2023 Best Brokerages – South

2023 Best Brokerages – South

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METHODOLOGY

The Land Report’s annual survey of US land brokerages is based on the total value of self-reported 2022 domestic land sales through traditional brokerage. Totals exclude commercial, industrial, and residential assets, unless those assets were a component of a more valuable land asset. All figures were provided by respective firms from February 13 through March 31, 2023.


BROWN LAND + PLANTATION ADVISORS

RICEANDDUCKS.COM (803) 480-1260

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: Specializing in the sale and marketing of plantations, estates, timberlands, and high-quality sporting properties throughout the Southeast. We evaluate land from a conservation easement, wildlife, mitigation, and timber perspective, and also consider the intangible attributes like safety and security, history, and recreational benefits.

WOW: Brokered the sale of Tombee Plantation on Saint Helena Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It is one the most historically significant properties we have ever worked on, containing one of the few remaining Antebellum structures still standing in the Lowcountry.

What was your take on 2022? The market showed incredible demand with very little inventory for buyers to consider. Few plantations were offered for sale in South Carolina in 2022, and those that made it to the open market were purchased fairly quickly. Inventory was the only bottleneck for sales.

How is 2023 shaping up? Near the end of 2022 we saw a lull in activity that we thought could indicate a leveling off of buying. But by mid-January there was a fresh flurry of activity that continued through the first quarter. There are more buyers considering South Carolina lands now than at any other time.

BUTLER LAND AND TIMBER COMPANY

BUTLERLANDANDTIMBER.COM (800) 704-0645

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M Who: Specializing in land sales across the Southeast ranging from 10-acre homesites to 1,500-acre plantations.

WOW: Bought 1,100 acres in Crenshaw and Coffee Counties, Alabama, and converted it into 28 individual sales.

What was your take on 2022? It was unbelievable. We had purchasers flooding into the Southeast from all over the country. Many properties sold without a showing.

How is 2023 shaping up? The buyers are still out in force, but inventory is very low.

COMPASS SOUTH LAND SALES

COMPASSSOUTHLANDSALES.COM (843) 538-6814

2022 Sales: $100M–$250M

Who: We specialize in assisting individual and institutional investors with timberland acquisitions and dispositions across the South.

WOW: On behalf of an institutional investor, we managed a 10,000-acre, sealed-bid sale in Alabama that received many competitive bids from a broad range of timberland investors.

What was your take on 2022? Demand for timberland and recreational properties was strong throughout the year.

How is 2023 shaping up? We still see strong demand across the South for timberland properties close to growing metropolitan areas.

CROSBY LAND COMPANY

CROSBYLANDCO.COM (843) 782-5700

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: A full-service real estate land brokerage company with extensive backgrounds in forestry, agriculture applications, wildlife management, conservation, and mineral rights.

WOW: Sold the historic Poco Sabo Plantation located in Colleton County, South Carolina. It was the first time that plantation had traded in almost three decades.

What was your take on 2022? A very bullish market with a low inventory of quality properties and a considerable number of cash buyers.

How is 2023 shaping up? Larger investment-grade timberland tracts and higher-end recreational sporting properties are still in high demand.

CYPRUS PARTNERS

CYPRUSPARTNERS.COM (205) 936-2160

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: A full-service rural land brokerage licensed in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. We have nine agents who also consult with private landowners on forestry, wildlife management, and conservation biology. Our managing broker has more than 45 years of experience in the brokerage, appraisal, and management of rural land in the South.

WOW: We didn’t close a financed deal all year.

What was your take on 2022? A tough year for rural land buyers. Prices were up, inventory was low, and demand was as strong as we’ve seen.

How is 2023 shaping up? Things are starting to cool off from the high levels of demand in 2021 and 2022.

DDK FORESTRY & REAL ESTATE

FORESTRYREALESTATE.COM (501) 219-8600

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: Founded as Davis Forestry in 1962, we are a full-service real estate investment consultant specializing in forestry, land, and timber.

WOW: Closed the sale of the 2,196-acre La Reina Ranch in De Queen, Arkansas. Located near the Oklahoma state line, this property has potential to be a vineyard, hunting lodge, cattle ranch, corporate retreat, wedding venue, and more.

What was your take on 2022? DDK closed almost 100 real estate transactions, managed more than 60 timber sales, and completed more than 30 appraisals.

How is 2023 shaping up? Sales have slowed slightly due to higher interest rates, but we still have steady interest from both buyers and sellers.

