INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Paving the Way: A Conversation with RLI’s Women in Land
Team Building: Three Simple Strategies for Alignment
Water Rights Due Diligence
APEX Award Winners
2023 National Land Conference Recap
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What an exciting time to be a member of RLI! As many of you know, RLI grew to over 2,000 members in 2022 for the first time since the 1980’s (except for the early 2000’s when we gave memberships to all attendees of our Land 101 courses, but I don’t consider that a fair comparison). While we dipped below 2,000 again as part of our annual dues renewal process, with the pace of our new members coming in this year, I am confident we will reach 2,000 members again before the end of the year. This means we are no longer the smallest affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®!
In addition to membership growth, RLI also has renewed financial strength. At the end of 2017, RLI ranked last in total assets out of the eight affiliates of NAR. In 2022, RLI’s total assets increased over 102% moving RLI up three spots to be ranked fifth in total assets out of the eight affiliates. This is a huge accomplishment and a testament to the past leaders of RLI who donated their personal funds to ensure RLI survived during its difficult times.
I am proud to say that we have accomplished this growth not through gimmicks or changing who we are. Instead, we have focused on ensuring members feel value in their RLI membership and on raising overall awareness of RLI. We welcome anyone who desires to learn about the land real estate industry and become a true land professional. However, we are not focused on the quantity of our members, but on the quality of our members. If someone wants to know the ropes, know the land, and know the people in the land industry—and you want them on the other side of the table from you—invite them to be a part of RLI!
RLI would not be the organization it is without our Chapters. By the end of the summer, we will complete the rollout of new Chapter websites for all 18 Chapters provided by national at no cost to the Chapters. In addition to the websites, the Chapters will also have access to their own partitioned membership databases, connected to the national membership database. This ensures there is consistency in our data and provides better tools for our Chapters without added expense to them. We will also be rolling out a new Chapter achievement program soon to recognize our Chapters for their hard work in establishing beneficial programs at the local level and growing their state and regional networks.
I’m also excited to share that we have a new position on our staff team! We are thrilled to welcome Anne Leigh McAllister-Elmore to our team as our Learning & Development Manager. She is an experienced teacher, facilitator, and instructional designer with a passion for adult education. Having a curriculum writer on our staff will help us take our education curriculum to another level and remain the destination for land expertise.
This is just a snapshot of the many amazing things we have going on at National! I hope you are as thrilled to be a part of RLI as I am and are as excited about our future!
Sincerely,
Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE Chief Executive Officer
312.329.8837 • akobernus@rliland.com
Aubrie is responsible for the overall management of the Institute. This includes working together with the Board of Directors to develop the vision, goals, objectives, and related policies for RLI. Within that framework, Kobernus organizes and directs the staff, programs, financial performance, and activities. She is designated by the National Association of REALTORS® as a REALTOR® Certified Executive (RCE). She is also the main point of contact for members working toward earning the elite ALC Designation. Members may contact her if they have any questions or concerns. Aubrie has been with RLI since March 2016.
Melissa Lutz Programming & Events Manager312.329.8574 • mlutz@rliland.com
Melissa Lutz (rhymes with roots) is responsible for the overall programming and coordination of RLI’s meetings and events, including our largest annual event, the National Land Conference. Her role also works in conjunction with our Communications and Education Managers, overseeing topics and programming for RLI communications, managing the member affinity program and webinar program, and serving as staff liaison to the Future Leaders Committee. Melissa has been with RLI since October 2021.
Amanda Morrone, mshc
Education Manager
312.329.8441 • amorrone@rliland.com
312.329.8519 • gberish@rliland.com
Gerry manages the relationships between RLI National and its Chapter organizations and serves as the main point of contact for RLI members. Members may contact him with general inquiries about RLI and member benefits or about starting or joining an RLI Chapter. RLI Chapter leaders and administrators are encouraged to use Gerry as their main point of contact at RLI National with any inquiries related to managing or developing their Chapter and its programs. Gerry has been with RLI since September 2019.
Karen Calarco Manager of Operations
312.329.8287 • kcalarco@rliland.com
Karen handles, manages, and controls expenditures within the set budget as well as member records. Members may contact her for assistance changing their information, paying dues, and answering financial inquiries about their account. Karen has been with RLI since September 2007.
As the Education Manager, Amanda manages all matters pertaining to RLI’s LANDU® Education Program. She is responsible for scheduling courses and managing instructor relationships. She also serves as the staff liaison for the Education Committee. Members may contact her with any questions about the LANDU® Education Program. Amanda has been with RLI since February 2019.
Kat Szymanski
Marketing Manager
312.329.8353 • kszymanski@rliland.com
As Marketing Manager, Kat is responsible for all areas related to communications and marketing for the organization. She oversees the website, digital and print marketing materials, and manages the organization’s brand as well as press and social media campaigns. She also serves as the staff liaison for the Government Affairs Committee. Members may contact her with articles for publication on the RLI blog, advertising or an article contribution for Terra Firma magazine, member or Chapter news regarding awards or accomplishments, or with questions about RLI logo use policy. Kat has been with RLI since July 2022.
Anne
Leigh McAllister-Elmore, MAEdLearning & Development Manager
312.329.8129 • anneleighme@rliland.com
As an instructional design and curriculum development expert, Anne Leigh works with LANDU® subject matter experts to design dynamic courses that use current instructional techniques to help land professionals achieve their objectives. She builds education courses that overcome skill gaps and meet the needs of a variety of learners. Members may contact her with questions about the LANDU® Education Program. Anne Leigh has been with RLI since May 2023.
All staff now have emails at rliland.com. Add info@rliland.com to your safe sender list to continue receiving timely updates on the latest land news.
1,882 RLI members
218 new RLI members
490 Attendees at NLC23 (a record)
42 RLI Partners in 2023
50 New Accredited Land Consultants (ALCs)
Members and leaders of the REALTORS® Land Institute were among several thousand who attended the 2023 NAR Legislative Meetings in Washington, DC in early May.
Attendees discussed top issues that impact land real estate including, the new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule; the Farm Bill; permitting reforms; foreign land investment; the Colorado River allocation; and other key economic and political issues. RLI thanks all who attended to protect the interests of land real estate.
638 Total ALCs
500+ LANDU® Learners
You’re on the go, and so is the latest trending news on land real estate. We’re bringing the trends to your truck (and anywhere you prefer to listen) with personal interviews, success stories, and nuggets of advice to build your land expertise. Justin Osborn, ALC will once again host The Voices of Land Podcast and interview guests on topics such as:
» Wetland Mitigation Credits
» Composting Strategies for Landowners
» Water: How Municipalities are Affecting Farmland Values
» Proven Fraud Prevention Tactics
» Land Acquisition Strategies
» Creative Financing
Listen to previous episodes & stay tuned for information on upcoming episodes at rliland.com/Voices/The-Voices-of-Land-podcast
RLI members continue to gain more exposure for their listings using the property search site, Land Connections. Land Connections was launched last fall in partnership with Land Broker Co-op. RLI members receive free listings as a member benefit.
The search site features easy map functionality, filtered search options, and robust listing displays with photos and maps.
Since the launch, over 651 searches have been initiated on RLI’s Land Connections resulting in 32,000 property impressions. Property searches are happening coast to coast for properties ranging from multi-milliondollar vineyards to hunting and ranch land. Here’s a look at the most popular active properties searched to date.
SEARCHED ON LAND CONNECTIONS
1 2 3 4 5
SEARCHED ON LAND CONNECTIONS
1. Florida
2. Colorado
3. Georgia
4. Iowa
5. Texas
• RANKED BY MOST POPULAR SEARCH
SCAN TO VIEW PROPERTY LISTINGS ON LAND CONNECTIONS
rliland.com/ Resources/ Land-Connections
ccredited Land Consultants (ALCs) are the most experienced, most accomplished and highest-performing land real estate experts in the nation. Conferred exclusively by the REALTORS® Land Institute, and the only land-specific designation backed by the National Association of REALTORS®, the ALC is the gold standard of achievement in the land sales profession.
The individuals highlighted below completed their ALC designations from December 2022 to May 2023.
Sally Ball, ALC
Courtney Bassi, ALC
James DeVille,
Tai
Jim Fleissner, ALC
National Land Realty Treynor, IA
Bryan Glass, ALC
Glass Land and Home Paris, TX
Jake Hubbell, ALC
United Country Real Estate Colorado Brokers Hotchkiss, CO
Dane Law, ALC
RE/MAX Town & Country Cartersville, GA
Venus McBride, ALC
Horsepower Real Estate Junction City, OR
Connie Meadors, ALC Keller Williams
Gun Barrell City, TX
Brittany Hurdle Murphy, ALC
M4 Ranch Group Lake City, CO
Suzan Pelloni, ALC
Streamline Realty, LLC Meeker, CO
Rebecca Frantz, ALC
Hertz Farm Management, Inc. Mount Vernon, IA
Robert Gash, ALC
United Country Real Estate Western Land & Lifestyle Properties Cedaredge, CO
Justin Glass, ALC Whitetail Properties Real Estate San Antonio, TX
Kristofer Kasper, ALC
The Miles Real Estate Group Georgetown, TX
Brent Lawson, ALC
Root Agricultural Advisory Boise, ID
Harry McIntosh, ALC
Leconte Realty, LLC Maryville, TN
John Melnar, ALC
Grand Land Company George West, TX
Jake Murphy, ALC
M4 Ranch Group Lake City, CO
Michael Poor, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate Greenbrier, AR
William (Cal) Hardie, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate Bremen, GA
Brett Kleinschmit, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate Yankton, SD
Grantson Martin, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate Rentz, GA
Meredith McKinney, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate Sidney, MT
Jerrod Meyer, ALC
Whitetail Properties Pueblo West, CO
Roman Nigrini, ALC
Code of the West Real Estate Walsenburg, CO
Cooper Raines, ALC
Colorado Home Realty Bennett, CO
Gardner Reynolds, ALC
Legacy Farms and Ranches of North Carolina, LLC
Raleigh, NC
Spencer Smith, ALC
Hertz Farm Management, Inc.
Monticello, IL
John Stroh, ALC
Cruikshank Realty, Inc
Walsenburg, CO
Chris Weaver, ALC
Whitetail Properties Real Estate
Fallston, NC
Jason Winter, ALC
West Central Auction Company
Harrisonville, MO
Koby Rickertsen, ALC
RE/MAX Home, Farm & Ranch
North Platte, NE
Casey Stayman, ALC
Hayden Outdoors Real Estate
Windsor, CO
Craig Thompson, ALC
First Mid Ag Services
Bloomington, IL
John Wilhite, ALC
United Country Real Estate Oklahoma Land and Auction
Sallisaw, OK
Al Wisnefske, ALC
Land & Legacy Group LLC
West Bend, WI
Erica Rodman, ALC
Woodland Real Estate
Woodland, WA
Shawn Stone, ALC*
Ebby Halliday
Stephenville, TX
Mike Ustanik, ALC
All Cities Realty
Alvarado, TX
Virginia Williams, ALC
Williams & Williams, REALTORS®, LLC
Denton, TX
Jennifer Woodson, ALC
National Land Realty/ Land Nerd, LLC
Macon, GA
Stay on top of the latest updates: new blog posts, industry updates, partner offers and more.
