2026 America’s Best Brokerages – Southwest
2026 America’s Best Brokerages – Southwest
ABB_FEAT_Southwest2026
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: A New Mexico-based brokerage specializing in land transactions across the state, with a focus on large cattle ranches and premier hunting properties. We also represent a variety of smaller-acreage recreational and irrigated parcels.
WOW! Sold the 50,288-acre Maes Ranch. Previously owned by Land Report 100er Stan Harper, the ranch was sold to Shannon Kizer, another Land Report 100er. Maes Ranch is rich in trophy large game, plentiful water resources, aesthetic beauty, and robust shortprairie grass ideal for cattle.
What was your take on 2025? It was a hot market, with several large, off-market deals. Bigger ranches traded without being publicly listed.
Listed properties attracted a lot of traffic, as inventory remained low relative to buyer demand. Negotiability on pricing has tightened, with buyers paying the full asking price or close to it.
How is 2026 shaping up? It is already proving to be an extension of 2025. Buyer demand is high, and listed inventory is lower than demand. Big ranches continue to be traded off-market.
2025 Sales: $50M–$100M
Who: Specializing in marketing and selling Texas live water, ranches, farms, hunting, and recreation properties.
What was your take on 2025? It remained a selective and measured market but resilient. Our inventory grew, while buyers remained cautious amid interest rate fluctuations. Much of our activity came from repeat clients, referrals, and long-standing relationships we’ve cultivated.
How is 2026 shaping up? Much like 2025, with continued stability and steady demand. We’re seeing sustained interest in large rural ranches for hunting, recreation, investment, and living.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: Founded in 1960, we are part of the $157 billion Sotheby’s International Realty network of 26,000 agents in 84 countries and territories. We specialize in ranches, land, farms, recreational properties, and rural properties.
WOW! Sold two marquee Texas ranches for the second time each: Stone Creek Ranch and Quail Rise Ranch. Also, our $60 million Colorado River Ranch listing in the Texas Hill Country was featured on the Prime Video streaming series Ranchland Listings.
What was your take on 2025? It was an average year. There was a lot of wait-and-see, though some might say that we just reset to the historical norm. We saw inventory levels increase to normal or slightly above average. Larger listings had lower levels of activity than average-to smaller-priced listings.
How is 2026 shaping up? Showing activity and buyer interest has really picked up. Early indications are that buyers are beginning to come off the sidelines, as pricing and interest rates have stabilized. There is more optimism, so we expect transaction volume to increase due to healthy inventory levels and a stabilized market, combined with some pent-up buyer demand.
2025 Sales: < $50M
Who: A specialized brokerage focused on farms, ranches, and large-acreage proper-ties. While we serve buyers and landowners throughout Texas, our core expertise is marketing and selling land within a few hours west of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
WOW! Closed on a 2,000-acre Brazos River property in Young County, Texas, marketed as JN River Ranch. The seller first met company founder David Campbell more than 20 years ago after purchasing a couple of goats from him. Those goats went on to win Grand Champion at the San Angelo Stock Show.
What was your take on 2025? Pricing determined activity. Listings that were priced realistically generated consistent showings, which led to offers
nd ultimately contracts. Properties priced above market – even those labeled as “willing to negotiate” – struggled to attract showings.
How is 2026 shaping up? It started strong, and we anticipate a steady year overall, marked by consistent activity and gradual price appreciation rather than sharp swings in either direction. One major variable is the rapid expansion of data centers, which is beginning to reshape portions of our market and influence land values in targeted areas. In addition, strong cattle prices are driving increased demand for quality grazing land and smaller neighboring tracts, particularly from established operators looking to expand existing ranches.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: Providing personal buyer and seller representation in farm and ranch real estate acquisitions, investments, and sales, with a history of sales in nearly half of Texas’s 254 counties.
WOW! Several ranches sold in the $10 million range, even though they were unadvertised due to seller confidentiality.
What was your take on 2025? The overall land market in Texas was rather slow, but we benefited from good timing with 1031s and other factors.
How is 2026 shaping up? We are seeing a disparity in sales volumes between popular counties for primary-residence land purchases versus more rural, weekend-type places. There is still a decent amount of activity in more populous counties where owners can commute or live close to amenities. Still, rural counties farther from cities are moving very slowly, with more inventory piling up and greater buyer lever-age. COVID buyers are trying to liquidate without losing money, but some are having a tough time doing so.
2025 Sales: $250M–$500M
Who: A fourth-generation family-owned farm and ranch real estate company that was established in 1920 and is currently licensed in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas.
What was your take on 2025? Most of our ranch sales were in the West Texas and Eastern New Mexico markets, where price levels seemed more reasonable to buyers. Asking prices remained inflated in the Central Texas and the Hill Country markets. It appeared that buyers were resisting those prices and showing more interest in cheaper land that was located farther west.
