Midwest Land Management and Real Estate

What Midwest Land Management and Real Estate does

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate, Inc. is an independently owned, Spencer, Iowa-based farm management and real estate brokerage firm founded in 1988. The company serves farmland owners, farm buyers and investors, and farm operators across Northwest Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, with current ownership held by Travis Johnson and Ben Hollesen (since 2016) operating alongside a team of approximately ten farm managers, real estate brokers, an auctioneer, and an office manager. Its core offering is organized into three pillars: farm real estate brokerage (land auctions, private treaty sales, land for rent, swine facilities, acreage and residential listings, commercial real estate, land acquisitions, and a historical sales database); professional farm management (tenant selection, crop planning, input purchasing, lease negotiation, financial accounting, and government program administration across 40,000+ acres); and crop insurance services (multi-peril and hail coverage delivered through carrier relationships with Rain & Hail, RCIS, and NAU Country).

The business operates on three revenue streams: transaction-based real estate commissions on farmland sales and auctions, recurring management fees on the 40,000+ acres under management, and insurance commissions from carrier partnerships. Pricing is quote-based and varies by property and service, with farm management fees disclosed in the 5%-10% of gross farm revenue range. Distribution combines on-the-ground field sales, live and online land auctions, a property listings website, and an email notification subscription service for upcoming auctions and listings. Marketing channels include the company website, blog content, social media across Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and professional memberships in ASFMRA, NAR, the Realtors Land Institute, and the Iowa Auctioneers Association. The proprietary land values database is used to deliver complimentary Brokers Price Opinion evaluations and underpins the firm's comparable-sales expertise in its service territory.

The technology footprint is conventional service-business tooling: a WordPress-based website with property listings, auction schedules, and blog content, plus email and social media channels. There is no disclosed proprietary software platform, no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML capability. The competitive position rests on the AFM accreditation held by co-owner Travis Johnson, the deep tenure of the team (14-50+ years per member), and the accumulated transactional dataset from decades of farmland sales across the region.

Name

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate

Legal name

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate Inc.

Website

https://midwestlandmanagement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate is an independently owned Iowa-based firm providing farmland brokerage, professional farm management, and crop insurance services to landowners, farm buyers, and operators across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm Real Estate Brokerage and Farmland Management

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmland Brokerage (Row Crops, Specialty Crops) (BPAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Residential & Acreage Homesites Brokerage (BPAJADAE), Ranches & Livestock Properties Brokerage (BPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Farm real estate brokerage
• Professional farm management
• Farmland auctions
• Crop insurance services
• Agricultural land sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Spencer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Farm Real Estate Brokerage: Commission-based real estate sales and auctions of farmland properties across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Services include land auctions, private treaty listings, land sales, and land acquisitions.
2. Professional Farm Management: Management fees for overseeing farm operations including tenant selection, crop planning, input purchasing, financial accounting, lease negotiations, and government program administration.
3. Crop Insurance Services: Commission revenue from selling crop insurance products (multi-peril crop insurance, hail coverage) to landowners and farmers through partner providers Rain & Hail, RCIS, and NAU Country.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate is a regional farm management and farmland real estate brokerage firm. It brokers the buying, selling, renting, and auctioning of farmland, swine facilities, acreage, and commercial real estate; provides professional farm management covering tenant selection, crop planning, input purchasing, financial accounting, lease negotiations, and government programs; and sells multi-peril and hail crop insurance through partner carriers to landowners and farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

