WESTERN REAL ESTATE

COWBOY LOGIC

ARTICLE BY ANGELA LEIST

‘It is what it is’ In life I have come to know there are many things we cannot control, or change. In ranching; the price of cows, hay, fuel and other expenses are not things we can control, therefore, ‘it is what it is’.

My life has taken me far from the world that I was raised in and dropped me in a role that I could never have dreamed, even in a million years. I am Angela Leist and I was raised in a small village in rural Australia. After spending five years at a boarding school in Sydney, I went to college and ended up with a rather useless Bachelor of Arts degree. At the age of 23, while on a scholarship to train horses in the U.S. I found myself at the Arizona Cowpunchers Reunion in Williams, Arizona where I met my husband. We were married two weeks later. Currently we run a family sized cattle ranch in the high desert of Central Arizona located in rugged country between Trout Creek and the Big Sandy. When we decided to list our ranch for sale last year, I called Tamra Kelly at Ag Lands Southwest. After spending a day with Tamra touring, discussing and studying our ranch to prepare its listing, I became excited about the idea of becoming a ranch real estate agent.

After some intense, rapid studying and a few tests, now low and behold, I am a licensed, active real estate agent. I’ve hung my license under Ag Lands Southwest, and have another feather in my cap. I have become a wife, mother of four, rancher and ranch real estate agent all in the span of six years, and I am still to hit the big 3-0, mind you. The life I have lived in this short time has given me a unique view, and while I still act my age occasionally, I have learned some tiny bits of ‘cowboy logic’ that help me get through both my daily walk, as well as navigate my way through my new professions as a rancher and a ranch real estate agent.

‘Read the situation’ Some days I wish it wasn’t true but the fact is, cows do not talk, and people often say one thing, but mean another. But if you pay attention and have a bit of knowledge to back it up you can read between the lines and make decisions on the fly to help the day go smoothly. Like learning how to read words, reading cattle can be broken down into simple parts like letters in the alphabet; body language, physical characteristics and daily routines are the basis of understanding cow behavior and developing ‘cow sense’. Throw in different breeds of cattle, weather, calving, predators and the effect of human handling on a cow and you have a much more complex story to understand. Being able to ‘read the situation’ while working with cows, could mean that the cow that has been fighting you to go in the line out and go has a little baby that was left behind, maybe she is tight bagged and a lion got the better of it, maybe she is that cow you bought from the sale that day and hasn’t been handled well in the past, but the decision you make next is crucial, do you pull your rope down or let her go back to get her baby? The quicker you can develop ‘cow sense’ and are able to ‘Read the situation’, then the quicker you are on your way to being helpful to someone handling cattle, instead of just filling a hole.

‘It is what it is’ In life I have come to know there are many things we cannot control, or change. In ranching; the price of cows, hay, fuel and other expenses are not things we can control, therefore, ‘it is what it is’. In ranch real estate I have also found this to be true. I feel as though a lot of ranch sales can be broken down into a few algorithms on a page, how much, how many cows, break up of the land and a list of the improvements. The ranch is what the ranch is. There is no way around it. I live in some of the most beautiful, rugged and challenging country in the United States of America. Personally, the sight of the cactus blooming and the crimson sunsets, mild winters as well as the wide open spaces and lower cost of living are big advantages to living in this area. To another they might not be. It is very important to discuss things with a potential buyer like, ‘are you familiar with desert ranching?’, because here the ranch ‘is what it is’. You may have to haul water and it is likely through the summer you will be in triple digits. But once those things are made clear, and the pros and cons of the area are truthfully and thoroughly explained, then many people start to see the desert in a totally different light.

‘Hustle’ This attribute, I feel is the most mistaken for the action of ‘hurry’, but the terms are absolutely not interchangeable. To hurry, in ranching terms, is to move from point A to point B in as quickly as possible. To hustle on the other hand denotes the fact that while you may be moving at a slightly quicker speed you have to have awareness of every little thing going on around you, and the sense to do the things that need doing along the way. For example, checking waters may be the most underrated job on a cattle ranch. If you live in Arizona though, checking your waters effectively is 75 percent of your job. In relation to real estate, ‘Hustle’ is everything. From the minute you decide to go through your schooling and become a real estate agent, I feel like you know if you are cut out for the job. If doing your school is difficult for you, it is probably time to choose another profession. Because selling ranches is something that shouldn’t require a lot of hard thinking. You need to be available, willing and always thinking of how you can help your client, buyer or seller achieve their goals. It is about matching the right people with the right ranches. And that requires answering a lot of phone calls, emails, early meetings, and late night conference calls. As a buyer I have seen first-hand what happens when you do not jump at the opportunities that are presented to you. And as an agent I don’t want any of my clients to ever feel as though they have missed out because of lack of HUSTLE on my behalf!

‘Timing is everything’ While the world turns upside down through the effects of COVID-19, with unemployment through the roof and businesses shut down throughout the nation as well as the world, it may surprise you all to hear that ranch sales in our area of the world have actually spiked! There are many factors which I believe have spurred this reaction. Perhaps folks are wanting to be part of an essential business, realizing that the security of being a primary producer means that your job is rather secure. Maybe the dreamers who are at home unable to work have more time to search the internet for their dream job, or the idea of living in a secluded location away from others has never been more inviting. Before COVID-19, living out of the cities, ten miles down a dirt road off the grid with no neighbors might not have been a positive choice for many families. If you are buying or selling I feel as though right now the market is moving and many people are setting things into motion to change the rest of their lives. When the timing is right, the decision to do something is easy, or at least easier.

Overall, I have found that as a rancher and real estate agent there are many times where one has to be flexible, adaptable and ready for their day to have unexpected turns, and to just take it in your stride, all while maintaining a good attitude. A bit of cowboy logic when buying ranches, running a ranch or raising a family, I assure you, will go a long way. It sure has helped this Aussie gal to settle into a new world, and a new life, in the greatest country in the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Angela Leist is an Associate with Ag Lands Southwest, LLC who, with her husband, owns and operates a family cattle ranch in Mohave County, Arizona.

ABOUT AG LANDS SOUTHWEST, LLC: Tamra Kelly, Owner and Designated Broker of Ag Lands Southwest, LLC a real estate agency representing both buyers and sellers of working cattle ranches, farms and other agricultural properties in Arizona and New Mexico.