How is 2026 shaping up? Sales remain steady, and most folks believe the economy is slowly improving, and interest rates will continue to become more attractive. Land prices may soften slightly in the Central Texas and the Hill Country markets.
2025 Sales: < $50M
Who: A boutique land brokerage covering Texas and Oklahoma. We have agents who specialize in cattle, oil and gas, forestry, and all types of land.
What was your take on 2025? It was a good year. The market overall was a little slower than most, but our network of buyers and sellers kept us busy.
How is 2026 shaping up? Interest rates will play a big role in what happens with the 2026 ranch market. Several prospective buyers and sellers continue to wait on the sidelines to see what happens with the broader market.
2025 Sales: $250M–$500M
Who: We have 27 years of experience in ranch real estate in the Texas land market, combined with the global reach of Sotheby’s International Realty.
WOW! Our $408 million in total sales was the highest in company history. Contributing to that was the sale of the El Indio Cage Ranch in Maverick County, which was listed at $32 million.
What was your take on 2025? It began at the same pace as the previous two years. But after a somewhat measured summer, activity accelerated significantly in September with increased deal flow and renewed momentum, leading to a strong finish.
How is 2026 shaping up? The strength we saw at the end of 2025 continued into the opening months of 2026, signaling sustained demand and setting the stage for a very active year ahead.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: Specializing in large recreational and investment properties in the Texas Hill Country, Gulf Coast, South Texas, and Far West Texas.
What was your take on 2025? The farm and ranch real estate market was strong. We did not see any significant decline in sales volume and experienced steady activity throughout the year.
How is 2026 shaping up? Listings and sales volume are increasing as buyers become more optimistic, indicating a renewed confidence in the farm and ranch market.
2025 Sales: $50M–$100M
Who: Specializing in rural land brokerage and appraisal since 1983. We primar-
ily handle working cattle ranches but also sell recreational, mining claims, irrigated agricultural, and other rural properties. Our owners and agents come from multigenerational ranching families and have strong agricultural backgrounds in Arizona and New Mexico.
What was your take on 2025? It was a continuation of the strong ranch market that we have seen for the past couple of years. Our largest constraint has been acquiring enough listings to meet the sales demand.
How is 2026 shaping up? We expect a strong rural property market as buyers continue to seek quality agricultural properties and livestock markets remain at record highs.
2025 Sales: $250M–$500M
Who: A specialized brokerage focused on timberland sales. We assist clients in buying and selling timberland properties and provide insights into timber valuation, land management, and investment opportunities.
WOW! Between September and the end of the year, we were able to transact on several large parcels, including a 709-acre recreational tract, adding up to roughly 1,250 acres sold.
What was your take on 2025? The bulk of the year was sluggish. Buyers were tentative, holding back on decisions, while sellers were still holding onto pricing from the COVID surge that didn’t reflect reality. We had quite a few listings sitting there, so we had some difficult conversations with sellers, explaining that it wasn’t just their property that wasn’t selling. After that, volume grew steadily through December.
How is 2026 shaping up? We have a positive outlook despite a semi-slow start. The broader market has settled down, uncertainty is slowly fading, and buyers finally seem ready to pull the trigger. We have high hopes for a bounce back in the Texas market, with Oklahoma and Louisiana following shortly after. There is a ton of existing inventory in the market. The patient seller will be pleased that they waited.
2025 Sales: $250M–$500M
Who: We focus exclusively on luxury ranch assets – including premier working and recreational ranches, as well as expansive, water-centric properties – in Texas and Oklahoma. Our team’s areas of expertise include wildlife and livestock management, surveying, wetland development, land stewardship, ranch-fund management, timber operations, lake analysis, land reclamation, and natural resource strategy.
WOW! We had numerous transactions above the $10 million mark.
What was your take on 2025? While we did not anticipate 2025 unfolding as it did, it turned out to be the second-best year in company history, even if at times it felt slower than it was.
How is 2026 shaping up? We are off to a strong start. While the second half of last year was marginally slower, we are optimistic that this year will continue to build momentum. As pricing expectations between buyers and sellers continue to narrow, the market is positioning itself for another highly successful year.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: A conservation brokerage firm representing buyers and sellers of ranches in Texas, with more than 1.5 million acres and more than $1.3 billion in sales in the company’s history.
WOW! Sold two nearby prop-erties on the Texas Coast
to the International Crane Foundation and The Con-servation Fund, totaling more than 5,000 acres. This area is now in conservation ownership and will broaden the protected areas for the endangered whooping crane.
What was your take on 2025? It started slowly compared to the huge, unprecedented 2024 sales. But during the last half of 2025, it seemed like everyone woke up, and the year went gangbusters, with several last-quarter closings and contracts executed for early 2026 closings.
How is 2026 shaping up? The market is red hot, not only in closing but also in new listings. We anticipate a great spring and summer market. Inventory is deplet-ing, which will put pressure on buyers and give sellers a better market to negotiate.