ESHENBAUGH LAND COMPANY

THEDIRTDOG.COM (813) 287-8787

2022 Sales: $250M–$500M

Who: A Tampa-based bou- tique land brokerage firm with a 30-plus-year record, focused on selling development and agricultural land parcels throughout Florida.

WOW: We surpassed $2 billion in company land sales since our inception and averaged more than a sale a week.

What was your take on 2022? The first three quarters of 2022 exceeded all of 2021 in terms of sales. The fourth quarter dropped sharply due to rising interest rates and the capital market uncertainty.

How is 2023 shaping up? Buyers are flocking to Florida and looking for land deals.

HURDLE LAND & REALTY

GEOFFHURDLELANDBROKER.COM (615) 815-9364

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: We specialize in the Southeast. Our concentration is in single-family residences and multifamily development.

WOW: Closed a deal east of Nashville that took 34 months due to zoning issues, politics, and governmental- regulation issues.

What was your take on 2022? From a financial perspective, it was our best in more than 30 years.

How is 2023 shaping up? Our success in 2022 has lined up 2023 to be quite spectacular.

JOAN PLETCHER REAL ESTATE NETWORK

JOANPLETCHER.COM (352) 804-8989

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: An Ocala, Florida, Realtor with 35-plus years of experience in the real estate industry, specializing in land, horse farms, and large estates.

What was your take on 2022? The market saw a drop in inventory in the Ocala/Mar- ion County area.

How is 2023 shaping up? Ocala is definitely on the radar of people wanting to relocate, but the inventory of marketable properties is still low.

JON KOHLER & ASSOCIATES

JONKOHLER.COM (850) 508-2999

2022 Sales: $100M–$250M

Who: We specialize in sporting properties, quail plantations, ranches, and high-quality recreational properties throughout the Southeast. Since 2010, we have sold an average of nearly 600 acres per week.

WOW: Sold two major Georgia quail plantations – Cane Mill and Terra Chula – that had been on the market for years before we were contacted.

What was your take on 2022? The high-quality recreational land niche was strong. These properties are seen as a great investment, as well as a place one would take their family and friends to make memories enjoying the outdoors.

How is 2023 shaping up? We are still seeing a strong demand for high-quality recreational properties, closing an average of approximately $500,000 a day. In addition, Jon Kohler recently was recognized as the APEX National Broker of the Year in Recreational Land Sales.

LARSON & MCGOWIN PROPERTIES

LARSONMCGOWINPROPERTIES.COM (205) 977-7706

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: We are a subsidiary of Larson & McGowin LLC, a forest management firm with millions of acres of experience gained over the past 60-plus years.

What was your take on 2022? Another active year where quality offerings that were priced appropriately did not last long.

How is 2023 shaping up? Lack of inventory continues to be an issue. Current owners are reluctant to sell assets without some sort of replacement property in hand.

LILE REAL ESTATE

LILEREALESTATE.COM (501) 374-3411

2022 Sales: $100M–$250M

Who: Founded in 1993 in Little Rock, we specialize in agricultural, recreational, and timberland properties throughout the Mid-South. We are members of the REALTORS Land Institute and have more Accredited Land Consultants than any other firm in Arkansas.

WOW: Brokered the sale of the 1,650-acre Big Slash Hunting Club, a recreational and agricultural property in the Arkansas Delta.

What was your take on 2022? Continued strong demand for quality farmland and proven recreational properties.

How is 2023 shaping up? We expect continued strong demand for investment-grade farmland, timberland, and proven recreational properties due to investors’ desire to put their money in quality hard assets.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES ALABAMA LAND CRAFTERS

THELANDCRAFTERS.COM (334) 277-6501

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: A rural real estate company that combines old-school values with cutting-edge technology.

WOW: We had a number of multimillion-dollar sales. What was your take on 2022? After an exceptional first half, we cooled in the third quarter. But by the beginning of the fourth quarter, another period of vibrant sales began.

How is 2023 shaping up? The market continued to be vibrant in the first quarter. We are watching the banking situation to see if that is going to have an impact on activity.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES BOTTOMLAND REAL ESTATE

MOSSYOAKPROPERTIES.COM (662) 495-1121

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: Specializing in selling recreational, residential, and land listings in Mississippi.

WOW: We doubled our sales from the previous year for the third consecutive time.

What was your take on 2022? It was a really strong market and a great year.