Changes went into effect June 1, 2023
At the March National Land Conference in Denver, CO, the RLI Board of Directors approved the following changes to the ALC Designation Criteria. These changes went into effect on June 1, 2023. Any ALC applications/portfolios received on or after June 1, 2023 will be reviewed according to the new criteria.
For the purposes of the ALC portfolio, a residential transaction is defined as a single-family parcel with at least five acres. The 51% rule on land value must still apply.
Increase from two years of experience in land sales or brokerage to three years of experience in land sales or brokerage to apply for the ALC.
Transactions
No more than 20% of transactions submitted may be from one residential development/subdivision/project.
Ready to start your path to becoming an Accredited Land Consultant?
Visit rliland.com/Accreditation for more information.
KW Land is the rural property division of Keller Williams Realty, the largest real estate franchise company in North America.
The RLI Alabama Chapter is continuing the great momentum of new members and attendance for courses offered in 2022. In 2023, the new President is Dalton Dalrymple and President Elect is Brian Watts, ALC, RF. The Spring course was Real Estate Mapping Technologies & Techniques, taught by Mapright (now LandID) CEO, Steve Roberson, on May 8–9.
The fall is shaping up to be very productive with the Chapter offering the Tax Deferred 1031 Exchanges Course in September. In November, the Chapter will assist the RLI Georgia Chapter in hosting the Southeastern RLI Chapters Conference held at Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain, GA.
The Alabama Chapter continues to be intentional about hosting courses at site locations throughout the state. The goal is to continue new membership growth by listening to the needs of members, to provide the type of courses needed to qualify and apply for the prestigious Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation.
A special thank you to the sponsors who help put on these courses. The Alabama Chapter is on an exciting path to growth in 2023
The RLI Colorado Chapter’s January Marketing and Education class held in Denver was well attended with over 100 attendees participating in the two-day event.
The Chapter held a Land Recreation class taught by Justin Osborn, ALC in Fort Collins on May 9–10, 2023.
The Colorado Chapter held a multi-city ranch tour on June 15–16 in Alamosa and La Veta, Colorado. The September 2023 marketing meeting and educational class will take place September 7–8, 2023, at the Courtyard in Grand Junction. Find details for events and courses on the RLI Colorado Chapter website.
RLI Georgia Chapter members represented the Chapter well at the 2023 National Land Conference in Denver, CO. Thank you ALL! Congratulations again to those who acquired their ALC pin at #NLC23 and to those who were recognized through RLI Leadership Awards. Fellow land brokers had an opportunity to connect with old friends and cultivate new friendships. The Chapter looks forward to NLC24 in Louisville, Kentucky!
The Chapter held a Transitional Land Course April 27–28 in Columbus, GA. More courses to come. Visit our website for details.
The RLI Illinois Chapter has had a busy year so far! In March, members represented the Chapter well at the RLI National Land Conference in Westminster, CO. Two Illinois Chapter Board Members received their ALC designation at Conference. Congratulations to Spencer Smith and Craig Thompson!
Chapter member Winnie Stortzum, ALC received the 2022 Meeks Distinguished Service Award for her long record of service to the land real estate industry. Winnie has had an outstanding career, recently retiring in 2022. It is an honor to have Winnie as an integral part of our state Chapter.
The Chapter also acknowledges state Chapter member and current RLI National President, Luke Worrell, ALC. The Chapter is proud of his accomplishments and continued success. Shortly after returning from National, the Chapter cohosted a managing brokers course and annual Land Values Conference, alongside the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. It is a pleasure working with the ASFMRA every year to host this event.
On March 29, the RLI Iowa Chapter held its spring seminar with the ASFMRA Iowa Chapter. Over 100 people attended the one-day training event. Topics included a global commodity outlook, ag media trends, agriculture challenges to address food insecurity, the economy’s impact on the supply chain, Proposition 12, and sustainability challenges. The Iowa Chapter also released its Spring Land Trends and Values Survey results at rliland.com/iowa/ Resources/Land-Trends-and-Values.
The Chapter presented its 2022 Awards at the annual dinner following the spring seminar. Congratulations to the following winners: Steve Bruere–Volume and Acres Sold, Rebecca Frantz, ALC–Rising Star, Jon Hjelm, ALC–Longtime Dedication to RLI and Ryan Kay, ALC and Austin Maas–Member-toMember Deal of the Year.
The Iowa Chapter will offer the Agricultural Land Brokerage and Marketing course August 29–30 in Iowa City and a Real Estate Law class targeted to land professionals in September.
thelanding.missourirealtor.org/rli
The RLI Missouri Chapter has been working hard to continue to grow membership and add value. Each month, the Chapter hosts a virtual meeting for its members, rotating between membership updates, Build Your Business, and Listing/Buyer Marketing sessions. These have been successful for networking while also providing opportunities for members.
On April 11, the RLI Missouri Chapter hosted, “Lunch with a Land Expert” during the Missouri REALTORS® Spring Meeting. Missouri Chapter member, Tim Hadley, ALC, spoke with over 20 real estate professionals on the unique business of land sales. Additionally, the Chapter has teamed up with the Missouri Association of REALTORS® to collaborate on improving the Land and Farm contracts. The Chapter held the LANDU® Transitional Land course in Columbia, MO May 3–4.
This fall the Chapter will host two in-person educational opportunities. A September seminar will bring in speakers to discuss 1031 exchanges, farm contract law and ag law. This 1.5-day offering will take place in Springfield, MO along with the annual meeting and dinner. The Chapter will hold the LANDU® Subdivision Land course in October in Columbia, MO.
rlipacificnorthwestchapter.com
The RLI Pacific NW Chapter remains focused on education and camaraderie! The Chapter holds two classes per year in spring and fall, with a goal to have Continuing Education Credit approvals for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. “Yikes!” Thank you to Flo Sayre, ALC, for her tenacity in working with multiple states through several different processing systems! There is a current effort to bring Nevada into the Chapter’s membership as well.
Many PNW members attended the National Land Conference in Denver, considering it the best one yet. Chapter Vice President, Matt Davis, ALC facilitated a private dinner/ mixer for PNW members as well as a few vendors and conference participants from other Chapters.
Approximately 30 guests gathered for the private event. The smaller nature of the setting allowed for self-introductions, making it easy to make new connections. The mixer was well received, created plenty of laughter, and will likely become a Chapter tradition. (Sometimes the “P” in PNW stands for Party!)
The Chapter continues a once-a-month BOD Zoom meeting and is always forward thinking in new systems to simplify Chapter work and continue to be a value and support to membership.
Tennessee • rliland.com/tennessee
The RLI Tennessee Chapter kicked off 2023 by appointing new Board Members. New BOD members include President Thomas Krajewski, ALC, Vice President Todd Henon, ALC, Director Rhey Houston, Director Henry Walker, and Chapter Administrator Melanie Siler. The Board and Chapter look forward to growing the visibility of RLI in the Southeast, maximizing the resources available, deepening relationships by networking, and strengthening member expertise in land-centric transactions. RLI Tennessee recently hosted a Transitional Land Class in Murfreesboro, TN, instructed by Justin Osborn, ALC, of Durango, CO and looks forward to more gatherings in 2023.
Texas • rlitexaschapter.com
Most recently, the RLI Texas Chapter had their yearly winter meeting with Texas REALTORS® In addition to discussing business, they used this opportunity to gain knowledge of water rights. Guest speaker Charles Porter educated attendees on implications of the new 2023 WOTUS for land professionals and landowners.
The RLI Upper Midwest Chapter started 2023 by installing new officers and board of directors at the first meeting of 2023 with current RLI National President, Luke Worrell, ALC. Luke gave a short update on National RLI goals and focus items for 2023. The March meeting’s topic and speaker was: “What’s Driving Agriculture Now.” Speaker, Mike Pearson is an ag radio and RFD-TV host and provided useful information on what is happening now and what might be ahead in the markets, ag policy, and in trade.
The Chapter is growing and now includes four states—Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Additional meetings will include open discussions on social media and marketing, trusts/wills, and more. The Chapter is planning an annual conference in September 2023 which will include National RLI’s 1031 Exchange course.
A member survey in December 2022 indicated members want: Professional growth; education opportunities; networking and referral opportunities; tools and strategies to be a great land professional. Members indicated they want to accomplish these goals through a mix of open discussions for sharing of success stories, failures to learn from each other; mix of personal and professional topics; hot topics; professional profiles; member directory identifying members’ areas of expertise, both professional and personal. The new board has its work cut out for them!
The Chapter has a great board with active members representing each state and looks forward to a successful 2023!
Rebranded Websites Provide Fresh Look & Better User Experience
The RLI Wyoming Chapter held elections earlier this year. The newly elected board is now complete with Ted Harvey, ALC, taking over the role of Wyoming Chapter President. Holly Allison is the new Vice President. Patti Davis, ALC, joins as Director of Government Affairs. Lanette Cress is the new Secretary / Treasurer. Chia Valdez-Schwartz will continue as Director of Education. Jeff Garret will continue as Director of Membership. The Chapter is excited about its robust team of board members and looks forward to what they will bring to this group.
The Chapter held a marketing meeting and ranch tour June 7–9 in Riverton during the annual meeting of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. It was a wonderful opportunity for members to meet and network with ranchers across Wyoming.
As part of RLI’s rebranding and database conversion, all RLI Chapters are receiving new websites this year with registration and payment integration to the new database. The new sites provide a better experience to website users, as well as improved account management and reporting for Chapter administrators and leaders.
Nine other sites are being finalized. We anticipate all RLI Chapter Websites will be live by end of the summer. Questions about your website? Contact Kat, RLI Marketing Manager, at kszymanski@rliland.com.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS FOR LAUNCHING THEIR NEW WEBSITES:
» Colorado Chapter
» Iowa Chapter
» Carolinas Chapter
» Florida Chapter
» Tennessee Chapter
In the first half of 2023, RLI National has hosted a total of 9 LANDU® Virtual InstructorLed Training (VILT) courses. The RLI Chapters has hosted 11 in-person LANDU® courses. Overall, the education outreach for these courses extended to over 500 learners.
If you are interested in hosting a LANDU® course in your area for your Chapter, please contact RLI Education Manager Amanda Morrone at amorrone@rliland.com or (312) 329-8411 for more information.
