Whitaker Marketing Group

What Whitaker Marketing Group does

Whitaker Marketing Group (WMG) is a privately held farmland real estate brokerage and auction house headquartered in Huxley, Iowa, operating across all 99 Iowa counties and four additional Midwest states (Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska). Founded in 2008 and co-owned by David and Ann Whitaker, the firm runs a transaction-based model combining live public land auctions with simulcast/online bidding (via bid.wmgauction.com), private listings, farmland appraisals, and ongoing farm management services (tenant selection, lease structuring, crop planning, soil monitoring) for properties ranging from 40 to 4,000 acres. A secondary line provides certified benefit auction fundraising services to nonprofits.

The technical stack is conventional for a regional auction house: a simulcast auction platform, HiBid integration for personal property auctions, county-level farmland market data tools, and Corn Suitability Rating 2 (CSR2) soil productivity analysis. The firm does not employ AI/ML capabilities and pricing is quote-based, with commissions and fees varying by transaction type and property value. Revenue streams include farmland sales commissions, auction fees, appraisal fees, managed-service farm management fees, and professional services for benefit auctions.

WMG is a small (1-10 employees) but award-decorated firm, recognized as an RLI APEX 2025 Top Twenty National Producer, Land.com Land Star Top Producer (2025), Crexi Platinum (2026), and Land Report Best Brokerages. Its competitive positioning rests on David Whitaker's industry leadership (Chairman, Iowa Auctioneers Association; President-Elect, Iowa Realtor Land Institute) and a multi-state agent network rather than on proprietary technology or scale advantages.

Name

Whitaker Marketing Group

Legal name

Whitaker Marketing Group

Website

https://wmgauction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farmland Brokerage & Auction Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farmland Brokerage (Row Crops, Specialty Crops) (BPAJADAA), Ranches & Livestock Properties Brokerage (BPAJADAB), Recreational Land Brokerage (Hunting, Fishing, Wildlife) (BPAJADAD)

Keywords

• Farmland brokerage
• Land auction services
• Farmland appraisals
• Farm management
• Benefit auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Huxley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Farmland Sales Commission: Commission-based revenue from selling farmland through auction or private listing methods across the Midwest
2. Land Auction Services: Fees from conducting live and simulcast land auctions for farmland, recreational land, and commercial properties
3. Farm Management Services: Ongoing farm management fees for tenant selection, lease management, crop planning, soil health monitoring, and financial reporting
4. Farmland Appraisals: Professional farmland appraisal services for valuations used in sales, lending, estate planning, and taxation
5. Benefit Auction Fundraising: Professional auction services for nonprofit fundraising events, led by certified benefit auction specialists

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Whitaker Marketing Group is a Midwest farmland brokerage and auction house that sells farmland through live public auctions with simulcast online bidding, private listings, and off-market deals across all 99 Iowa counties and surrounding Midwest states. It complements brokerage with professional farmland appraisals, ongoing farm management services for absentee landowners, and benefit auction fundraising services for nonprofit organizations.

Product overview

Whitaker Marketing Group operates as a unified land brokerage and auction platform offering multiple interconnected services. The core offering combines farmland sales brokerage and real estate auctions (both live with simulcast online bidding), supplemented by farmland appraisals, professional farm management services, and benefit auction fundraising. Additional value-add services include educational resources, market data tools, and a free farmland valuation calculator. The company serves landowners, investors, and families across Iowa and the broader Midwest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farmland Sales & Brokerage Full-service farmland real estate brokerage connecting buyers and sellers across Iowa and the broader Midwest, offering farmland through both auction and private listing sale methods.
• Real Estate Auctions Live public land auctions with simulcast online bidding capabilities for farmland, commercial properties, residential acreage, and recreational land across all 99 Iowa counties and Midwest states.
• Personal Property Auctions Online auctions for personal property including equipment, vehicles, and household items conducted through the HiBid platform.
• Farmland Appraisals Professional farmland valuation services using market data, comparable sales analysis, and CSR2 soil productivity ratings for selling decisions, estate planning, lending collateral, and tax matters.
• Farm Management Services Full-service farm management including tenant selection, lease structuring, crop planning, soil health monitoring, financial reporting, and risk management for properties from 40 to 4,000 acres.
• Benefit Auction Fundraising Services Professional benefit auction services for nonprofits and charitable organizations, including event consultation, item selection guidance, brand ambassadorship, and master of ceremonies duties, led by certified Benefit Auction Specialists David and Ann Whitaker.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2022 Sioux County state record: 38 acres sold for $23,000 per acre ($24,498.60 per tillable acre)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• RE/MAX (Sean Asada and Haylee Quirk)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Collaboration with RE/MAX agents Sean Asada and Haylee Quirk on Webster County Iowa farmland auction, demonstrating co-marketing and co-selling partnership for mutual client benefit in agricultural real estate transactions.
• Boa Safra AgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhitaker Marketing Group partners with Boa Safra Ag to provide tax savings services for owners of cropland, ranchland, and timberland. Through this partnership, they help clients take advantage of specialized tax incentives including the Legacy Nutrient Deduction to reduce financial burden while keeping farms profitable.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Crexi: Online commercial real estate marketplace that surfaced Whitaker via its Platinum Award; not a brokerage itself but a marketing and lead-generation channel and potential competitive marketplace for land listings.

Direct peers

• LandProz: Midwest-focused land real estate brokerage and auction company serving Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and surrounding states — comparable online auction model and farmer/landowner customer base.
• Peoples Company: Iowa-based farmland brokerage and auction firm operating across the Midwest with integrated land management and investment services, directly comparable to Whitaker in target customer, geographies, and auction-led sale method.
• Murray Wise Associates: Midwest farmland brokerage and auction firm serving institutional and family farmland owners; comparable auction-led sale method and Midwest geographic focus with similar investor clientele.
• Hall and Hall: Large U.S. land real estate broker and auction house specializing in farms, ranches, and recreational properties, with comparable auction methodology and investor-oriented clientele though broader national reach.
• Sullivan Auctioneers: Midwest-based auction firm conducting farmland, equipment, and benefit auctions using simulcast/online platforms; comparable live-plus-online auction model and benefit-auction fundraising service line.
• Hertz Farm Management: Iowa-headquartered farm management and real estate brokerage firm serving the Midwest with combined farmland sales, auctions, and farm management services — directly comparable service mix.

Emerging players

• BigIron Auctions: Online auction platform for land, equipment, and personal property popular in rural America; a partial competitor in online farmland sales and an alternative simulcast auction venue for Midwest sellers.
• DVAuction: Online simulcast bidding platform widely adopted by auctioneers for farmland, equipment, and livestock auctions; a partial overlap with Whitaker's simulcast capability and a potential technology partner or competitor in online land bidding.

Broad incumbents

• Farmers National Company: National farmland real estate brokerage, farm management, and auction firm with broader geographic reach and significantly larger scale; competes for the same farmland sellers and investors as Whitaker but at a national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WMGAuction
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Iowalandguy/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/Whitaker-Marketing-Group-598943010470840
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whitaker-marketing-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/wmgauction
• TikToktiktok.com/@farmlandguy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whitaker Marketing Group