather than trying to cover all possible options.

7. Ask for help when you need it. Sometimes new agents get in a deal that’s over their heads. If they are not smart enough to ask for help, many times they will bumble around until they loose the entire thing. You are better off bringing in a seasoned pro to help you and to share your commission with them than you are to loose the whole thing. Be quick to partner with an experienced, successful agent and learn from them in the process.

8. Do not take rejection as a personal affront to you. Business is business. Once you see something is not going to work out, move on to something that shows more promise. Be careful not to jump to quickly though. If you are having problems deciding if a deal is worth working on, talk with your broker. Good brokers want you to be spending your time working on good deals too.

These are a few things that a new agent can do to help themselves be more effective and profitable. There are many, many more aspects that new agents will have to learn. New agents will not know everything there is to know just because they have a real estate license. As with anything worth learning, it takes time and experience. As a new agent, you will have to learn to persevere in order to obtain that knowledge and experience.

One tool that I would like to suggest is the LandThink Community. There are seasoned land professionals participating in the forums there that will be glad to help you and offer their experiences. You will be more likely to get good responses from them if you participate in the forum so go there and start posting today!

In today’s market, many properties are competing for the attention of a relatively small pool of buyers. In many instances, properties are getting no attention whatsoever. I know that some properties garner a great deal of attention, so I know there are some willing buyers in the market. The key is positioning your property for sale in a manner so as to reach out to the pool of able, and willing buyers. Many sellers throw stumbling blocks out in front of their agent and marketing plans.

The largest stumbling block that sellers trip up their marketing with is pricing. They are afraid to ask too little, and not have any negotiating room when they get a potential buyer or they have the notion that they should pocket full market value for a property and anything an agent should make will have to be on top of that amount. So the result is they get no interest, no buyers, and no negotiations to use that built-in padding that they were so adamant they must have. In a buyer’s market, this is a failed strategy. The greatest agents in the world cannot reach into a buyer’s pocket and pull his money out for him…at least not in a buyer’s market. That’s what we are in, a buyer’s market. They hold the aces in today’s market. A buyer who is financially able to complete a transaction is a valuable asset to an agent. That buyer tends to be a bit more savy than the buyer who has more money than sense that sellers seem to be looking for. This is the first and biggest, but there are others. If you want to read more on pricing, take a look at my article from October 2010, Selling Land or a Farm? Get Serious on Pricing. If you want to help your agent get the property sold, get serious on pricing. The list price needs to be a price that the market is willing to support. Buyers are simply not looking at anything they perceived to be over-priced.

Sellers, listen to your agents. If you have a good agent, they will have advice on things that can be done to the property to get it sold. If you have an agent that has experience in selling your type of property, then they have seen things that worked and things that did not. It’s likely they have been involved in more transactions of your type of property than you have. You hired them for their expertise. Don’t handicap them by discounting what they tell you. Remember, their goal is to sell the property for the highest possible price in the shortest time possible, which is probably your goal too.

Here are a few more suggestions on things that you can do that will help your agent sell your property.

1. Remove items from the property that do not sell with it. If it’s not what is being sold, it’s clutter that will distract a potential buyer from the business at hand. Automobiles, ATV’s, storage buildings, and certainly anything that is considered as refuse. Buyers are completely turned off by the prospects of having to clean up your junk. They have their own to put in it’s place.

2. If you have an entryway into the property make sure it is neat and attractive. Make sure the entryway gates, if any, are in good repair and fill in that mudhole that is right in the roadway at the property entrance. In land, just as with houses, you must think about curb appeal…the potential buyer’s first thoughts about the property when they arrive. If you property does not have an entryway, consider constructing one that will control access to and from the property and give the property the look of something that is cared for. This can usually be done inexpensively and will pay big returns.

3. If you cannot ride over 75% of the property in a 4×4 vehicle, consider some trail construction. Constructing a 4×4 trail through a wooded area with a small bulldozer is usually very cost effective. Your agent is going to have a hard time selling something the buyers can’t see…most buyers are not willing to walk a half mile to see some aspect of the property until they have become VERY interested in it otherwise.

4. If the property needs to be surveyed, go ahead and get that done. Have the lines very well marked at least. Buyers want to be able to see the boundaries, know what’s inside the boundaries, and what’s not. Imagine yourself looking at a property and the guy trying to sell it to you says that the boundary is somewhere over there, and that corner is somewhere within a few hundred feet of here. You would want to know specifically, not generally. Make sure your agent is familiar with those boundaries.

5. If you are one of those sellers who is trying to sell a property without your neighbors knowing, get over it. Let the agent put up a good sign on the property and talk to all the neighbors. Many times they may be the source of the best leads to sell the property. They will eventually figure it out anyway.

6. If you have photos of the property in different seasons, give them to the agent and ask them to make them available to potential customers. That’s not something an agent can usually get on his own. Also photographs of game on the property or harvested on the property. These are things that wildlife-aware buyers will value.

7. If it is a timber property with significant timber value, get a timber cruise done by a registered forester and provide this information to the agent and potential buyers. It takes the guesswork out of timber valuation for them. Buyers guess low.