Congratulations to Christina Asbury, ALC and Megan Turnipseed, ALC for being approved as new LANDU® Instructors!
Our LANDU® Instructors are subject matter experts whose daily work in land real estate gives them the perspective and experience to help learners be the best in the business. They embody the networking, camaraderie, and expertise that RLI members are known for.
Christina Asbury, ALC is now approved to teach Transitional Land and Land 101: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage. Megan Turnipseed, ALC is now approved to teach Subdivision Development, Site Selection and Land 101: Fundamentals of Land Brokerage.
Build expertise and confidence in a wide range of topics and specialties within the land industry. Our course calendar is frequently updated with new virtual and in-person Chapter courses. Visit the calendar at rliland.com/learn/upcoming-courses.
to teach a LANDU® course.
Be a part of the team that makes the best in the business the best in the business! Apply to teach Land Real Estate Site Selection and Transitional Land Real Estate courses in the Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) format.
As a LANDU® Instructor, you are more than a teacher. This position offers you a chance to be a mentor, leader, and recognized expert in your field.
“Being an instructor has been very rewarding. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching virtually and in person, both have been great experiences. Teaching allows me to pour into others and help them be the best in the business. It is also a wonderful networking opportunity that enables me to learn more about other markets around the country. I thoroughly enjoy being with other land professionals and have fun with the groups I’ve taught. I can’t think of a better way to give back to RLI!”
—Jennifer Janet, alc • LANDU® Instructor
HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT TO LEARN MORE? Interested applicants may contact Amanda Morrone, Education Manager, at amorrone@rliland.com or (312) 329-8441 with questions or visit the LANDU® instructor page on rliland.com for instructor criteria and details.
RLI’s Land University, or LANDU®, is more than our national, in-person education event. LANDU® encompasses many types of land-specific learning opportunities and formats. Learners can build ongoing expertise through:
Virtual, InstructorLed Training, or VILT
These national online courses fulfill education requirements toward the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation.
In-person Chapter Courses
These courses also apply toward the ALC education requirements. They are held across the country at RLI Chapters. Each class lasts approximately two to three days.
Bootcamp
Multi-day, in-person training held each summer with courses in a fast-paced, accelerated format. Learners can take one or up to six courses to fulfill the education requirements for the ALC Designation in one place, over the course of an expanded week.
Webinars
One-hour, expert-led sessions are a fast way to learn about current issues and discover new tools to use in your daily business. Free to RLI members.
Visit rliland.com/learn to see upcoming courses and webinars at LANDU®.
It was another record setting year for LANDU® Education Bootcamp! We had a total of 60 participants from 21 states. The courses were held at the Greater Ft. Worth Association of REALTORS® from June 1–9.
A special thank you is extended to the RLI Texas Chapter, especially Lani Rust and Megan Turnipseed; as well as Robert Gleason, CEO of Greater Ft. Worth Association of REALTORS® and staff for their support with bringing this educational opportunity to Ft. Worth, TX. Also, a special thank you to Denise O’Brien, RLI Texas Chapter Administrator and Texas REALTORS® , for their hard work in obtaining CE Credit approval in Texas.
We are excited to announce there were 17 attendees who completed all six courses towards earning the elite ALC Designation! We are proud to congratulate the following attendees who completed all six courses onsite:
» Luke Alston
» Riley Cain
» Oscar Evans
» Kilian Goldin
» Matthew Gruetzner
» Loni Jones
» Shawn Kelley
» Ivor Loebbecke
» Victoria Morrison
» Connie Patterson
» Amber Pember
» Summer Phillips
» Jennifer Shupe
» Jay Terry
» Sandra Thomas
» Jeremiah Thompson
» Brian Utecht
The REALTORS® Land Institute’s Land Education Foundation (LEF) seeks to provide financial scholarship grants for assistance in land-based education opportunities, including the pursuit of the elite ALC Designation through RLI’s LANDU® Education Program.
Denise Allison
Julia Boren
Darrell Boren
Cyndi Carlton
Ashley Carter
Stephanie Cross
Justin Dunn
Cheryl Eubanks
Chase Girard
Dennis Hankins
Abby Hazel
Gary Homer
Jessica Johnson
Loni Jones
Teresa Martin
John Rainey
Joette Schalla
Jennifer Shupe
Joe Sussingham
Jeremiah Thompson
Philippe Trouillot
Avery Washington
Tyler Woody
Fred Helper, ALC • Chair
Johnny McAllister, ALC • Vice-Chair
A. Lloyd Thomas, ALC • Secretary/Treasurer
Minor Taylor, ALC • Immediate Past Chair
Randy Hertz, ALC | Caleb McDow, ALC | Flo Sayre, ALC
Tom Smith, ALC | Bob Turner, ALC | Chuck Wingert, ALC
Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE • CEO
We are thrilled to announce the NLC23 Cowboy Auction in Westminster, CO raised a total of $87,891 for the Land Education Foundation (LEF). A big shout out to all of the following auction-item donors and auction winners for supporting the Foundation and its important work.
Amber Hurdle Consulting
Eric Andrews, ALC
Christina Asbury, ALC
Jody Barbour
John Henry Barthelemy
Courtney Bassi, ALC
David Belden
BidWrangler
Paul Bottari, ALC
Sam Bowers, ALC
Ray Brownfield, ALC
Steve Bruere
C3 Farm and Ranch
Dusty Calderon
Rod Canterbury, ALC
Melissa Clark
Clift Family
Clift Land Brokers
Beth Cristina, ALC
Ben Crosby, ALC
Cynthia Daughtrey
Matt Davis, ALC
Patti Davis, ALC
Charles Davis, ALC
Eagleland Brokerage
Bill Eshenbaugh, ALC
Cheryl Fowlkes
Eric Frickle, ALC
Mike Garrett, ALC
Jeff Garrett
Virgil George, ALC
Ted Glaub, ALC
Jonathan Goode, ALC
Mark Goodwin, ALC
Kyle Hansen, ALC
Renee Harvey, ALC
Randall Hertz, ALC
David Hitchcock, ALC
Donald Hlava
Jacob Hobson
Brittany Hurdle, ALC
Geoff Hurdle, ALC
Stephen J. B. Davis
Lisa Johnson, ALC
Tracy Kasper
Tim Kellogg, ALC
Joel King, ALC
Brandon Kneupper
Thomas Krajewski, ALC
LandGate
LandHub
Jesse Lane, ALC
Angeliina Lawson
Jason Lestina, ALC
Trent Lister, ALC
John McAllister, ALC
Venus McBride, ALC
Karen McCartin Foster, ALC
Tyler McConnell, ALC
Roger Miller
Joel Morris
Jake Murphy
Jess Nighswonger
Peoples Company
Jason Pavlovic
Clayton Pilgrim, ALC
Leigh Ann Richards
Jennifer Riggins
RLI Carolinas Chapter
RLI Colorado Chapter
RLI Georgia Chapter
RLI Illinois Chapter
RLI Iowa Chapter
RLI Pacific Northwest Chapter
RLI Tennessee Chapter
Ryan Sampson, ALC
Dean Saunders, ALC
Flo Sayre, ALC
Eric Schlutz
David Schnitzer
Dominic Serna
Spencer Smith, ALC
Bob Sorey
Doyle Spencer
Shelly Stoyell
J. Michael Strahan, ALC
Tom Smith Land and Homes
Bob Turner, ALC
Megan Turnipseed, ALC
Eric Turpen
Jim Vidamour, ALC
Lisa Walker
Henry Walker
Robert Warmbir, ALC
Cody Weeks, ALC
Bruce West
Charles Wingert, ALC
Tucker Wood, ALC
Luke Worrell, ALC
Scholarships of up to $535 per person are available. If you or someone you know might be interested, please download and complete the full scholarship application at rliland.com/Learn/Land-Education-Foundation
A recording breaking number of REALTORS® Land Institute members, affiliates and exhibitors came together at the foot of the Rocky Mountains for the 17th Annual National Land Conference this past March. The National Land Conference (NLC) continues to be the premier event for Land professionals. For three days, NLC attendees learned, networked, laughed, gathered knowledge and expertise from their colleagues in a way that only Land REALTORS® and agents can when they come together.
Attendees left with ideas and inspirations that they were immediately able to implement into their business to work smarter and not harder!
95% of attendees surveyed agree NLC23 was personally motivating & worth the investment. Get new ideas for your business at NLC24 in Louisville, KY.
Louisville, KY MARCH 11-13, 2024
What better place to come together and get new inspiration for your land business than the center of bourbon and thoroughbred racing. Join us in downtown Louisville next March for NLC24.
Early Bird Registration Opens November 2023. Look for more details in the upcoming months at rliland.com/nlc.
The APEX Awards celebrated its sixth year with 217 applicants (+6.9% over 2021) totaling a combined $7.04 billion in qualifying production volume representing 7,913 sides. All land professionals recognized as part of the RLI APEX Awards Program are active members of RLI and had at least $5M of qualifying production volume in closed land sales in 2022. Congratulations to our honorees! Learn more at rliland.com/apex.
Sponsored by
Bill Eshenbaugh, alc, ccim Eshenbaugh Land Company Tampa, FL
The APEX Top National Producer Award is the program’s most coveted and prestigious award recognizing the applicant with the highest qualifying transaction volume.
The APEX ALC-to-ALC Award recognizes the significant networking that happens between RLI members, especially those who hold the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation. The two honorees are awarded for having closed the highest dollar transaction between two ALCs for the year.
Andy Flack, ALC HomeLand Properties \ Huntsville, TX
The APEX Wrangler Award goes to the applicant with the largest number of transaction sides closed during the year.
David Hitchcock, alc
SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Lakeland, FL
Clay Taylor, alc SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Lakeland, FL
These high performing land professionals are awarded for their accomplishments within eight distinct land categories.
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN AG LAND SALES – CROPS
Steve Bruere
Peoples Company of Indianola
Clive, IA
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN RECREATIONAL LAND SALES
Jon Kohler
Kohler & Associates
Lamont, FL
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN COMMERCIAL LAND SALES
Ryan Sampson, alc, ccim
Eshenbaugh Land Company Tampa, FL
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN AUCTION LAND SALES
Troy Louwagie, alc
Hertz Real Estate Services
Mt. Vernon, IA
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN AG LAND SALES – RANCHES
Dax Hayden, alc
Hayden Outdoors Windsor, CO
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN TIMBER LAND SALES
Clint Flowers, alc National Land Realty
Mobile, AL
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN RESIDENTIAL LAND SALES
Bill Eshenbaugh, alc, ccim
Eshenbaugh Land Company Tampa, FL
BROKER OF THE YEAR IN AGRIBUSINESS
Ashley McCraney National Land Realty Headland, AL
APEX Top Twenty Producers are those applicants who, based on qualifying transaction dollar volume in closed land sales, are among the twenty highest-producing agents in the country.
