Clark & Associates Land Brokers, LLC: Real estate agency specialized in farm, ranch, recreation and auction properties

Lusk – Cory Clark received his bachelor of science from Chadron State College in Nebraska and quickly started his real estate career.

“In 2000, I joined Pearson Real Estate in Buffalo,” Clark shares. “At the time, John Pearson was the real estate broker and sold a majority of the farm and ranch real estate, and that’s what I wanted to do.”

Over the course of four years, Clark learned all he could and started his own company – Clark & Associates Land Brokers, LLC.

“I launched the business with two of my closest college rodeo friends, Mark McNamee and Denver Gilbert, both of whom have offices in Buffalo and Billings, Mont.,” he says.

The three friends continue to run the company today with 25 licensed agents throughout six states including Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado.

The company has sold over $100 million worth of agricultural property per year for 10 consecutive years.

First steps in purchasing a property

Throughout the years, Clark has accumulated a few tips for new property owners.

“The first step in purchasing real estate is finding a good agent who knows the area, current market and availability of properties that match the needs and desires of the client,” says Clark. “Just like getting a good attorney, doctor or accountant, a full-time and knowledgeable land broker is important when buying and selling real estate.”

The company takes pride in hiring individuals who started out from hard work- ing ranch roots – “living the life” of ranchers – which allows agents to develop a true insider’s point of view and knowledge of the land.

Real estate myth

Purchasing property is a big financial decision. Finding a real estate agent that understands the market is key.

“In my opinion, a myth about real estate is that it’s easy,” Cory says. “One needs to be educated about the market and what the client is wanting to buy or sell including: water and mineral rights, easements, current land values, 1031 tax regulations, title insurance, carrying capacity, soil types and real estate contracts – just to name a few.”

It’s like any other profession and it takes hard work with a solid understanding, he explains.

Marketing approach

Clark & Associates has a proven track record of selling over 90 percent of the properties they list. The company takes pride in offering the highest quality service coupled with excellent results for both buyers and sellers.

Additionally, the company has been named one of America’s Best Brokerages by The Land Report for 10 years in a row. It takes determination from all the brokers and real estate agents to serve the people of Wyoming and surrounding areas.

For each listing, Clark & Associates provides complete and accurate information on both their website listing and property brochures. Included in the listing are property maps, color photographs and a comprehensive report listing water rights information, forage production, mineral rights, livestock carrying capacity, leases, cash flow and social, cultural and recreational amenities of the property.

Listings of potential properties are made available to millions of people throughout the U.S. and the world. It’s the goal of Clark & Associates to customize advertising on a case- by-case basis so each listing is accurately marketed and reaches the maximum number of potential buyers. Employees attend regular training seminars on taxation, financing, sales, listing and marketing properties, appraisals, trust and advertising, ethics and easements to stay up to date on current information to better serve the community.

Clark & Associates also offers auctioneer services in conjunction with McNamee Land & Auction Company, which is owned by Cory’s real estate partner Mark and his brother Michael McNamee, who is also a sales associate with Clark & Associates. Together, Mark and Michael have operated their own auction company since 1977 and they offer a one- stop-shop when it comes to real estate, machinery and livestock auction needs.

Community involvement

Not only do Cory and the rest of the Clark & Associates team focus on helping resident and non-resident owners of Wyoming purchase properties, in recent years the company has assumed additional responsibilities of helping new ranch owners find the right people to operate the ranch to its greatest potential.

“In addition to consulting with the owner regard- ing the production and/or marketing of crops and livestock, lease negotiations, developing an overall ranch management program and budget, we also work with the ranch manager to put these plans in to action,” reads the Clark & Associates webpage. “Throughout this relationship, our top priority is providing excellent representation to the owners of these ranches while striving to improve the quality of their real estate investment.”

Providing top-quality ranch management services to ranch real estate investors is their way of ensuring this legacy will continue.

Clark & Associates tries to give back to local communities when given the opportunity to do so by attending junior livestock sales, fundraisers, hosting Roping for Toys events and supporting local FFA and 4-H pro- grams, Clark shares.

The company is also involved with several associations and organizations, including: National Association of Realtors, Wyoming Association of Realtors, Montana Association of Realtors, Douglas Board of Realtors, Realtors Land Institute and the Colorado Multi-Listing Service. 

Great partnerships and friendships

There are many great services the company offers, and Clark has enjoyed his time with his company.

“Being surrounded with great partners, associate brokers, sales agents, web designers and office staff for the past 21 years has allowed us to create a company that takes pride in brokering farm, ranch and recreational properties,” concludes Clark. “Having the ability to wake up every day and meet new clients, reunite with long-term clients that have become friends and see new properties throughout six states is truly a dream job for me.”

For more information, visit clarklandbrokers.com and mcnameeauction.com.

Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.