Product overview

Midwest Land Management and Real Estate is a farm management and real estate brokerage firm operating as a multi-service platform across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. The portfolio consists of eleven distinct products organized around three core pillars: Farm Real Estate Services (Land Auctions, Land for Sale, Land for Rent, Swine Facilities, Acreage & Residential Listings, Commercial Real Estate, Previously Sold Farm Land, and Land Acquisitions), Farm Management (professional management including tenant selection, crop planning, financial accounting, and government program administration), and Insurance Services (crop insurance including MPCI and hail coverage). The offering also includes a complementary Free Real Estate Evaluation service and a Land Notifications subscription. The company was founded in 1988 and is independently owned, currently operated by Travis Johnson and Ben Hollesen who transitioned ownership in 2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Auctions Professional Midwest land auction services in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, including marketing, due diligence, and auctioneering to maximize sale prices for farmland properties ranging from small tracts to 564+ acres.
• Land for Sale Private treaty listings of farmland for sale across multiple counties in Northwest Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, marketed through the firm's website and broker network.
• Land for Rent Farmland rental services connecting landowners with farm tenants and managing ongoing lease administration across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
• Swine Facilities Sales Sale of specialized commercial hog buildings and swine facilities ranging from 4,000-head to 9,060-head capacity across Northwest Iowa, available via private listings and public auctions.
• Acreage and Residential Listings Listings and brokerage of rural acreage and residential properties in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota for both agricultural and residential use.
• Commercial Real Estate Brokerage for commercial properties across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, including office, restaurant, and customizable business-use spaces.
• Land Acquisitions Buyer-side farmland acquisition service helping clients source and purchase properties ranging from 40 to 2,500 acres, including 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange planning.
• Professional Farm Management Ongoing professional farm management covering tenant selection, crop rotations, input purchasing, farm repairs, grain marketing, financial accounting, government program administration, and crop insurance coordination, tailored to each owner's goals.
• Crop Insurance Services One-on-one crop insurance sales for landowners and farmers, including multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI) and hail coverage, offered in partnership with carriers Rain & Hail, RCIS, and NAU Country across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
• Free Real Estate Evaluation Complimentary Brokers Price Opinion service evaluating farmland value using soil types, percent of tillable acres, location, drainage, farming practices, yield history, fertility, and current government programs.
• Land Notifications Subscription Subscription-based email notification service providing subscribers with upcoming land auctions, new land for sale, land for rent listings, and latest auction results.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Rain & HailcoreOthersCrop insurance provider partner offering multi-peril crop insurance and hail coverage to farmers and landowners in the Midwest region.
• RCIScoreOthersCrop insurance provider partner offering risk management products for agricultural operations across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
• NAU CountrycoreOthersCrop insurance provider partner specializing in agricultural insurance solutions for Midwest farmland owners and operators.
• American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA)keyOthersProfessional membership organization providing accreditation (AFM designation) and industry standards for farm managers and rural appraisers.
• National Association of Realtors (NAR)keyOthersProfessional real estate association providing licensing standards, industry guidelines, and professional development for real estate brokers.
• Realtors Land Institute (RLI)keyOthersProfessional land real estate organization specializing in farmland and rural property transactions.
• Iowa Auctioneers AssociationkeyOthersState association supporting licensed auctioneers in Iowa, including those specializing in farmland auctions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Tillable: Tillable is a digital farmland rental and management marketplace connecting landowners with farm operators. It overlaps with Midwest Land Management's land-for-rent and farm management offerings through an online, tech-enabled model.
• AcreTrader: AcreTrader is an online farmland investing marketplace that allows investors to buy fractional or whole farmland properties. It represents a tech-enabled alternative channel for farmland transactions, potentially competing for sell-side mandates and investor demand.

Direct peers

• Hertz Real Estate Services: Hertz Real Estate Services is a long-standing Iowa farmland real estate and farm management firm offering brokerage, auctions, and property management across the Midwest. Its service portfolio (land sales, farm management, auctions) closely mirrors Midwest Land Management's offerings.
• Peoples Company: Peoples Company is an Iowa-based farmland real estate brokerage, land management, and appraisal firm serving the Midwest. It competes head-to-head with Midwest Land Management in farmland brokerage, auctions, and farm management across overlapping Iowa counties.
• Murray Wise Associates: Murray Wise Associates is a farmland auction and brokerage firm specializing in Midwest agricultural land transactions. It competes directly in the farmland auction space and serves similar institutional and individual sellers and buyers.
• Whitaker Marketing Group: Whitaker Marketing Group is a Midwest farm real estate and farm management firm offering land sales, auctions, and professional farm management services. It overlaps with Midwest Land Management across farm management mandates and brokerage transactions in Iowa and surrounding states.

Regional players

• AgLand Real Estate: AgLand Real Estate is a regional farmland brokerage serving Iowa, Minnesota, and surrounding states. It competes for farm real estate listings and auctions in the same Northwest Iowa and Upper Midwest geography.

Broad incumbents

• Farmland Partners Inc. Farmland Partners is a publicly-traded REIT that acquires and manages row-crop farmland across the U.S. While a buyer rather than broker of farmland, it is a major counterparty in Midwest farmland transactions and a relevant comparable for managed-acre scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MidwestLandMgmt
• Facebookfacebook.com/midwestlandmanagement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwestlandmanagement
• Instagraminstagram.com/midwestlandmanagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Midwest Land Management and Real Estate