Matt Adams Peoples Company Clive, IA
Will Bellis, ALC Arrowhead Land Company, LLC Sapulpa, OK
Ray Brownfield, ALC Land Pro LLC Oswego, IL
Steve Bruere Peoples Company of Indianola Clive, IA
Austin Callison Hayden Outdoors Meridian, ID
Adam Crist Peoples Company Clive, IA
Todd Crosby, ALC Crosby Land Company, Inc. Walterboro, SC
Marty Domres, ALC Domres Real Estate Inv., Inc. Brandon, FL
Bill Eshenbaugh, ALC Eshenbaugh Land Company Tampa, FL
Clint Flowers, ALC National Land Realty Mobile, AL
Eric Gage AFM Real Estate Lufkin, TX
Jeff Garrett #1 Properties Ranch and Recreation Cheyenne, WY
Dax Hayden Hayden Outdoors Real Estate Windsor, CO
Dan Kevorkian, ALC Pearson Realty Fresno, CA
Jon Kohler Jon Kohler & Associates Lamont, FL
Troy Louwagie, ALC Hertz Real Estate Services, Inc. Mt. Vernon, IA
Robb Nelson Hall and Hall Denver, CO
Frank Roberts, ALC RE/MAX Landmark Terrell, TX
Ryan Sampson, ALC Eshenbaugh Land Company Tampa, FL
Matt Adams, Peoples Company
Tommy Addison, Addison & Company
Trina Anderson
AFM Land Sales
Eric Andrews, ALC
Realty World Carolina Properties
Chad Andrus
Mock Ranches
Nicholas Z. Ardis
National Land Realty
Garrett Armstrong, ALC Whitetail Properties
Jessica Armstrong Armstrong Properties, EXP
Drew Ary, ALC
Ary Land Co
Trish Ary
Ary Land Co
Christina Asbury, ALC
Coldwell Banker SeaCoast Advantage
Valerie Bahm, ALC
KW Land and Water Team
George Baird
Landmark Ag Capital
Seth Baker Field Level Agriculture
Craig Baronio, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Zeke Barrett
Whitetail Properties
Monte Bartek
AFM Real Estate
Rich Baugh, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Daran Becker Peoples Company
David Belden
Tom Smith Land & Homes
Chuck Bellatti
Arrowhead Land Company
Will Bellis, ALC
Arrowhead Land Company
Carroll Bobo
United Country Bobo Realty and Land
Jacob Bowen
Southeastern Land Group
Craig Bowen
Grand Land Company
Sam Bowers, ALC
Bowers and Burns Real Estate
The APEX Producers Club recognizes all applicants with at least $5 million of qualifying dollar production volume in closed land sales for the year.
Ryan Bramlette, ALC
Fay Ranches
Lindsey Brown Peoples Company
Jack Brown, ALC Whitetail Properties
Ray Brownfield, ALC
Land Pro
Steve Bruere Peoples Company of Indianola
Dale Burley, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Austin Callison Hayden Outdoors
Chip Camp, ALC Whitetail Properties
Cailein Campbell, ALC National Land Realty
Jay Cassels, ALC
National Land Realty
Jared Chambers Peoples Company
Anthony Chrisco Whitetail Properties
Bryan Clift Clift Land Brokers
Brady Cowan
Clift Land Brokers
Troy Coziahr
Hertz
Seth Craft, ALC
M4 Ranch Group
Adam Crist Peoples Company
Todd Crosby, ALC Crosby Land Company
Jay Davidson
United Country Wildlife Land Group
Matt Davis, ALC
Cushman and Wakefield
Tyler Davis, ALC
SVN | Saunders Ralston Danzler
Patti Davis, ALC
PEDE and Associates
Terry Dean, ALC
Hertz
Cal Dickson, ALC
Hertz
Marty Domres, ALC
Domres Real Estate
Michael Dreyer, ALC
Dreyer & Associates
Travis Driscoll
Beaverhead Outdoors
Chase Duesenberg
Peoples Company
Bill Eshenbaugh, ALC
Eshenbaugh Land Company
Gregory W. Fay
Fay Ranches
Andy Flack, ALC
HomeLand Properties
Jimmy Fleissner
National Land Realty
Bradford Fletcher
Newmark
Clint Flowers, ALC
National Land Realty
Wendy Forthun, ALC
1 Stop Realty
Karen Foster, ALC
Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices
Parks & Weisberg Realty
Daniel Fowler, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Kyle Gable, ALC
Pioneer Land Group
Eric Gage
AFM Real Estate
Jeff Garrett
#1 Properties Ranch and Recreation
Mike Garrett, ALC
Garrett Land Company
Rick Gonzalez, ALC
Crosby & Associates
Greg Good, ALC
Clift Land Brokers
Jonathan Goode, ALC
Southeastern Land Group
Bill Gray
Tutt Land Company
Linda Green
Keller Williams Huntsville
Kyle Hansen, ALC
Hertz
John Hardin, ALC
Southeastern Land Group
Jeffrey Hardy, ALC
Southeastern Land Group
Ben Harshyne, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Suzy Haslup, ALC
Meybohm Real Estate
Walter Hatchett, ALC
Jon Kohler & Associates
Dax Hayden
Hayden Outdoors
Jeff Heil, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Rachelle Heller, ALC
Hertz
Scott Henrichsen
Hertz
Kenny Herring, ALC
Peoples Company
John Herrity
Hayden Outdoors
Scott Hicks, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Darrell Hindman
Living the Dream
David Hitchcock, ALC
SVN | Saunders Ralston Danzler
Allie Hodges
Ary Land Co
Clifton Holloman, ALC
National Land Realty
Zach Holt
Whitetail Properties
Ryan Hostetler, ALC
AGPROfessionals
Geoff Hurdle, ALC
Hurdle Land and Realty
Darrell Hylen, ALC
Hertz
Jennifer Janet, ALC
Coldwell Banker
Terri Jensen, ALC
National Land Realty
Lisa Johnson, ALC
Horsepower Real Estate
Ryan Kay, ALC
Hertz
Shawn Kelley
Whitetail Properties
Dan Kevorkian, ALC
Pearson Realty
Chad Kies
Hertz
Joel King, ALC
Peoples Company
Dave Klein, ALC
First Mid Ag Services
Johnny Klemme
Geswein Farm and Land
John Knipe, ALC
Knipe Land Company
Jon Kohler
Jon Kohler & Associates
Michael Labout
ERA Shields
Zurick Labrier, ALC
Mason and Morse Ranch Company
T. Sean Lance, ALC
REALM Capital Advisors
Eric Leisy, ALC
Great Southern Land
Jason Lestina, ALC
Land Pro
Trent Lister, ALC
PureWest Ranches
Eric Lonnevik
Peoples Company
Troy Louwagie, ALC
Hertz
Spencer Loveless
Southeastern Land Group
Rusty Lowe, ALC Century 21 Harvey Properties
Brent Lyday, ALC
Legacy Premier Properties
David Lynch
AFM Real Estate
Sean Maloy, ALC
Mossy Oak Properties
Mac Martin, ALC
UC Gulfland Real Estate
Grantson Martin
Whitetail Properties
Brian Massey
Hertz
Shawn Massey, ALC
TSCG
Peter Mazeine, ALC
National Land Realty
Tyler McConnell, ALC
Comey & Shepherd REALTORS®
Ashley McCraney
National Land Realty
Clay McCullar, ALC
McCullar Properties Group
Chris McCune, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Alan McNeil
Peoples Company
Geoff Mead, ALC
Hertz
Connie Meadors
KW Cedar Creek Lake Properties
Nick Meixell
Hertz
John Melnar, ALC
Grand Land Company
Jesse Meyer
Peoples Company
Jerrod Meyer Whitetail Properties
Bill Minor, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Kasey Mock
KW Mock Ranches
Mark Mommsen, ALC
Martin, Goodrich, and Waddell
Jeff Moon, ALC
AgWest Land Brokers
Melanie Moore Armstrong Properties, EXP
Brittany Hurdle Murphy
Hurdle Land and Realty
Dan Murphy, ALC
M4 Ranch Group
Jake Murphy
M4 Ranch Group
Robb Nelson Hall and Hall
Hayden Nichols John Hall and Company
Justin Olk, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Josh Ongley, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Justin Osborn, ALC
The Wells Group
Clay Patrick, ALC
United Country South Land
Chris Peacock, ALC
Halderman Real Estate
Josh Peak Field Level Agriculture
Janis Penick, ALC
Kuper Sotheby’s
Brent Pennington, ALC Metroport Commercial Realty
Hadley Perkins
Clift Land Brokers
Calvin Perryman, ALC
Southeastern Land Group
Clayton Pilgrim, ALC
Century 21 Harvey Properties
Chad Reifschneider
Hertz
Todd Renfrew, ALC
California Outdoor Properties
Bruce Renfrew, ALC
California Outdoor Properties
Ben Richardson
Whitetail Properties
Frank Roberts, ALC
REMAX Landmark
William Rollins, ALC
LSI Companies
Skye Root, ALC
Root Agricultural Advisory
Ryan Sampson, ALC
Eshenbaugh Land Company
Joe Sangimino, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Eric Sarff
Murray Wise & Associates
Dean Saunders, ALC
SVN | Saunders Ralston Danzler
Eric Schlutz, ALC
Ruhl Farm and Land
Luke Schrader Schrader Real Estate and Auction
Ryan Schroeter, ALC
National Land Realty
David Schutt
Whitetail Properties
Tyler Sellens, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Jake Sickels
Peoples Company
Elliott Siefert
Hertz
Riley Sieren
Peoples Company
Jason Sims
Southeastern Land Group
Chris Smith, ALC
Hertz
Tom Smith, ALC
Tom Smith Land & Homes
Nicholas Z. Smith
Peoples Company
Spencer Smith
Hertz
Danny Smith, ALC
Smith & Smith Realty
Travis Smock
Peoples Company
Sheldon Snyder, ALC
Clift Land Brokers
Bob Stalberger, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Jeramy Stephens, ALC National Land Realty
Larry Story, ALC Total Care Realty
Elizabeth Strom
Murray Wise & Associates
Tommy Stroud, ALC
National Land Realty
Toby Stutzman, ALC
Stutzman Realty & Auction
Aaron Sutton
National Land Realty
Kirk Swenson 1 Stop Realty
Clay Taylor, ALC
SVN | Saunders Ralston Danzler
Raborn Taylor, III, ALC
George F Willis, Realty
Craig Thompson
First Mid Ag
Eric Turpen
Clift Land Brokers
Jimmy Underwood, ALC
Whitetail Properties
Matt Vegter, ALC
Hertz
Jim Vidamour, ALC
Fay Ranches
Russ Walters
Southeastern Land Group
Pam Ward
CB The Ron Brown Co
Carrie Warren
McGraw Realtors
Brian Watts, ALC
Southeastern Land Group
Chris Weaver
Whitetail Properties
Colbey Webster
Ary Land Co
Kirk Weih, ALC
Hertz
David Whitaker, ALC
Whitaker Marketing Group
Justin Wilburn
Fayette Realty
Eric Wilkinson
Hertz
Charles Wingert, ALC
Hertz
James Wirth, ALC
TRI Commercial
Murray Wise, ALC
Murray Wise & Associates
Tucker Wood, ALC
Tucker Wood & Associates
Luke Worrell, ALC
Worrell Land Services
Brandon Yaklich
Hertz
Douglas Yegge
Peoples Company
Eric Zellers
Ary Land Co
Andrew Zellmer
Peoples Company
Garrett Zoller, ALC
Land and Wildlife
Congratulations to our 2022 Leadership Award recipients. These members were recognized at NLC23 for their remarkable service and efforts to both the industry and the Institute, as well as their communities.
