Three tips for choosing a REIWA agent to sell your rural property

If the time has come to sell your rural property, it is important to select a REIWA agent who understands the intricacies involved and who takes the time to understand what makes your rural property unique.

Samantha Hall

Western Australia has a diverse rural population and an equally diverse range of rural properties. If the time has come to sell your rural property, it is important to select a REIWA agent who understands the intricacies involved and who takes the time to understand what makes your rural property unique.

Here are three things to consider when engaging the services of a REIWA rural agent.

1. Does the agent specialise in selling rural properties?

Selling a rural property is very different to selling a residential property. There are far more moving parts and a lot more information your agent needs to be aware of in order to effectively market it to buyers. Plus, their network of buyers should assist significantly.

An easy way to check if your agent is a rural specialist is to visit their reiwa.com AgentFinder profile to see if they have a Rural Representative REIWA Accreditation badge.

If the agent you are considering has this badge, this means they are leaders within the rural specialty, have over five years' industry experience and complete regular professional development to ensure they maintain a high level of service.

2. Do they have experience selling rural properties like yours?

The term 'rural property' is broad and encompasses a wide range of property types, including but not limited to:

Lifestyle/hobby farms
Working farms
Conservation blocks
Acreages
Self-sufficient properties

It can also include:

Livestock
Farming equipment
Machinery
Water and other licences

It is important that the agent you engage understands your property type and the unique features that set it apart from others like it on the market.

Be sure to ask the agent about their sales experience with your type of rural property and how they recommend you market it to prospective buyers.

3. Can they answer common buyer questions?

Buyers looking to purchase a rural property typically have a lot of questions they need answered, so it is imperative your agent has the skills, experience and knowledge to be able to answer these questions.

REIWA agent and Chairman of REIWA's Rural Network, Mark Murray, is based in Margaret River and has a lifetime of rural in his past including wheat/sheep belt farming. He is passionate about agriculture, is a REIWA Accredited Rural Representative and has extensive experience selling a wide range of rural properties.

What are the soil types?
Are there soil tests and is there a fertilizer history available?
Can I build another house?
How many cows/sheep can it run?
Is there a disclosure statement, and does it contain information about contaminates, boundaries, weeds and resistant weeds?
What are the fences like?
What is the rainfall and what additional water availability is there?
Will further land be available to purchase or lease in the future?
Who are the neighbours?
Can I explain GST to them?
Is there any equipment available such as tractors?
Are there financial statements and information available (if used for commercial purposes)?

If the property the agent is selling is based in the Wheatbelt, those questions might also include:

What are the previous crop types and yields?
How many cows/sheep has it run, and will they be available in a clearing sale?
How many hectares/acres are arable?

It is important that your agent understands these questions and is well prepared to answer them.

As the seller, you can assist by providing all the information you have relating to these upfront so your agent learns the ins-and-outs of your property and can effectively communicate this to prospective buyers.