Not long ago, I got a call from an older attorney buddy who said, “Hey, I know someone knee-deep in a ranch sale mess and they need help.” Naturally, my curiosity kicked in. Turns out, it was an 820-acre ranch in South Texas that had been passed down to multiple heirs—because nothing says “family bonding” like splitting land and opinions ten different ways.
After some good ol’ fashioned disagreement (and possibly a few awkward Thanksgiving dinners), the family ended up with a court-appointed attorney running the show. They had already tried listing the place with a seasoned local broker who, bless their heart, brought in about as many buyers as a lemonade stand in a rainstorm. A year went by… zero offers. Enter me.
First stop: a meeting with the executor. I gathered surveys, documents, and everything short of the family tree. After giving the ranch a once-over on the map, I made the trip down to see it with my own two eyes. Let’s just say—this place wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Think overgrown trails, busted fences, and a general vibe of “We gave up around 2007.”
So, I rolled up my sleeves and put together a fix-it list. Nothing crazy, but enough to make sure a buyer didn’t need a machete and a prayer to tour the place.
Once the duct tape and elbow grease phase was mapped out, I sat down with the executor and laid out some selling strategies. We landed on splitting the property into two tracts—because sometimes, two ranches are better than one. This not only made sense geographically, it opened the gates to more buyers with different budgets.
I dove into a deep pricing analysis—think spreadsheets, comps, off-market intel, and a little help from the grapevine. I laid out the numbers, helped the family make an informed decision, and we were ready to rumble.
Marketing a ranch isn’t like putting a couch on Craigslist. Each one needs its own tailored plan, and I take that seriously (but not too seriously). Once the sellers approved the plan, our marketing team went into full cowboy-mode—top-tier videos, sharp photography, signage you could see from space, and polished ads across the board.
Then came the hustle. Calls, emails, broker lunches, showing after showing (15 total!). Eventually, the right buyers came along for both tracts. The ranch got sold, the family got closure, and I got to help some good folks move on to their next chapter—with a few stories to boot.
So, if you or someone you know needs help selling a Texas ranch, give me a call. I won’t bite. Worst case, you get some free advice from a guy who’s seen a few things. Best case, I help you knock it out of the park. And if I’m not the right fit? I’ll connect you with someone who is. My goal’s simple: help good people get good results.
Call me anytime—I’m here to help.
Chris Stearns
📞 C: 210-425-5956