Farmers National Company | Illinois
This award is presented to an RLI member in recognition of long-term commitment and service to fellow Institute members, the land profession, and their community. The Distinguished Service Award is presented in honor of dedicated long-time member Robert C. Meeks, ALC.
Kyle Hansen, ALC
Hertz Real Estate Services, Inc. | Iowa
The Land REALTOR® of America Award recognizes members of REALTORS® Land Institute for their effort and work expended in the interest of their fellow RLI members, their profession, their clients, and their community.
Brittany Hurdle Murphy
M4 Ranch Group | Colorado
First introduced in 2015, the Rising Star award was created to recognize a land professional who demonstrated promise. The Rising Star Award recognizes a member approaching a mid-level in their career who is on their way to making significant contributions to the land profession and to RLI.
Crosby & Associates, Inc. | Florida
The Excellence in Instruction Award recognizes RLI LANDU®-Approved Instructors for their exceptional teaching skills, contributions to the professional development of our students, and volunteerism for the LANDU® education program.
Arrowhead Land Company, LLC | Oklahoma
RLI’s Chapter Administrators play a key role in the success of each Chapter. The Chapter administrators help keep everyone “on track” with schedules, policies, and more. The recipient is chosen by RLI staff and the choice is based on performance that builds a stronger RLI Chapter—such as helping to enrich member experiences, provide support and benefits to members, applying for continuing education units for LANDU® courses, and displaying a high code of conduct and ethical standards.
The Outstanding Chapter Award recognizes one RLI Chapter that has demonstrated excellence and creativity in the following categories:
» member retention and development,
» course and other educational offerings,
» volunteerism to national Institute,
» technological achievements,
» and outreach and collaboration with other Institute Chapters and local and state organizations.
2022 RISING STAR AWARD 2022 CHAPTER ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022 LAND REALTOR® OF AMERICA AWARD 2022 EXCELLENCE IN INSTRUCTION 2022 ROBERT C. MEEKS, ALC, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD 2022 CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARDThank you to all who ponied up and lassoed in some great items at our 2023 Cowboy Auction, sponsored by United Country Real Estate, at NLC23.
Once again, this fun-filled event was brimming with energy and laughter as attendees bid on exclusive items like hunting trips, handmade quilts, vacation packages, and other unique items. Jimmie Dean Coffey and Shawn Terrel were the night’s auctioneers, who steered the excitement and kept the bids stampeding throughout the event.
Auction proceeds totaled $87,891!
All proceeds benefit the Land Education Foundation (LEF) of RLI by supporting our LANDU® Education Program. In 2022, a record 20 scholarships were awarded! LEF has already surpassed this record in 2023 with 23 scholarships awarded this spring. We can’t do so without the support of the Cowboy Auction.
For more details and a list of all 2023 Cowboy Auction donors and winners, see page 18.
The Cowboy Auction’s sponsor, United Country Real Estate, is the nation’s largest integrated organization of real estate and auction professionals, specializing in real estate throughout small cities and towns of rural America.
Our guest speakers are a key part of why land professionals return to the National Land Conference each year. These speakers offered a variety of industry insights that help RLI members continue to build expertise that sets them apart in land real estate. A special thanks to:
» Amber Erickson-Hurdle for her insights on Branding and Marketing your business.
» Nationally renowned speaker David Linsmeyer for providing helpful Time Management tools for Leaders and how to set realistic goals for you and your business.
» Kendall Burgemeister for guidance on how to conduct water rights due diligence when acquiring land, always important in the west!
» Dr. Joe Outlaw with Texas A&M for insights on the possible renewal of the 2023 Farm Bill in Washington, D.C. and how he expects the bill to impact the Land industry.
» Craig Kaiser of LandGate for hosting a panel discussion on how to be profitable in the Energy industry.
» NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun for closing out conference with key economic updates and what he expects for the real estate industry in the coming year.
Breakout Speakers also included:
» Kevin McCarty on the valuation of Conservation Easements
» David Light with Land Broker Co-op discussed ways to prepare yourself and your business for a down market.
This year’s New Member and 1st Time Attendee reception was a huge hit followed by the Welcome Reception with ax throwing and wood branding with custom RLI brand coasters. Tracy Kasper, NARs 2023 President Elect kicked off the Recognition Luncheon Tuesday, where we recognized our Leadership Award recipients and over 60 new Accredited Land Consultants (ALCs)! Tuesday night saw the APEX Dinner and State of Texas Photographer Wyman Meinzer regaling us with his stories of capturing iconic photos across Texas.
Attendees can still access all the speaker handouts through the event app. We look forward to seeing you next March in Louisville, KY!
Attendees explore land related services and products from over 40 exhibitors.
Thank you to our attendees, partners and speakers who made this event a huge success!
by Russell Riggs Director of Environmental and Sustainability Policy National Association of REALTORS®
Things are moving along well with legal efforts to overturn President Biden’s WOTUS rule. In a ruling in March, the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota enjoined the 2023 WOTUS Rule in 24 states. Adding injunctions by a Texas court several weeks ago, the rule is now enjoined in over half the country: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The rule is not being implemented or enforced in those states.
As a reminder, NAR and 17 other industry groups are a party to the North Dakota and Texas cases.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to rescind regulations within a certain time period after the regulation becomes effective. Congress passed a CRA Resolution of Disapproval in March to overturn the WOTUS rule. President Biden vetoed that Resolution but Congress was unfortunately unable to muster sufficient votes to override that veto.
NAR and RLI will continue to monitor all legislative, regulatory and legal developments related to WOTUS.
The single biggest obstacle to building the infrastructure of the future is a broken permitting system. From broadband access and transmission lines to pipelines, roads, and bridges, the process to get these projects underway is outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of our modern society. There is bipartisan agreement that we need to modernize our permitting process—now we need bipartisan action. That’s why NAR and RLI are participating in a national coalition to urge Congress to Permit America to Build by enacting meaningful, durable legislation to modernize our nation’s permitting processes before the end of the summer. Congress has made significant investments to build new American infrastructure—unfortunately an outdated permitting system delays this development and impedes critical improvements now and in the future. Legislative principles the Coalition will be encouraging include:
» Predictability – Developers should have certainty on the scope and timeline for project reviews.
» Efficiency – Coordination should be improved to optimize public and private resources.
» Transparency – Developers and the public should have information related to a project.
» Stakeholder Input – All impacted stakeholders should have the opportunity to provide input.
The Colorado River provides water for irrigation, power generation, recreation, and habitats for endangered species. But the 40 million people in this 7-state watershed have watched it dry up during the region’s worst drought in more than 1,200 years.
This year, the two largest reservoirs in the US, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, saw water levels dip to record lows. The falling waterline left behind stark bathtub rings along the surrounding canyons. In turn, the Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon Dam that impound these reservoirs saw their hydroelectric power production dwindle.
The worry now is that all these factors shaping the future of the Colorado River—drought, population growth, energy demand—could further disrupt life for residents of the West, one of the fastest growing regions of the US.
To address these issues, the Department of Interior has issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that describes steps they would take if the states are unable to arrive at a consensus to reduce their water consumption.
The EIS outlines three options which they could follow—unfortunately each one is problematic for land and real estate development in the West:
1. Strictly follow water rights and give priority to farming regions in CA, which means Phoenix and LA get taken to zero;
2. Distribute water usage cuts equally across the region, which doesn’t take into account differing uses and conditions; or
3. A No Action option could be worst of all, because that does not take into effect a changing climate and continued declining water resources.
Because of the importance of this issue to land professionals, NAR and RLI will be gathering input from members and submitting comments on the EIS.
Russell Riggs is RLI’s Advocacy Liaison for the National Association of REALTORS® and Director of Environmental and Sustainability Policy for NAR. He holds a bachelor’s in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University, a master’s in public policy from Tufts University, and a master’s in public administration from New York University.
by Kat Szymanski, RLI Marketing Manager
One of the most highly rated events at this year’s National Land Conference, were the Roundtables. Among them, the “Women of Land” table, led by Renee Harvey, ALC had three packed sessions. It was clear the women of RLI are eager to engage with each other on matters concerning business and land.
So, what’s on women’s minds when it comes to land real estate and how are they impacting the industry?
RLI members Karen Foster, ALC, Renee Harvey, ALC, Hallie Myhre and Allison Worrell, all part of the Roundtable, share the challenges and advantages of being a woman in land real estate and how to bring others along for success.
Renee: I didn’t have a choice. When I started, I lived in a town of 3,000. I still do. My contacts were either farmers or ranchers. Prior to getting a real estate license, I had a solicitor’s license to sell insurance. Even before I was out of college, I sold crop insurance. My clients, that’s who they were—farmers and ranchers. I was steeped in that. It was my knowledge base, far more than residential. Back when I started in real estate houses sold for 30K to 40K. When you live in a small town, you don’t have many to sell. So, I sold land.
Hallie: When I was in college, western photography was a hobby. In 2019, I started doing photography for my current broker. It evolved into marketing and then managing her website. I went on listing appointments and helped with anything that didn’t involve needing a license. I had no plans of getting into real estate—I went to school for agriculture and business—but I really admired my broker Christy Belton, ALC. Land and ranch real estate combined a lot of my interests. My senior year of college I decided to get my real estate license and I’ve been working with Christy ever since. It was unexpected, but exciting.
Karen: I’ve been a REALTOR® in southern Indiana for 40 some years. I was single most of my life and needed to make money, so I sold homes. I always had a farm background though—I live on a fifth-generation farm—and so I started selling my friends’ farms. I sold four good-sized farms to developers. One day after a closing, my client told me they really hoped the property would have sold to another farmer instead of becoming a bunch of houses. I thought to myself, “Holy cow, I wasn’t even thinking that route.” So, I made a goal that I’d sell farms for the highest and best if that’s what sellers wanted but if someone wants the property to stay a farm, I want to help my clients do that.