How is 2023 shaping up? It looks like another great year. The first quarter was strong.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES CAROLINA TIMBER & REALTY

MOPWNC.COM (828) 477-4248

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: We primarily service the westernmost 16 counties of North Carolina. Our nine full-time agents have more than 100 years of combined real estate experience in the Great Smoky Mountains.

WOW: Sold a 1,100-acre tract in Cherokee County for $10 million. It was the largest recorded land transaction in Cherokee County history.

What was your take on 2022? 2022 was our best year to date in regard to sales volume and revenue.

How is 2023 shaping up? We have been focused on increasing our inventory to meet the demand of a steady stream of buyers.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES DELTA LAND MANAGEMENT

ARKANSASLANDFORSALE.COM (501) 604-4565

2022 Sales: $100M–$250M

Who: We focus on row crop farmland and waterfowl-hunting properties.

WOW: Brokered Lonoke Duck Club, setting record prices for the area. Also brokered the sale of the Cross Pond Hunting Club, 2,400 acres of bottomland hardwood along the Arkansas River.

What was your take on 2022? The market was extremely active, and we set company records for both transaction numbers and prices.

How is 2023 shaping up? It appears to be on track to be a good year despite the fact that listing inventory is still very thin in the Delta.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES LAND AND FARMS REALTY

LANDANDFARMSREALTY.COM (252) 480-5263

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M Who: A land brokerage company with 34 agents in six offices, serving buyers and sellers in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

WOW: Sold 564 acres of La Bear in Hyde County, North Carolina, for $2.95 million.

What was your take on 2022? Our average days on market was only 74 days from listing to closing, and all our sales closed at an average of 96 percent of the list price.

How is 2023 shaping up? Listings are key. There is still strong buyer demand, and the limited listings supply will do nothing but continue to drive up pricing. During the first quarter, we experienced a 100 percent increase in sales compared to 2022.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES LAND AND LUXURY

LANDANDLUXURY.COM (704) 658-1121

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: Covering land and residential markets across 43 counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

WOW: Represented the sellers of a 95-acre waterfront tract in the heart of Lake Norman.

What was your take on 2022? We saw a drop in cumulative days on the market, a 99.8 percent close-price-to-list- price ratio, and an increase in price per acre.

How is 2023 shaping up? Inventory continues to be a challenge, though rising interest rates are having little effect on urgency to buy land.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES OF LOUISIANA

MOSSYOAKPROPERTIESLA.COM (888) 318-5263

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: We focus on timberland, pastureland, recreational land, and development properties for individuals and corporations in Louisiana and neighboring states.

WOW: Sold a 1,250-acre recreational property that involved helicopter tours, financing, and out-of-state buyers.

What was your take on 2022? Even though properties purchased with financing dissipated in the third and fourth quarters, cash buyers were still purchasing land throughout the year.

How is 2023 shaping up? Strong despite the economic headwinds being forecast.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES STRAWBERRY RIVER LAND & HOMES

ARKANSASLANDANDHOMES.US (870) 897-0700

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: Our brokerage specializes in farms, development, and commercial land.

WOW: We sold a piece of land to one of our investors that we helped develop into a duck-hunting property with a new levee, bridges, and food plots.

What was your take on 2022? It was an incredible year. Our book of business doubled.

How is 2023 shaping up? Looks to be even better than 2022.

MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES TENNESSEE LAND & FARM

MOPTENNESSEE.COM (615) 879-8282

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: A full-service brokerage located in Nashville specializing in large acreage tracts in the Middle Tennessee market.

WOW: Listed 1,212-acre Woodsong Farms, a sports-man’s paradise with a stocked lake and custom-built lodge. This property had more than 3 million online views.

What was your take on 2022? Record numbers in terms of land sales and homes sold.

How is 2023 shaping up? Residential home sales have cooled. However, large estate tracts with increased acreage are still a hot commodity, particularly with cash buyers.

RECLAND REALTY

RECLAND.NET (318) 281-4900

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M Who: We sell hunting land, timberland, farms, and ranches in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Iowa, and Missouri.

WOW: We had higher than usual repeat business in 2022.

What was your take on 2022? Because of the rise in interest rates, we expected things to slow some from the previous few years, but the pace for buying remained brisk.

How is 2023 shaping up? So far so good with sales numbers remaining consistent with the past few years.

RICHTON TIE AND TIMBER

RTTLLC.COM (601) 545-8222

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M

Who: A real estate brokerage and timber-procurement company in continuous operation since 1926.

WOW: We saw an unprecedented spike in buyers interested in turnkey recreational properties.

