Marilyn Agee, Texas Ranch, Farm and Horse Property Realtor has spent the last 5 years helping ranchers, farmers and horse owners find, buy and sell unique properties to meet her clients requirements. Agee is a specialty realtor with in-depth knowledge of ranch, farm and horse properties in the San Antonio/Austin Texas area. She is a horse owner herself and believes that a realtor of these types of properties needs specific knowledge, not all realtors have.
Agee stated in her interview with Business Innovators Radio “I’ve had several buyers and sellers come to me saying, ‘I need a realtor who understands my needs and I’ve been through three or four realtors and they don’t get it. They don’t know what I want. They don’t understand what I want.’ ” A realtor in this field needs unique knowledge of the lifestyle, physical requirements, and laws or regulations surrounding these particular properties. As examples, in Bexar County you are allowed three horses per five acres of land, horses need a different style of fence than cattle and farmers can benefit from an agricultural tax exemption if they meet the requirements.
A client buying or selling ranch, farm or horse property must have their necessities and way of life understood. A realtor wins a client’s confidence by demonstrating their proficiency in a clear and friendly way, keeping the client’s objectives in mind. Excellent realtors know their market and clientele well. As a member of Diva Wow, a women’s only outdoor sports organization, Agee joins together with members of her community, enriching her knowledge of her clientele in a meaningful way. Diva Wow operates with a mission to teach, help and support women interested in outdoor activities and shooting sports.
As a horse owner, Agee has the savvy to discern her client’s needs and wants. Clients seeking horse property, ranches and farms are more concerned with the barn than the house. They ask about fencing, available water, or if the property has a tank because these are the features that matter to this clientele. Frequently, the house is secondary, which is opposite from typical home buyers concerns.
A realtor in this field needs to be aware of flood zone and FEMA data for the area. A rancher needs to avoid properties which may flood if he has horses or livestock. This realtor also needs to fully educate buyers and sellers on the length of time it can take to sell unique property, the difficulties of securing financing and the challenges of appraising and finding similar comps for assessing the value of these one of a kind properties. Buyers and sellers must carefully select an agent and ensure the agent has ample experience with similar properties.
Clients who own livestock or farms also have a vested interest in climate and environment and are often willing to put additional consideration into implementing green initiatives like selecting a home orientation according to the sun set, to stay cool while using less energy. Agee holds National Association of Realtor’s Green Designation and is able to help environmentally conscious clients by staying current on best practices.
Unique properties necessitate unique marketing strategies to reach this particular type of buyer. Innovative marketing tactics must be employed for these special properties. A clever realtor might list properties on International Horse Properties and similar websites or use Google AdWords so properties are included in search results of buyers sourcing this type of real estate.
Agee knows her area. Her clients seeking horse property might be concerned about the rocky terrain. She uses her in-depth knowledge and personal experience to alleviate their concerns by showing clients the hooves of her own horses, which do well in the rocky terrain. Agee says “Oddly enough, they do quite well. They build up tougher feet and it’s more natural for them to walk on this type of terrain than it is in a pasture because a pasture can be very wet … I bring them over and show them my horses and their hooves.”
For more information about Marilyn Agee visit ravenrealtysolutions.com