Allison: Like Renee, I don’t know that I had a choice. My father-in-law owned the business, so Luke and I purchased it from him. I worked the first 8 years in the business in marketing-type roles, then a little over a year ago I got my own license. My heart behind doing that was in our area there are a lot of female landowners, many who are widows. Their husbands were more entrenched in the day-to-day so when the husbands passed, it created a lot of stress and unknowns. Some didn’t feel comfortable working with men. Our agency decided we needed a female agent for women that might be able to relate better to a woman instead of one of the guys on the team. That was my personal motivation.
“Don’t be afraid. The path has been paved by the generations before us.”Renee Harvey, ALC Hallie Myhre Karen Foster, ALC Allison Worrell
How do you handle negotiations and client relationships differently as women? Or do you?
Hallie: In terms of negotiations, not only am I a woman, but I’m also young. People assume I am only an assistant or in a supporting role, most assume my broker is a man, and some even assume I am just a little girl who doesn’t know anything about real estate at all. It can be easy to dwell on those assumptions. However, I find these differences can be empowering. It’s often been an advantage in negotiations. People get a non-threatening feel from me. It’s helped me negotiate good deals for my clients. When maybe if I was a more threatening figure, it wouldn’t have gone as well. That’s not all cases but in some it’s helped. People don’t expect me to have the knowledge and confidence that I have. It can be because of gender or age or both.
Renee: In my immediate market, they knew that I knew what I was talking about. When you go outside of your area, or buyers come in from other places, they are surprised that what they have to work with is a woman who knows about land. We’ve had to be educated more, have a deeper knowledge base. Particularly with clients you have to win over. You have to know soils; you have to know costs to replace a mile of fencing. That’s not something you can guesstimate. They know. They know if you’re trying to buffalo your way through to get a sale. Women must have a deeper knowledge base and work a little bit harder to win over those that Hallie was talking about. We’ve all been there in our career, where we’ve had something to prove.
Karen: Renee said so much. It’s so true. I love that we can save certain buyers from failure. They think they will buy a piece of ground and build a property, but they don’t understand that it’s $6K to run a mile of fencing. They want all black board fence. Man, that’s expensive. They don’t understand soils. You need to know topography, waterways, soil types. I have three pages of questions I ask sellers. 95% of the time people will say, I’ve never had an agent ask me these kinds of questions. RLI teaches us those things and brings them to the top, so we can be more professional.
Karen brought up a good point about RLI’s education and women needing to know more. Allison, have you found that to be true?
Allison: Once landowners find us, it’s easy to prove ourselves to them. My challenge has been with male agents who aren’t part of RLI. Within RLI there’s an elevated sense of understanding and respect. I had a deal come together in an area where there are no women land brokers. They weren’t used to working with me. There’s no title I wear prouder than Luke Worrell’s wife, but one guy couldn’t take the time to remember my name, so that’s what he called me: “Luke’s wife.” I had to be more polished, more prepared. I was able to show them my competency. They just weren’t used to it.
What I would say to other women in land is: Don’t be afraid. The path has been paved by the generations before us. My generation is widening that path. Hallie’s generation will make it even wider. A lot of those obstacles are becoming less. We’re showing that we are a valuable add to the market. I can’t think of a field that hasn’t benefited from men and women partnering together.
Renee, you led the Women in Land Roundtables at NLC. What was on those women’s minds when it comes to land real estate? What do they worry about?
Renee: Safety. It came up in every session in Denver. In our market you will find yourself in very remote areas. Most don’t have cell service. So, we must be keenly aware of our safety. We are as much at risk as residential agents going to a vacant house. We tend to think we’re invincible, but we’re not. We need to be more proactive at letting other people (coworkers, family) know where we are. Also, education. We sometimes don’t know about local networks and events. The information isn’t disseminated. We need to be aware and share with others. If you think you might be one of the few women in
“ We want to be the shoulders that someone stands on to see farther.”
the room at an event, bring somebody with you. Norma Carleton, ALC and Wendy Johnson, ALC from Texas are great at that. They don’t live in the same area, but they travel together, go to education sessions together. It helps to not feel like the only woman in the room.
Allison is right, the way is being paved but there are still pockets where we are a minority.
Hallie: My broker prepped me for a lot of things about being a woman in this industry, but it was good to be at the roundtable hearing what others are thinking about. A lot of it resonated with me. Some things I hadn’t thought of before. I was nervous since it was my first Land Conference. I didn’t talk much. Being at that roundtable gave me confidence to sit at other tables and talk. It was one of my favorite parts of Conference.
Allison, were you surprised by anything that came out of the discussion?
Allison: Not surprised. Like Hallie, I left very inspired. Women sometimes get a bad rap as being caddy or competitive. We were each other’s cheerleaders in that conversation. There was so much great idea sharing. It wasn’t long enough.
What might next steps for women of RLI look like?
Allison: If there were more chances for that connectivity during the year, it would be incredible. We’re in the business of helping clients. If we can facilitate more opportunities to bounce ideas off each other, we can resource each other to better serve them.
Renee: When Aubrie reached out about leading the roundtable, I never dreamed it would have the kind of success it had. They weren’t always well attended. Three full sessions were encouraging. Instantly these groups grew legs and had open dialogue. I see us possibly creating a group from the folks who came to the roundtables. A Facebook group maybe? I’m not sure what it looks like, but I know that’s its needed and wanted and will be utilized. It would be interesting to get feedback from the men, too.
How do men fit in to this?
Renee: They’re looking for the magic potion, too. Allison talked about running a business with Luke. There’s a work life balance when you and your spouse are in the business together. It brings on a whole set of concerns on how to manage that. We could all learn from that.
The popularity of your Roundtable, does it signify a shift? Are more women coming into the industry, are they more interested in connecting? What’s happening?
Karen: It’s a combination of everything. RLI is growing.
Renee: It’s connectivity, expertise, and professionalism all rolled into one.
What’s your best advice to women who want to get into this industry?
Karen: Know your stuff. If can prove you’re of equal competency, you’ll have a better chance.
Allison: Come twice as prepared. Twice as knowledgeable. Twice as professional. Be ready understanding it’s not a given that you’ll get the business.
Renee: Perseverance. Don’t let one situation defeat you. We’re in it for the long game. If you consistently go, you’ll get the opportunity. It will become your turn.
Hallie: For young people, have the confidence that you’ve worked hard to be where you are. Don’t let other people shake you. You deserve the success you’ve obtained. Being a young woman that’s important.
Renee: We consciously need to be in the business of empowering other women in our field. We overlook that. Instead of being critical let’s bring others along. We want to be the shoulders that someone stands on to see farther.
Karen: And…always bring your muck boots! I got a listing a few weeks ago because they said the other agent came in heels and I was wearing boots. I got it over the other person because I was dressed more appropriately.
And toilet paper. Bring toilet paper.
If you’re interested in learning more about potential activities for women in land and how to get connected with other women at RLI, contact Kat Szymanski at kszymanski@rliland.com.
“I can’t think of a field that hasn’t benefited from men and women partnering together.”
by David Linsmeyer
These are terms, phrases, words we’ve seen before and all ones that describe teams that are built for success. As leaders, or even individual producers with support, we are all striving to build our teams and create a culture where everyone is, indeed, rowing in the same direction. As we can all relate to, though, this can be a serious challenge.
According to a recent global culture study by workplace culture specialists O.C. Tanner, nearly 1 in 3 employees don’t feel fulfilled in their work. And this makes them:
» 399% more likely to actively look for another job
» 340% more likely to leave the organization within a year
» 47% less likely to put in a great deal of effort to help the organization succeed
» 71% less likely to promote the organization as a great place to work
Add to all this that many reading this article are a part of or lead organizations where the majority of our workforces are either independent contractors or in some sort of commission-based sales capacity, these numbers above are compounded.
O.C. Tanner notes in their study that fulfillment is bigger than engagement or job satisfaction, and it is safe to say that individual fulfillment, especially considering their numbers around it, directly correlate to how well a team functions together. While Yale professor Halford E. Lullock tells us that “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it”, isn’t it also true that it is the individual excellence, the individual fulfillment of the violinist, flutist, and others working in unison that really makes the symphony soar?
If we revisit some of the ideas from O.C. Tanner it becomes clear that driving toward a solution that promotes both the individual and organization and works to bring the two (and their goals) together, is the solution for success when attempting to build teams that last.
As they have identified in their study, there are 4 main factors that contribute to fulfillment: Community/Connection/ Belonging, Growth, Balance, and Purpose.
We can center around 2 of these specifically for our efforts here— clarifying our leadership purpose (both individual and organizational) and helping individuals define their goals/purpose and then aligning that to the organization through fostering community, connection and belonging. Now how do we do it? It can be as simple as what we outlined in the sentence above—define your high level organizational and personal vision/purpose, help our team define theirs, and then figure out a way to connect the two (Keep reading… I tell you how later!)
During his research for the book Start with Why, author Simon Sinek found that most people cannot answer the question, “Why do you do what you do?” As a leader, it’s even more important for you to know why you are doing what you do. What is your vision? What’s the vision for your company? What’s the vision for your team? What is your purpose behind why you do what you do?
At Southwestern Consulting we have a saying, “If people don’t understand their ‘why’, they won’t understand their ‘how-to’.” It is important to start operating out of your purpose as opposed to your emotions; align your actions with your purpose for why you do what you do as opposed to aligning your actions with your feelings, or what you feel like doing. Because wouldn’t you agree that if we only did what we felt like doing, then 90% of the time we wouldn’t do anything?
Your purpose is your cause for why you are determined to live your life, the belief system you have for why you and your organization exist, it gives you energy to get out of bed in the morning. If we aren’t locked and loaded on our purpose, there is no way we will be able to act out of our purpose. If we don’t have it, it’s easier to act out of our emotion.
An excerpt from Darren Hardy’s book, The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, does wonders to illustrate the power of purpose:
If I were to put a ten-inch wide, thirty-foot-long plank on the ground and say, ‘If you walk the length of the plank, I’ll give you twenty dollars,” would you do it? Of course. It’s an easy twenty bucks. But what if I took that same plank and made a rooftop ‘bridge’ between two 100-story buildings? That same twenty dollars for walking the thirty-foot plank no longer looks desirable or even possible, does it? You’d look at me and say, “Not on your life.”
However, if your child was on the opposite building and that building was on fire, would you walk the length of the plank to save him? Without question and immediately—you’d do it, twenty dollars or not.
Why is it that the first time I asked you to cross that sky high plank, you said ‘no way’, yet the second time you wouldn’t hesitate? The risks and dangers are the same. What changed? Your why changed—your reason for wanting to do it. You see, when the reason is big enough, you will be willing to perform almost any how.