What was your take on 2022? It was one of the best years in the history of our company, which is saying a lot when you’ve been in business for almost 100 years.

How is 2023 shaping up? It got off to a good start, but we are seeing a slowdown in interest from buyers, as well as hesitancy from sellers who don’t want to sell in a downward-trending market.

SOUTHEASTERN LAND GROUP

SELANDGROUP.COM (256) 825-4331

2022 Sales: $250M–$500M

Who: We focus on timberland, recreational, farmland, and mini-farms in the Southeast. Our PoultrySouth division specializes in poultry farms.

WOW: Sold the 5,100-acre Circle N Farms for more than $20 million.

What was your take on 2022? The past two years have been the biggest years in company history for both the number of properties sold and dollar volumes transacted.

How is 2023 shaping up? Many land purchases are being made with cash and 1031 exchanges. More listings are coming to the market, and buyer demand has been there for well-priced, quality properties.

SVN | SAUNDERS RALSTON DANTZLER

SVNSAUNDERS.COM (877) 518-5263

2022 Sales: $500M–$1B

Who: Agricultural real estate professionals specializing in ranch and recreation, farms, nurseries, groves, timber- land, acreage homesites, transitional, residential devel- opment, conservation and mitigation, and even islands. WOW: Brokered a $7.75 million conservation deal in Central East Florida, securing the future of 3,600 acres rich in biodiversity and habitats for Florida’s wildlife.

What was your take on 2022? We had another record- breaking year, with several large-acre tracts ranging from 1,100 acres to more than 12,000, selling from $10 million to $76 million.

How is 2023 shaping up? An average of 1,142 people moved to Florida per day in 2022. This has insulated the state from a substantial eco- nomic downturn and set it up for growth.

TERRASTONE LAND COMPANY

TERRASTONELANDCO.COM (936) 590-4909

2022 Sales: < $50M

Who: Built on the roots of a multidimensional land man- agement firm, we specialize in uncovering value-added opportunity.

What was your take on 2022? It provided us with a steady stream of new opportunities.

How is 2023 shaping up? The demand for quality tim- berland, recreational, and agricultural land is still very high. Inventory remains a consistent challenge.

TODD HENON PROPERTIES KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY

TODDHENON.COM (423) 413-4507

2022 Sales: < $50M Who: For more than two decades, we have served Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama as a full-service bro- kerage specializing in homes, estates, land, and farms.

What was your take on 2022? Property price points reached historic highs but continued to offer buyers a median price point 20 percent below the national average.

How is 2023 shaping up? In March, we had the high- est monthly sales volume in company history.

TOM SMITH LAND AND HOMES

TOMSMITHLAND.COM (601) 898-2772

2022 Sales: $250M–$500M

Who: A full-service brokerage serving Mississippi, Ala- bama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri. Our primary focus is recreational, timber, farm, and production crop ground. We also serve the minifarm market. We have offices across Mississippi and will open our first office in Alabama this summer.

WOW: Walker Farms, a 3,500- acre high-fence operation in Central Mississippi, as well as Cross Creek Farms in South Mississippi, one of the country’s premier whitetail breeding operations.

What was your take on 2022? We represent PotlatchDeltic throughout Mississippi, and this segment of our timber- land division did very well.

How is 2023 shaping up? Larger tracts are mostly cash buyers with little to no financing. The two strongest segments are production farm ground and the recreational tracts.

UNITED COUNTRY SOUTHERN STATES REALTY

SOUTHERNSTATESREALTY.COM (601) 250-0017

2022 Sales: $250M–$500M

Who: We offer a wide range of services, including residential, commercial, recreational, and agricultural.

WOW: Our office retained its No. 1 position in the United Country system and set an all-time sales record.

What was your take on 2022? Our business was absolutely rocking in 2022 from top to bottom. We sold our listings as fast as we could get them on the market.

How is 2023 shaping up? It started off just like 2022 ended. The market is still hot.

THE WRIGHT GROUP

WRIGHTBROKER.COM (229) 226-2564

2022 Sales: $50M–$100M Who: A boutique real estate brokerage and advisory firm headquartered in Thomas- ville, Georgia, that represents individuals, institutions, and family offices.

WOW: A majority of our sales were driven by landowners who were interested in discreet, off-market sales.

What was your take on 2022? Cash buyers were less rate sensitive at the very high end of the market.

How is 2023 shaping up? Higher interest rates continue to suppress demand from mid-tier buyers, which hasn’t shocked the system due to historically low inventory.

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