2025 Sales: > $1B
Who: Founded in 1987 and based in Scottsdale, Ari-zona, we offer comprehensive evaluations on land parcels for identifying and capital-izing on opportunities in all economic environments. We have more than 30 offices from coast to coast.
WOW! Our Kansas City office completed two large master-planned-community transactions: the Tiffany Greens Community & Golf Club, and the 140-acre Shoal Creek Valley MPC sale.
What was your take on 2025? It was better than expected, particularly given the volume of economic noise coming into the year. But the fundamentals told a different story: The stock market finished up 18 percent, inflation settled at 2.7 percent, and interest rates declined. Resale home supply increased only modestly despite a significant jump in listings, and annual sales were up 4.5 percent over 2024, a sign of underlying demand.
How is 2026 shaping up? We are bullish, as near-term caution from homebuyers will fade. The apprehension in the market is real, but so is the opportunity.
2025 Sales: < $50M
Who: Specializing in hunting ranches, recreational ranches, live water ranches, equine properties, and luxury ranches in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
What was your take on 2025? The market was affected on several levels. Consumers still recalled the record-low interest rates of five years ago, which caused many to sit and wait. Transactional activity was slower, and there were ore opportunities for cash buyers. Values seemed to remain steady, if not suffer in some areas.
How is 2026 shaping up? Sales volume in the first quarter significantly exceeded the same period in 2025. Our listing volume and activity have also seen a significant increase, and we anticipate 2026 to be a very strong rebound year.
2025 Sales: $50M–$100M
Who: A team of professionals with varied backgrounds in farming, ranching, and land ownership. Our associates know wildlife management, commercial hunting, oil and gas production, row crop and irrigated farming, equine centers, cow/calf and feeder operations, and real estate development.
What was your take on 2025? The market was strong through the first quarter, slowed during the second and third quarters, then rose again in the fourth. Buy-
ers were sensitive to pricing and current valuation. Buyer activity was location and property-type specific. We brokered several large, off-market properties throughout the year.
How is 2026 shaping up? The enthusiasm of late last year carried over to the new year. Buyer activity is good, and we are bringing new properties to market for sellers. Positive economic conditions and diminishing interest rates are spurring buyers a bit.
2025 Sales: $50M–$100M
Who: We guide clients through the process of buying and selling ranches and land across Texas. Our agents have backgrounds in oil and gas, solar development, ranching and land stewardship, regional terrain and wildlife knowledge, and the everyday logistics of rural ownership.
WOW! Placed the 170-acre M&M Ranch in Kerr County, Texas, under contract in just 15 days with multiple offers. Positioned atop one of the area’s highest hills, the ranch has 360-degree views as well as Guadalupe River access.
What was your take on 2025? It was an interesting year. It started strong with a high number of transactions in the first quarter. However, things slowed in the second quarter. Buyers were more selective, underwriting tightened, and properties that weren’t priced right or didn’t check key boxes started sitting longer. The bigger issue wasn’t demand but quality inventory, so marginal properties didn’t move. But the market started to pick back up near year-end.
How is 2026 shaping up? We are optimistic. The energy has shifted. Sellers are more realistic, and buyers understand what they want. This yields a healthy, balanced market. The first quarter started strong with an uptick in interest across the market. Our listing pipeline looks strong, and when the right ranches come to market, buyers are motivated and not afraid to move quickly.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: Since 2001, our team of land experts has specialized in marketing ranches, farms, and lifestyle properties.
WOW! Sold Vann River Ranch to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The land will be preserved for public use. Listed the Keyes Ranch for $65.2 million, one of the most significant offerings in the region.
What was your take on 2025? It was very positive. We continued to see strong buyer interest in recreational properties, long-term investments, and legacy ranches. Well-priced properties and quality land continued to perform, and demand for water, views, and usable terrain remained especially strong. Overall, it was a healthy, active year.
How is 2026 shaping up? We’re optimistic. Demand for Texas land has remained resilient, and we’re continuing to see buyers who value the lifestyle, privacy, and long-term stability that ranch ownership offers. We expect another active year.
2025 Sales: $100M–$250M
Who: Specializing in ranch, recreational, and investment-grade rural properties across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, and the surrounding region. Combining traditional land brokerage with auction marketing to create value for complex and premier land assets.
WOW! Sold 192 acres in North-east Texas for $40 million
to a rapidly growing school district through a voter-approved bond program. The transaction required coordination between municipal advisers, legal counsel, land planners, and our brokers.
What was your take on 2025? Buyers became more selective. Income production, water availability, and operational efficiency mattered more than momentum pricing. Sellers who entered the market with realistic expectations saw strong activity, while aspirational pricing often resulted in longer timelines.
How is 2026 shaping up? We expect continued stability with selective growth. Well-located properties with water resources, income potential, or recreational appeal should remain in strong demand. We anticipate more negotiated transactions supported by strong underwriting, increased use of auctions for price discovery, continued demand for recreational and legacy ranch properties, and growing interest in transitional and investment-grade land opportunities.
