" Thank you, Fred. It was your expertise that guided me and my family through this huge business operation! Thank you so very much...If I had another farm to sell, I would certainly enlist your help!! I want to tell you again that it has been a blessing & a pleasure to work with you! Thank you! "
"I want to express my sincere appreciation for the fine service you have supplied to me and my family attendant to the sale of the family farm. In my thirty plus years of business experience, I cannot recall receiving more valuable or timely professional service. From our first discussion on the phone, I was impressed with your competence and your reliance on the storehouse of data collected and managed by Benchmark Agribusiness. Through the course of your appraisal of the farm, your consultation regarding the merchandising of the property, and finally the expert advice in support of pricing and positioning the offer to sell, you have dealt effectively and respectfully with my inexperience in agricultural matters and inspired the confidence I needed to responsibly represent the interests of our family. That you are capable of delivering such relevant expertise with a congenial, steady and modest style is the bonus that made this whole experience pleasurable for me!" "I regret only that I have no other business interests that would be the basis for working with you again in the future."
"As an out of state owner needing advice and a local presence in this endeavor, I had no idea how much help you would prove to be when I asked if you did that sort of thing. ...The suggestion of using differing sales techniques from private treaty, to realtor, to public auction proved insightful and profitable. Your availability for consultation by phone and to "hold my hand" through the process was invaluable. In addition to my satisfaction, both the realtor and the auctioneers expressed their appreciation for your help and suggestions, echoing many of my comments above. Your services made a process which could have been very difficult a real pleasure. I particularly appreciated your technique of "thinking out loud" and allowing me to make the eventual decisions with your insight. I felt confident throughout that we were pursuing the right course with the right people and in the end continue to hold that opinion."
Dr. Dan's family had owned almost 500 acres in North Central Iowa since 1942. The decision to finally sell the Iowa real estate had been in the discussion phase for five years. Based on Benchmark's advice, Dr. Dan sold part of the property privately to an investor who will rent back to a tenant, part of it was sold by a realtor and part was sold through a professionally conducted public auction. Benchmark suggested the family spend $600 on a survey of 29.0 acres of permanent pasture so that parcel could be offered separately from the adjoining cropland. The pasture brought $1,075 per acre or $31,175. The cost of the survey was recovered 50 times over. Based on Benchmark's advice, Dr. Dan listed the 50 acres mature woods for $6,000/acre rather than the $3,000/acre price recommended by the listing broker. The woods sold for $5,700/acre.
"Benchmark Agribusiness provided an appraisal of my land which was conducted and delivered with complete professionalism. Even more importantly, Mr. Greder's consultation services guided me every step of the way through the sale. Fred's "above and beyond" service saved me thousands in commission. It also brought the investor segment to the auction, which resulted in significantly higher competitive bidding. Benchmark Agribusiness and Fred Greder gave me a sale that exceeded my expectations."
"The Jury delivered a verdict. We won 100+% of everything. You did an awesome job. They gave us more than what we asked for and you were a big part of it."
When John first inspected the farrowing site he had acquired by Tax Deed, he discovered the prior owner had removed all of the crates, decks, gates, waterers and feeders. He made several attempts to convince the former owner to return all of these real estate fixtures. However, the former owner was convinced the equipment belonged to him. It took three years of haggling and eventually a three-day jury trial but finally, John prevailed. The jury awarded more than the "value-in-use" valuation for the hog equipment taken from the site and they awarded a very generous amount for the three years of rental income John had lost during the process.
On behalf of Women, Land & Legacy, I would like to thank you for speaking for our group last Thursday and for sponsoring our meal. Some words the ladies used to describe the value of your presentation were "Great Speaker!" and "It was valuable to learn about CSRs and find out what your land is worth." They felt the information presented was very useful to them.
Let Benchmark look out for you. Here are three examples of how we can help:
That auctioneer is an honest man but, on that day, he was looking out for himself more than his client.
We value our relationship with the local lenders, lawyers, real estate agents and auctioneers.