Darren Hardy tells us to find our indomitable inner power, our unconquerable inner power, drive, and unrelenting passion. He says, “No, it’s not your willpower, it’s your ‘Why Power’.” This kind of power will drive you to move mountains, swim oceans, and walk through fire to accomplish your goals.
The easy part here is gathering that everything from the section above not only applies to you as an individual but to each one of your team members as well. The often more challenging piece is helping people follow through on it all. I have the honor of spending time professionally with several RLI members and am often inspired by leaders that really get this part.
I recently asked Jennifer Janet with Coldwell Banker Professional Associates if she knew her team’s goals. She responded swiftly and confidently that she did and went on to say that every November she does an offsite with her whole team where the pure focus is getting clarity on next year’s goals. Now there is always more work we can do as leaders helping our team members gain clarity on their goals, purpose, vision ahead, and not to mention the challenges that come with helping folks stay connected to it all, but kudos to Jennifer for being an example that we all can look up to here. The question is—how are you doing here? Have you scheduled offsites for your team to map it all out? Have you even brought up the words, goals, vision, purpose to your team? Hopefully these questions prompt you to lean in here and continue to challenge yourself around helping your team define what they want and why.
Have you brought it all together through a company creed?
We mentioned earlier that there would be insight into how we can tie it all together, so here it is: Build a creed!
To have a team that has a common mission and vision, there must be a company creed that includes the methodology and principles to live and operate by. The way we truly create community, connection and belonging is by bringing our people together through shared principles and beliefs that guide our organizations.
Your company might already have a mission or vision statement. But do your people buy in to the vision you promote? Can everyone in your company tell you what your mission statement is? If your people aren’t invested in your company’s vision, it’s probably because it didn’t come from them. Your team won’t feel emotionally invested in a vision that isn’t their own.
A creed is different from a vision or mission statement. Your company’s creed should be created by your people, and it should be reinforced regularly, reminding your team of why you do what you do. This gets your people invested in the way your company conducts business and connects to your vision in a way that can motivate your team.
Similar to the Constitution of the United States, your creed acts as a guidepost, pointing you in the direction you need to be heading. It helps you hire the right people; it helps you fire the right (or the wrong) people; it helps you make every decision that you need to make in your business because now you’re operating from a point of principles, not personalities. Without a creed, without shared principles that people own, it’s easy to see how we may all be in the boat, but not all with oars that get us rowing the right way.
Andrew Carnegie, Industrialist and Philanthropist summed it up well with his famous quote—“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Now it’s our job to reflect on that and then act toward doing it.
David Linsmeyer is an experienced professional sales and leadership coach, a certified trainer, and a partner with Southwestern Consulting. He has trained more than 20,000 groups, companies, and organizations throughout his career across the globe. For a step-by-step process on how to build a company creed, sample creeds or other team building team, reach out to David directly at 260.466.9828 or dlinsmeyer@ southwestconsulting.com.
Source: https://www.octanner.com/insights/white-papers/5-culture-trends-for-2023.html
ChatGPT (the Artificial Intelligence open platform) is one of the most talked about tools right now in content generation. It’s the long-promised technology, finally delivered to the masses with a simple interface for practical use. It’s stirred up speculation about the future irrelevance of content creators, writers, and more. It’s so popular that ChatGPT is frequently overwhelmed with traffic and unavailable for use.
Whether you like the idea or not, ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence tools like it, are here to stay.
Read on to see what it said about its own capabilities and a test drive of how it lives up to its promise.
So, what is ChatGPT best at when it comes to marketing your business? I went to the source and asked ChatGPT itself:
400 words on how best to use ChatGPT for marketing
ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for marketers looking to improve their strategy and better understand their audience. Here are some tips on how best to use ChatGPT for marketing:
1. GENERATE CONTENT IDEAS: ChatGPT can help generate new content ideas for your brand. By inputting a topic or keyword, ChatGPT can provide suggestions for new angles or ideas to explore in your content marketing efforts. For example, if you are a fashion brand, you could input “spring trends” and ChatGPT could provide ideas for blog posts, social media content, and more.
2. IMPROVE SEO: ChatGPT can also be used to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. By inputting a keyword or phrase, ChatGPT can provide suggestions for related keywords or long-tail phrases that you can target in your content. This can help improve your website’s visibility in search results and drive more traffic to your site.
3.CONDUCT MARKET RESEARCH: ChatGPT can also be used to conduct market research. By inputting questions or prompts related to your industry or target audience, ChatGPT can provide insights into consumer behavior and preferences. This can help inform your marketing strategy and improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.
4. CREATE PERSONALIZED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS: ChatGPT can be used to create personalized marketing campaigns. By analyzing customer data and behavior, ChatGPT can provide recommendations for personalized messaging or offers that are tailored to individual customers. This can help improve engagement and conversion rates for your marketing campaigns.
5.ENHANCE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: ChatGPT can be used to enhance your social media marketing efforts. By analyzing social media trends and conversations, ChatGPT can provide insights into what topics and content are resonating with your target audience. This can help inform your social media content strategy and improve engagement on your social media channels.
To test this, I asked ChatGPT to assist with a content task: Headline Generation.
5 headline ideas for the content you just generated
1. “5 Ways ChatGPT Can Revolutionize Your Marketing Strategy” 2. “Maximizing Your Marketing Efforts with ChatGPT: A Beginner’s Guide” 3.“The Power of Personalization: How ChatGPT Can Enhance Your Marketing Campaigns” 4. “ChatGPT for Customer Service: How Automation is Revolutionizing the Industry” 5. “Unlocking the Secrets of SEO with ChatGPT: A Step-byStep Guide”
The headlines are accurate—and boring. While it summarized the main idea well, it’s not creative. It can’t imbue a headline with nuance, cultural reference, or humor. If you need a starting point for a headline, or are a straight shooter, this might be a win for you. If you’re a creative, this disappoints.
That’s helpful. How about the SEO side of things?
20 keywords for www.m4ranchgroup.com
It mentioned it could conduct market research...
land real estate market trends in 2023
Ranch real estate
Colorado ranches for sale
Wyoming ranches for sale
New Mexico ranches for sale
Land for sale in the Rocky Mountains
Luxury ranches for sale
Ranches with hunting opportunities
Cattle ranches for sale
Equestrian properties for sale
Ranches with water rights
Ranch land for sale
Mountain properties for sale
Ranch investment opportunities
Ranch brokers
Ranch management
Ranch consulting
Land appraisal services
Land conservation
Land development
Land financing
You can give ChatGPT a phrase, like “land real estate”, to start generating keywords, or even better put your website address in the chat bar. ChatGPT will scan the entire site to generate suggestions.
Your site’s keywords may be obvious to you but why not validate them when it only takes a few seconds? ChatGPT can generate 20 keywords based on what it sees across your entire website in seconds. You may discover keywords you aren’t using yet. Definitely worth the five second investment.
As an AI language model, I do not have access to the most up-to-date economic data, forecasts or market trends beyond my knowledge cut-off date which is September 2021. However, I can provide you with some general information about economic trends and factors that can impact the outlook for land real estate in 2023.
Given this information, we can recommend the following audience for a new ad:
Women aged 35-44 and men aged 25-34, as they make up the largest portion of the Facebook and Instagram audience.
Targeting the top cities for both platforms, such as San Antonio, Houston, and Austin in Texas, as these areas have a high concentration of followers.
Focusing on the United States as the primary target country for the ad, with Canada and Nigeria as secondary options for Instagram.
Overall, targeting women aged 35-44 and men aged 25-34 in the top cities in Texas and the United States, with a focus on highly engaged followers, is likely to yield the best results for the new ad.
ChatGPT is no Lawrence Yun. It doesn’t have access to the most recent economic data to make future predictions. It did offer several more paragraphs about factors that impact the economic outlook, so it wasn’t a total bust. Still, it’s no substitute for a live economic update at National Land Conference from an expert like Dr. Yun.
what are people saying about #landrealestate on twitter?
As an AI language model, I cannot access realtime data or monitor social media platforms for the latest tweets or conversations. However, I can provide you with some general information on how you can use Twitter to monitor conversations about #landrealestate and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and news in this industry.
I exported audience data from Meta Business Suite, then copied/pasted the data set into ChatGPT along with this request, but I’m sparing you here for the sake of brevity.
You can get the same data by pulling charts from the audience analysis in Meta Business Suite. However, ChatGPT produces an easy-to-read summary. You know your customers best, so take a critical look at these recommendations. Not all suggestions will make sense for your business (Nigeria?). An analysis is only as good as the data you input, so incomplete or poor data will mean poor results.
This can be a promising tool. Be sure you have good data and use what you know about your customers to make the best use of ChatGPT's recommendations.
Overall, ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for marketers looking to improve their strategy and better understand their audience. By leveraging the insights and recommendations provided by ChatGPT, marketers can create more effective campaigns and drive better results for their brands.
On the plus side, ChatGPT did tell me that @LandBrokerMLS and @REALTORSLand (RLI’s Twitter account) are good ones to follow for conversations around land real estate. Pretty smart. I consider this a win.
At the time of writing this article, there was a wide-spread call to pause AI development while the tech community considers the irreversible societal impacts of surpassing human intelligence. Tech titans like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signed. Despite those worries, we’re far from an AI-like Terminator takeover. Good marketing still requires what it always has: curiosity, creativity, connection, and a critical look at your data (giving AI bad data is useless at best, dangerous at worst).
So, let ChatGPT be your new go-to marketing tool to simplify tasks and save time, while you continue to do what land professionals have always done best—be curious about your customers and make real-world, lasting connections.
What better place to come together and get new inspiration for your land business than the center of bourbon and thoroughbred racing. Join us in downtown Louisville next March for NLC24.
Early bird registration opens November 2023. Look for more details in the upcoming months at rliland.com/nlc.
by Kendall Burgemeister, Law of the Rockies
During the 2023 National Land Conference, I had the opportunity to discuss the process of performing due diligence on water rights while acquiring real estate. This kind of investigation usually involves examining record title, off-record title, legal matters, historical usage, and the physical condition of the water. This article provides a brief overview of each of these areas and gives examples to illustrate them. Moreover, it delves deeper into the two topics that raised the most questions after my presentation at Conference: adverse possession and use limitations in the governing documents of water companies.
“Record” title matters refer to matters reflected in the real property records of the county where the property is located. In Colorado— like many western states—the general rule is that water rights are conveyed like interests in real estate and are therefore subject to the states’ recording statute. Water rights purchasers are bound by previously recorded conveyances and encumbrances, regardless of whether they have actual knowledge of such matters.
