Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Agriculture Real Estate??

I am interested in knowing any thoughts on what farmers are looking for from an ag real estate ad or realtor. I want to know the type of person you might want to be looking on your behalf and what type of qualifications they  have to help you.

- is it better that they tell you right out about their farming experience or should they prove it to you through their use of knowledge

- How do you go about finding farm land, hobby farm land, or acres with a home on it?

Any thoughts and advice would be great :)

mac

Views: 149

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on July 4, 2011 at 9:45am

Hi Mackenna,

If you are looking at farmland, I would stick with someone who knows agriculture.

We have alot of good members on www.realestate.farms.com website.

Hope this helps,

Joe

 

Permalink Reply by David Kopriva on July 5, 2011 at 3:55am

What great questions.

First of all if you are selling a farm you have to prove its viability especially if it is an existing operation. Too many realtors are very inexperienced when it comes to selling the business end of the farm. They show the houses but nothing on  the operation and cash flow statements. Can't live on a farm if it is not viable. Another argument that can be used by the realtor is to state that it is the future owners responsibility to envision the farms future. This is true only if it is not an ongoing operation. Even if it is an annual crop that was grown on the land a realtor should have detailed information on the crops grown on the land for the past 5 years and types of fertilizer and herbicides used. The realtor should also have detailed soils survey from the current owner if the current owner farms the land. Any farmer worth his/her salt has this information on a split second notice ( or at least should have). This type of information can help sell the operation and also get a premium for the farm.

Permalink Reply by Mackenna Roth on July 5, 2011 at 4:02am

Thanks to both of you.

 

Joe - I am looking to see what qualities a person might look for in a person who sells AG real estate vs actually buying farmland.

 

David - thank you for the information. It is very true that with farm real estate you need to know as much about the land as you do the buildings on it.

 

Mackenna

Permalink Reply by John Schwartzentruber on July 5, 2011 at 6:29am

If I were buying a farm, I'm not sure that I would take the realtor's or the vendor's word on the viability of the farm. After all who's responsibility is it to know what will work?

 

Furthermore, it would be interesting to assess the stand-alone viability of many of the farms that have sold in this area in the past year or more. Growing legal crops, that is . . .

Permalink Reply by Greg Edwards on July 6, 2011 at 6:50am

I am not a farmer, but I do plan on buying arable land in the mid-term and perhaps in the long term farming such land. 

 

To date I have made several serious enquiries about certain parcels of land, while I don't know much about farming I know enough to ask some basic questions regarding crop history, soil samples and typical yields.  Every realtor I have asked these questions of either did not know the information or stated that such information would be provided on making an offer.  Sorry, but both excuses are weak.  I kind of want to know that information up front when considering a purchase.

 

I should say that my father has been in the real estate business for close to 40 years.  He has never really sold farms or arable land.  If he listed such property he may not know enough about the business end of the operations to speak to them with any confidence. 

 

I think there may be a need for realtors with expertise in farming, but to effectively do so they would have to have enough business to make specialization worthwhile.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Colouring a Safer Future for Farm Kids

CASA is engaging young Canadians in farm safety education through a national Kids FarmSafe Colouring Contest launching ahead of FarmSafe Week 2026.

Alberta Grains invests in new research projects through Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute funding call

After participating in the 2026 funding call from the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI) and completing a comprehensive review of submitted proposals, Alberta Grains has committed to co-fund three new research projects totalling $27,317 at institutions across Canada that will deliver tangible benefits for barley growers. “Investing in practical, farmer-focused research is central to Alberta Grains’ mandate,” said Tasha Alexander, chair of the Alberta Grains Research Committee and a farmer near Brownvale, Alberta. “These projects reflect the kind of innovation that can help improve agronomic performance, strengthen disease resistance and support the long-term competitiveness of Canadian barley.” BMBRI’s research priorities focus on advancing malting barley breeding and production practices to meet the evolving needs of both growers and end users. This includes developing higher-yielding varieties with improved resistance to disease and environmental stress, enhancin

AgriStability enrolment deadline April 30

Weather extremes, rising input costs, market volatility, and supply chain disruptions can all have a serious impact on a farm’s bottom line. AgriStability is designed to help producers manage these challenges by providing whole farm income protection when it’s needed most. The deadline to enrol in AgriStability is April 30. Enrolling by this date ensures coverage for the current program year and protects operations against unexpected income declines. Protecting against a range of risks Significant drops in profitability. AgriStability offers support when a farm experiences a significant drop in overall profitability. If a producer’s margin falls by more than 30 per cent compared to their historical average, the program provides financial assistance to help offset the loss. Entire farm operation coverage. Because it is based on the entire farm operation — not a single crop or commodity — AgriStability is especially valuable for Alberta’s diversified crop and livestock producers. Outs

Spring land application - Make the most of it

“Applying manure and other nutrient sources including compost, digestate and other organic materials to land in early spring can be challenging, but when planned right, it helps keep nutrients in the field and makes every dollar work harder,” says Deanne Madsen, nutrient management specialist with the Alberta government. While applying nutrient sources at rates closer to crop uptake can improve nutrient use efficiency, spring is often a constrained and busy time of year. For many livestock producers, manure application timing is driven by the need to empty manure storages and clean out pens. Field conditions and available labour also play an important role. From a nutrient timing perspective, spring application can work well for all agricultural producers, but it also comes with a risk of nutrient loss. Early spring snowmelt and rainfall can move nutrients off fields before crops or forages are able to use them. These losses reduce the agronomic value of those nutrients. They can als

Spring Economic Update Sets the Stage for a Challenging Year on the Farm

While the federal 2026 Spring Economic Update does not introduce new farm programs, it outlines economic priorities that will shape the operating environment for Canadian agriculture.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service