Selling your Texas Land & Ranch 101
When you’re ready to sell your Texas land, farm or ranch be sure you do your research on the land brokers you are considering using. It could be a miserable experience putting your land or ranch in the hands of the wrong person. This blog post will help Texas land sellers on what questions to ask, credentials to look for in a land broker, land broker websites, digital marketing, explanations of real estate terms, titles and general advice on who’s best suited (in our opinion) to sell your Texas land or ranch property.
First, working with someone who specializes in Texas land, farm and ranch properties is a must. Some of these land professionals may call them self a Land Realtor, Ranch Realtor, Land Broker, Ranch Broker or Land Agent and so on. All of these land pro titles pretty much mean the same thing as far as an agent or broker who may specialize in land and ranches.
Texas Land Realtor vs Texas Ranch Realtor
Is there a difference between a Texas Land Realtor or a Texas Ranch Realtor? No, there is no difference other than some folks prefer the term “land” and others prefer the term “ranch”. If a Texas Realtor specializes in land or ranches as Broker/Realtor, Don Honeycutt does, they may elect to call them self a “land” or “ranch” Realtor. To be a Texas Realtor you must be a member in good standing with the National Association of Realtors and with Texas Realtors.
Don Honeycutt is a member of the National Association of Realtors and Texas Realtors. These two memberships, along with the required training and adhering to a strong code of ethics, is what makes Don a Texas Realtor. As a Texas Realtor, Don can post his land and ranch listings on any MLS that he is a member of. Don is currently a member of three MLS’s: Austin Board of Realtors, Highland Lakes Association of Realtors and Central Texas MLS. If you are not a Realtor, you can not post listings on MLS. Click here to read more about Texas Realtors.
Whats the difference between “Land” and “Ranch”?
What’s the difference between the terms “land” and “ranch”? In most cases there is no difference. Some clients use “land” and some use “ranch”. So being in the land & ranch sales business we try to use all the terms our clients use, especially in marketing. Of course, most Texas folks think a property that’s 1000’s of acres would be called a ranch and they would be correct. A 50 acre tract of land can also be a ranch, which not all people would think that. If we used only the term “ranch” then some clients buying or selling 50 acre tracts of land may not think we service those types of properties. So using the terms “land” and “ranch” is nothing more than covering our bases on all the search terms used by potential clients.
Taking it another step further, a property that is not ag exempt may not be considered a ranch by some. I don’t find this to be true because you don’t need an exemption to farm or ranch a property. The exemption is nothing more than a credit on your property taxes and has nothing to do with how you use the property.
Be Cautious with a Low Tech Realtor or Broker
When selling your land, farm or ranch, does the broker or agent you’re considering have a website or do they use other broker’s websites to look up properties? If they do have a website, is it comprehensive and does it draw a lot of land buyer traffic? How does their website rank with popular search keywords? Will they do your property justice with their marketing? If your broker candidate states they don’t fool with MLS, PPC, SEO, Social Media, CRM, Paid Sites, Email Campaigns, Custom Blogs or they don’t have a website like the one you’re reading this blog post on, is that where you want your listing to be? The items mentioned above are the digital marketing tools of today and digital marketing is where it’s at and it’s what needs to be done to get your listing in front of potential land buyers. Also if you’re not getting aerial videos, aerial photos and interactive aerial maps of your property, like the ones shown below, then maybe you need to keep looking for brokers. Here’s my number: 512-289-2121
Don Receives Prestigious Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation
Sorry, time to squeeze in a little more self promotion! Don received his Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation in September 2018. Don considers it getting his PhD in land! If you connect with an ALC to sell your land or ranch, you can’t hardly go wrong knowing you’re getting someone who is one of the most qualified land professionals around. Not only are ALC’s REALTORS®, ALC’s have also put them self through the wringer with additional land specific training to get this very distinguished, hard earned land designation.
“Accredited Land Consultants (ALCs) are not just land sales professionals, they are the most prestigious, the most experienced, and the highest performing land sales experts in their area. Achieving the ALC designation is not an easy feat. It requires successful completion of a rigorous education program and a proven track record of transaction performance. It also requires a commitment to professional growth. Being an ALC allows one to take advantage of the camaraderie of other ALCs and join the elite ranks of those who have earned the designation.” (from the RLI site)
Don Honeycutt is a Former Director with the Texas Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute.
Most land and ranch sellers understand that going with a Broker who specializes in anything other than land and ranch properties is probably not the best route to take to sell their land or ranch. So with Don, you not only get a Texas ranch owner, a Texas Land & Ranch Realtor , a Texas Land & Ranch Broker, and an Accredited Land Consultant, you also have a land professional who is also a Former Director for the Texas Chapter of the industry’s leading land real estate organization, the Realtors Land Institute. Don spends his spare time and money advocating, networking and participating in the Texas and National Land Markets. Don has devoted his life and career to Texas Land and Ranches and he networks regularly with other Texas top level land professionals which is who he also discusses your listings with.