8. In properties with open fields and pastures, keep them reasonably mowed. A properly maintained field is one of the prettiest sights rural America has. Even buyers of wooded land get pepped up by a neatly maintained field on the property. It has a way of making a buyer feel like they know more about the property. It’s hard to get this advantage if you are looking out the truck window, eye-level with the briars and weeds.

9. In properties where there is a major water feature like a creek, pond, or river, make sure there is a place to easily access the water…a place where the agent can get the buyer out and to the water’s edge…maybe even throw a line in the water.

10. Make sure your agent understands the valuable aspects of the property by providing it to him in writing. If you really want to be helpful, format it so that he can hand it straight to a potential buyer. Think like you are selling the property to your agent. Your agent will appreciate it and talk about your property more than the others if he is “sold” on the property.

All of these suggestions are things that real land brokers have been telling their sellers for years. Savy sellers listen. Savy sellers are selling property for decent prices, even in today’s market. Many of the above improvements will not only shorten your marketing time and improve your chances of selling, but will also improve your property value…most of them more than the cost of getting them done.

At the recent LandThink Summit, a broker asked me what seemed like a simple question at first hearing: “Should the seller/seller’s broker show a buyer the best feature of the property first and work backward, or the worst feature first and work forward?”

We’ve all heard about “putting your best foot forward” in such circumstances. But I had doubts.

In times like these, buyers are dear for many types of real estate. Buyers know that financing is a chore, and a 20 to 50 percent down payment may be required, depending on the financial profile of the buyer and the size and characteristics of the land.

All buyers — even inexperienced first-timers — are aware of how dicey real-estate purchases can become when too high a price is paid, or the borrower gets upside-down in a mortgage, or some hidden and unknown dog in a deal bites them after closing.  As a result, buyers today are more picky, more suspicious and less likely to make impulsive and emotional decisions on property purchases than in the past.

For those reasons, I think a seller’s best path in a down, shaky real-estate market like ours might be to approach buyers in full-disclosure mode and show any negatives first. Both disclosure and negatives-first build trust and credibility with skittish buyers.

I realize that many sellers and brokers will disagree with my position. I’m certainly willing to concede that many on the selling side that I’ve worked with as a buyer over 40 years generally disclosed only as much as they thought necessary—and were successful in selling property. In good times, “limited-hang-out” disclosure to buyers has certainly produced sales (along with some ticked-off buyers and the occasional law suit).

Times have changed; buyers have changed. That’s the way it looks to me.

Still, sellers have to read buyers just as buyers need to read sellers. If your seller instinct says that too much truth too fast will run a buyer off, then work into it more slowly. No rule fits every situation.

This brings up the subject of staging. I have no doubt that staging residential property works on buyers. Nor do I doubt that in most cases it will prove cost-effective for a seller to go this route. But a sales strategy that depends on manipulating the senses and emotions of buyers by creating an artificial environment that disappears at closing is antithetical, or, at least, inconsistent with disclosure and negatives-first as a sales strategy.

It’s easy enough to perk up rural property by grading roads, painting buildings, removing trash, mowing, fixing fences and gates and so on. Rural property also shows better on pleasant days. I don’t consider any of these activities, “staging” to stimulate an emotional response in the buyer.

I’ve given a little thought over the years to how timberland, farms and undeveloped land might be staged to create a pro-purchase atmosphere. The seller of a farm, I suppose, could rent new John Deere equipment for display in the barnyard. And every buyer would respond positively to a personable horse or a pet steer that likes to be scratched. But generally speaking, I think land doesn’t lend itself to being professionally staged, and certainly not to the same degree as the typical suburban residence.

As a buyer, I want to see warts first when I’m visiting property. If you show me the good stuff first, I find that I discount the positives when the warts start popping up at the end of the visit. I leave with doubts, about both the property and the seller. When warts come last, I find that I start looking harder for deal-breakers that the seller hasn’t disclosed, defects in the property or title, uncertainties, encroachments and unresolved issues with neighbors.

With warts first, I balance up the net impression at the end of a visit; with warts last, I find I balance down. I leave with a better overall impression when I balance up, that is, when I get the bad stuff first and the good stuff last. But maybe that’s just me.

I don’t like to change my ways anymore than anyone else. But I’m always open to change an opinion in the face of evidence. I’ve presided over arbitration cases for more than 25 years, and the rule that I follow is: Go where the facts and the contract language take you. If disclosure and negatives-first produce sales at better-than-expected prices, an out-dated opinion deserves to be changed.

With that in mind, sellers and their agents might test a disclosure/negatives-first approach with buyers and see what the results are. It will be hard to isolate those two variables from everything else going on with a property sale, but you may come away with a different idea about how to sell rural property in today’s market.

A buyer, of course, may back away from a warts-and-all approach to the property he’s considering. But if the negatives are really that bad, I don’t think a seller wants to keep them under a bushel basket unless he likes to fight in court and doesn’t care about his good name.

Next time, consider disclosure and showing negatives first. It’s worth at least one shot.