The standard title insurance policy for real estate excludes water rights from the covered property, and a separate policy for the water rights is generally not available. Additionally, sellers will usually offer very limited or no title warranties when conveying water rights. Therefore, if a title defect is not discovered until after closing, the buyer is usually left without recourse. Like severed mineral interests, if a person desires to understand the ownership of a water right, a separate title search is required.
The record title review can be complicated for a host of reasons, including deeds for land that are silent as to water rights, but which may (or may not) convey water rights implicitly as an appurtenance, and vague deeds that simply convey a grantor’s “proportionate share” of a water right without providing any specificity on what that proportion might be. Both scenarios are common, and often leave the researcher in a position to offer little more than an educated opinion of how the ownership would most likely be resolved if a quiet title proceeding was completed.
In addition to verifying ownership of a water right, a record title review will also evaluate potential encumbrances on a water right, such as conservation easements or similar restrictive covenants, ditch maintenance agreements, and, of course, mortgages, deeds of trust, and other liens.
Off-record title matters are generally defined as any rights that a third party might have in the subject property that are not shown in the real property records, such as unrecorded easements acquired through prescription. There are two specific types of off-record title matters— unrecorded ownership that has vested through adverse possession, and water company governing documents:
Most land professionals are probably familiar with the concept of adverse possession of land. The doctrine of adverse possession— sometimes referred to as “squatters rights”—vests ownership of land in a party that has occupied the land for a given period of time. While states have adopted widely varying criteria for establishment of title to land by adverse possession, I am not aware of any state that has abolished the doctrine altogether.
The same cannot be said regarding adverse possession of water rights. In fact, most western states have abolished the doctrine of adverse possession of water rights. Some states, such as Kansas and Wyoming, have prohibited adverse possession by statute. Others have rejected it through developments in common law. For example, in 2003, the New Mexico Court of Appeals held that water rights cannot be acquired by adverse possession. The logic of the court was, essentially, that water rights are subject to abandonment for non-use. Therefore, if a water right is being used by someone other than the true owner for an extended period, it was necessarily not being used by the true owner for an extended period of time, and the proper result is abandonment of the right altogether, not adverse possession by the user.
consistent with a claim of ownership.
In Colorado, vested water rights (except those held by governmental entities) can be adversely possessed through 18 years of use that is continuous, open, and notorious, exclusive, adverse, and hostile to the true owner, and under a claim of right. For claims accruing after July 1, 2008, the claimant must have a reasonable, good faith belief that they were the actual owner of the water right to begin with. “Continuous” use is not 24/7/365 use. It is merely use in a manner consistent with a claim of ownership. Non-use outside the irrigation season or when the right is out of priority will not destroy an adverse possession claim. “Open and notorious” use is use that puts the true owner on reasonable notice—sneaking water in the middle of the night should not establish an adverse possession claim. “Adverse and hostile” use is generally use that is without consent (such as a lease or verbal permission) of the true owner.
Colorado only recognizes adverse possession “behind the headgate,” and it does not recognize adverse possession “against the stream.” This means that a water right must first be diverted at its lawful point of diversion before it can be adversely possessed. A person cannot dig a new ditch upstream and later claim to have adversely possessed the water right of a historical downstream ditch.
When investigating the historical use and physical condition matters of the subject water right (as discussed below), it is important to look for signs that any part of the subject water right has been used off of the subject property, and if so, review the situation more closely for potential claims of adverse possession (in states that recognize the doctrine) or abandonment (in states that do not).
In Colorado, when a single water right serves properties owned by multiple parties, it is common for the water rights and infrastructure to be owned and operated by a company, such as a mutual ditch company. The individual property owners right to use water is represented by shares of stock in the company. It is common for such companies to adopt regulations regarding the use of water delivered through its systems, and to restrict the stockholders’ ability to change the point of diversion, place of use, and type of use of the water right. Therefore, reviewing water company records is critical, particularly when your clients intend to change some aspect of the water right (for example, a change from irrigation use to domestic use). While the ability to change a water right is recognized as part of the “bundle of sticks” of a water right, private agreements to restrict such changes— such as those contained in water company regulations, will also be enforced.
Legal matters include everything from the permits and decrees applicable to the specific water rights at issue, to the statutes, common law, regulations, and administrative policies governing the administration of water rights in the state. An experienced advisor will look for any ways that the subject water rights are not being administered in accordance with current law and will also have insight into potential near-term changes in the law. Either scenario could portend future changes in the use of the subject water rights that could potentially have significant consequences for the value of the subject real estate.
Historical use analysis usually involves a review of state records (including diversion records), discussion with former owners and operators, and review of aerial imagery. The threshold inquiry into the historical use of a water right is to ensure that it has not been abandoned. Unlike interests in land, interests in water can be abandoned due to non-use. An extended period of non-use should give pause to any prospective purchaser.
Additionally, in Colorado and many other prior-appropriation states, the true measure of a vested water right is determined by its actual, lawful, historical use, which may be significantly less than the flow rate or volume in the decree or permit that initially established the right. The idea of purchasing a property and creating value by reselling its “surplus water” is most often illusory.
Inspection of the physical condition of the water-related infrastructure will not only give a prospective purchaser an indication of repair expenses that may be incurred down the road, as mentioned above, it will also alert the buyer to potential risk of losing the water right altogether through either abandonment or adverse possession. A siphon tube running from a ditch to a parcel owned by a party with no ownership interest in the ditch—for example—would be a red flag.
With a basic understanding of the issues that are analyzed in a typical water rights due diligence investigation, you can assist your client in issue-spotting potential problems with listed properties and advise them when it might be prudent to retain a water rights professional to conduct a thorough due diligence analysis. As the example of adverse possession demonstrates, the law can vary greatly across jurisdictions. Please always consult with a professional with significant experience in the jurisdiction where the transaction you are involved in is taking place.
Kendall Burgemeister is an attorney based in Gunnison, Colorado, specializing in water rights and real estate transactions and litigation. Kendall serves as counsel to water conservancy districts, water and sanitation districts, and other water providers. Kendall also represents public and private clients in real estate purchases, sales, leasing, and development.
Open and notorious use is use that puts the true owner on reasonable notice—sneaking water in the middle of the night should not establish an adverse possession claim.
Adverse and hostile use is generally use that is without consent (such as a lease or verbal permission) of the true owner.
Long before I entered the world 56 years ago, the land in Coweta County, Georgia, was already part of my story.
The ancestors of both my mother and father came to Coweta County from South Carolina to farm in the 1830s. As Presbyterians, they founded the White Oak Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1837 in the area that they settled. J. Y. Carmichael, my great-greatgreat grandfather, was the first Coweta farmer to use terracing. Loving the land and putting it to its best use was important aspect of my family heritage.
I am the youngest of three siblings and the only boy. My father, Lisle Bowers, managed the LH Bar Ranch for 25 years. I worked alongside my father on the farm from an early age. When I was about 10 years old, Dad paid me to bale hay at one penny a bale. The farm produced beef cattle and row crops such as soybeans, corn, and wheat. After LH Bar Ranch, Dad built his own dairy. The skills I learned growing up on the farms have been instrumental in my real estate career.
My father could see that Coweta County was changing. Farmland was making way for houses as Atlanta saw growth moving outward. When I was a senior at Newnan High School, with the plan to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, my father said to me, “You’re going to have to find something different to do besides farm.”
After completing my two-year degree at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, I went to the University of Georgia and studied ag economics. While at University of Georgia, I was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and it would be at UGA that I would meet my wife, Dale.
In 1988, I joined my father in the real estate business. He had been selling real estate since 1972, and I started my career from a small desk in a corner of his office where I would stay for 10 years.
In the beginning, I would sell houses, land–anything to make a living. Eventually, though, I specialized in selling large tracts of land finding that I enjoyed connecting the buyer with the right piece of property.
Buddy Burns and I founded Bowers & Burns Real Estate in 2003. We have stayed in the same small office off the Court Square in downtown Newnan. Originally, it was an ideal spot between our homes but now the fact that we have purposefully kept our business model small and recognizable has been advantageous. Since Buddy and I both grew up Coweta County, we have a history of not only the land here and the surrounding counties but the landowners as well.
In this space we continue to share an RLI member’s personal story of what land has meant to their family over the years, decades, and (in some cases) centuries. Enjoy!Lisle Bowers, Sam Bowers, Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright), and Sam’s mother June Bowers (from left to right) at the 1971 Tifton Bull Evaluation Sale. Sam Bowers with his father Lisle Bowers.
My knowledge of the land, not only growing up farming but hunting and fishing gives me a unique, firsthand knowledge of wildlife management, forestry management, as well as pasture and farmland management. It's allowed me to work with my clients to help them find their ideal property while also guiding them in how to manage their new property.
Today, Coweta and the surrounding counties are growing at an exponential rate as the growth in Georgia reaches a new high. Coweta has transitioned from rural to suburban, and our market has expanded covering West Central Georgia as well as parts of eastern Alabama. For over 30 years, we have stayed true to what we know and that is the land. We have five agents that work for us, and we continue to discuss how our business model must adjust with the changing demographics of our area. Still, our business is very much relationship based. Many of our clients are people we have worked with for years, and that happens only because they trust us. Technology is never going to be able to replace that. However, we have stayed on the forefront of mapping technology and drone use to better evaluate land as well as marketing the property.
The use of drones not only gives us easy access to pictures and videos to market the property, but also allows us to evaluate a property for storm damage or even give a client a closer and more personal view of a large tract of land where some areas are not easily accessible.
By implementing various software programs, we can manage day to day operations, such as bookkeeping and website maintenance, in a timely manner allowing me the personal time needed with my clients.
By staying true to our business model, we have been successful even in the downtimes that are a reality for any real estate company. Coweta County is not just a market for me. It has been—and continues to be—home. Dale loves to tell people that on our first date together I told her that I would live and die in Coweta County. After 35 years in Coweta, she finds herself just as rooted to this land. Together, we have shared that love of the land with our daughters, Jessie, 25, and Emily, 20, and we live on land that has been in my family for several generations.
My father has since passed, but I remember those days at that small desk in a corner of his real estate office fondly. His knowledge of Coweta County, love of the land and family, and his honest forthright attitude remain with me. Dad’s attitude was always, “a man’s word is his bond” which is a mainstay within my company reflected in the trust that our clients have with Bowers and Burns. As Dale’s own grandfather use to say, “appreciate and love the land because we are not making more of it.”
Sam Bowers, ALC is co-owner of Bowers & Burns Real Estate in Coweta Georgia. He’s a member of the APEX Producers Club, was named 2003 Georgia Land REALTOR® of the Year and currently serves as the 2023 RLI President-Elect.
Butch Armistead, ALC, George Cliff, ALC, Kent Morris, ALC, and Sam Bowers, ALC (from left to right) at the ALC Board of Realtors Meeting in Griffin, Ga.
1971 Kentucky State Fair – Wayne Templeton (left) and Lisle Bowers (right).