One of Don’s greatest career honors was being appointed a Director for the Texas Chapter
of Realtor Land Institute (RLI). The REALTORS® Land Institute, “The Voice of Land,” continually strives to maintain its status as the acknowledged leader for all matters pertaining to the land real estate profession.
Does your land broker or agent own a ranch?
Would you feel comfortable buying or selling a home with a Realtor who has never owned a home? Then why would you choose a Realtor who has never owned a ranch or maybe never even set foot on one? Selling ranches is a complex process and working with someone who understands how everything works on a farm or ranch is a must. Don has owned a wide variety of ranches all over Central Texas. The ranches Don has owned include cattle ranches, hunting and fishing properties, recreational land, grazing leases, as well as investment and development properties.
Tips for getting your land or ranch ready to sell.
Texas Ranch Broker & Texas Land Broker
Don Honeycutt is a Texas Licensed Real Estate Broker. A Texas Real Estate Broker is who every Texas Real Estate Sales Agent must be sponsored by. All Texas real estate brokerages must have a designated broker. As a Texas Broker at his own brokerage, Don calls all his own shots and makes his own deals through his brokerage, Longhorn Realty, LLC. Don does not report to anyone or ask someone else for permission to make deals happen. There’s nothing better than dealing with the decision maker regarding your land or ranch. To be a Texas Real Estate Broker you must first become a Texas Real Estate Sales Agent. Becoming a broker is no joke, read below if you care to see what it takes:
How To Become a Texas Real Estate Broker
Qualifications
- Citizen of the United States or lawfully admitted alien
- 18 years of age or older
- Resident of Texas, unless you:
- were licensed in Texas as a sales agent or broker in the last two years; or
- are licensed as a broker in another state
- Meet TREC’s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity
- Consider requesting a Moral Character Determination before applying for the license
Requirements for Becoming an Agent have to be Completed First
Complete Your Qualifying AGENT Education
180 classroom hours of the following qualifying real estate courses
- Principles of Real Estate I (30 classroom hours)
- Principles of Real Estate II (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Agency (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Contracts (30 classroom hours)
- Promulgated Contract Forms (30 classroom hours)
- Real Estate Finance (30 classroom hours)
Becoming a Real Estate Broker
Complete Your Qualifying BROKER Education
270 classroom hours of qualifying real estate courses, including the following mandatory courses:
- Principles of Real Estate I (30 classroom hours)
- Principles of Real Estate II (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Agency (30 classroom hours)
- Law of Contracts (30 classroom hours)
- Promulgated Contract Forms (30 classroom hours)
- Real Estate Finance (30 classroom hours)
- Real Estate Brokerage (30 classroom hours)
The Real Estate Brokerage course must be completed not more than two years before the application date.
An additional 630 classroom hours in related qualifying courses acceptable to the Commission or approved Continuing Education (CE) courses is also required.
TREC approved related qualifying courses include:
- Real Estate Appraisal
- Real Estate Law
- Real Estate Marketing
- Real Estate Math
- Property Management
- Real Estate Investments
- Residential Inspections for Real Estate Agents
Following is a list of course topics acceptable for related qualifying course credit if completed for academic credit through a college or university.
- Accounting
- Advertising
- Architecture
- Business or Management
- Construction
- Finance
- Investments
- Law
- Marketing
- Real Estate
A bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university satisfies all of the related education requirements for a broker license. A copy of the college transcript awarding the degree must be submitted as evidence of completion of the degree.
Education course completion documents must be submitted to TREC after applying online or with your paper application.
Meet the Experience Requirements
Candidates for a broker license must also meet the following experience requirements:
- Have at least four years’ active experience as a licensed real estate sales agent or broker during the 60-month period preceding the filing of the application
- Your experience must total 3600 points and be reported on the Qualifying Experience Report for a Broker License. You must also include a transaction identification list for each transaction claimed on the experience report.
File your Application
Apply Online
Submit your application and fee to become a Broker using our Online Services. If you don’t already have a username and password for our Online Services, register now. If you have registered online with TALCB or TREC in the past, log in now.
Apply by Mail
If you prefer, you can also apply for a broker license using our paper application. This may take longer to process and you will need to pay a paper filing fee.
Get your Fingerprints Taken and Pass Your Background Check
You are required by law to have fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) so a background check can be performed. Fingerprints on file for other agencies will not be accepted.
A license will not issue if the background check has not been passed. Expect a delay if you are notified of an investigation into your background history.
Take the Exam
License exams are administered by PearsonVUE, a testing service company.
(broker requirements above supplied from the TREC site)
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