Testimonials

Jane A.

Jane contacted The Loranda Group to auction her farmland in Central Illinois and take advantage of a very active market for Class A Central Illinois farmland.

"The Loranda Group impressed us with their informative brochures andland sale notices...years before we ever contacted them. Once we did discuss a sale, they were very responsive, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, shared their recommended marketing plan.

"Loranda arranged an auction date, and set up the location and auction brochure. They placed professional signage and advertisements throughout agricultural and localpublications. On the night of the auction, the room was filled; Loranda had created the atmosphere conducive to a successful sale.

"Auctioneer LeeAnn Moss...worked her magic until reaching a very acceptable final bid. After the sale, Loranda made certain that contracts were signed properly and all details were ready for a closing.

"The Loranda Group’s attention to detail made a complex transaction successful and as stress-free for us as possible. I am very pleased that I read their brochures over the years so that...I had the perfect team to call. Thank you, Loranda Group!"

“The Loranda Group's attention to detail made a complex transaction successful and as stress-free for us as possible.”

Martha Gummerman

Martha Gummerman wanted to sell some hunting property, just when the recreational land market began to soften.

"After my mother died in 2006, I needed to sell the 200 acres my parents had begun purchasing some 35 years earlier. I interviewed a half dozen realtors and was impressed with how professional Loranda is.

"The Loranda Group...guided me through every question and detail with patience. They marketed my farm to a large area and worked diligently to make an attractive presentation.

"I had the farm on the market for a year and a half. Loranda did not rush and kept me in the loop with frequent communication about the process. Even with a market downturn, I did well due to Loranda's hard work. They were down to earth, professional, and knowledgeable, and they made me feel very comfortable in their ability to do the job.

"I highly recommend the Loranda team. We consider them friends and great businessmen."

“Even with a market downturn, I did well due to Loranda's hard work.”

Jean Johnstone

Jean Johnstone and her sisters turned to The Loranda Group for help in selling their family farms in Ogle County, Illinois.

"I have no farm or real estate background, and The Loranda Group helped us decide whether to broker the farms individually or have an auction. We eventually decided on an auction, and The Loranda Group guided me through every question and detail with patience," Jean says.

"They really know what they’re doing, and do it extremely well. They visited...where the farms are located and got acquainted with the land, the area and the people. Then they launched a widespread and very effective marketing campaign. They had everything absolutely fine-tuned and ready to go, right on schedule. They kept us apprised of their efforts with weekly reports, focused on doing the best job for us and providing thorough information for buyers.

"On top of that, they were down to earth, professional, knowledgeable, humorous, and just made us feel very comfortable in their ability to do the job for us. We could not have asked for a better team—plus, they got us an excellent monetary result!"

“We could not have asked for a better team—plus, they got us an excellent monetary result! ”

Marty King

Marty King, Associate Executive Director, of the Illinois Baptist State Association, came to rely on The Loranda Group to help them sell the Association’s 217-acre farm in LaSalle County, Illinois.

The property and the project presented some unusual challenges—an abandoned railroad, an existing farm lease, a declining land market, restrictive zoning rules, and a mixture of tillable land, non-farmed tillable land, and pasture. After employing another agency for more than six months, Marty turned to Loranda.

“We literally could not have done it without you! If I can ever provide a reference or recommendation for you or Loranda, I would consider it a privilege to do so. You worked hard and brought a level of expertise that we didn’t even know we needed.”

“You…brought a level of expertise that we didn’t even know we needed.”

Katie Knepper

When Katie Knepper and her siblings began thinking of selling the family farm, she and her siblings were “totally against auctions.” Meeting The Loranda Group led to a change of opinion and a highly successful sale for Katie’s family.

“With Loranda, we probably got a couple hundred thousand more dollars out of our farm than we would have, because we would have sold it as a single farm,” Katie says, adding that Loranda broke the property up into six parcels.

“About 70 acres of the land was not tillable, and the banker didn’t think that was worth anything. But Loranda did a great job with marketing and with the auction, and we actually got more out of the untillable land than the tillable land! There’s no way we could have done that ourselves.”

“With Loranda, we probably got a couple hundred thousand more dollars out of our farm than we would have.”

Ada Shissler

Ada Shissler and her family wanted to sell their large farm in western Illinois. A realtor herself, Ada knew that the success of the sale would be directly dependent on the ag real estate company they chose. The research and selection process was time consuming; the family ultimately chose The Loranda Group and Ada was pleased with the results.

"I want to commend you for the outstanding work you did in marketing our farm. You were very professional in...every aspect of the transaction. You were thorough in assessing the farm and establishing a realistic price; you developed accurate and attractive marketing materials, targeted the right potential buyers, and gave the property broad exposure through the appropriate publications and on the internet.

"You provided guidance and helped negotiate fair contracts for the sale of the farm. You were conscientious about following up with the due diligence, attending to details, resolving issues, and, most importantly, maintaining communication throughout the entire process.

"As a Realtor myself, I can appreciate the difficulties involved in transactions as complex as these. You were exceptionally competent, and you made the experience as easy as possible for us. It would be my pleasure to recommend you to anyone considering a farm sale. You can be assured that I would give you the highest possible praise."

Gratefully,

Ada Shissler

“You developed accurate and attractive marketing materials, targeted the right potential buyers, and gave the property broad exposure through the appropriate publications and on the internet.”

Bob Weller

When Bob Weller and his siblings needed to sell their parents’ farm in Clinton County, Indiana, they turned to The Loranda Group.

“Everyone had looked at selling the farm the way it was then, a whole farm, and no one thought about what was more valuable for the land in the future rather than how it had been used for the last 40 years,” Bob says.

“The Loranda Group...said it’s better to market the land for redevelopment as residential housing sites, and they parceled it and sold it for that....We probably got double to two-and-a-half times what we would have gotten through a traditional sale with a normal real estate agency. And they helped us through every step in the process—including finding resolution to some environmental issues.

"LeeAnn conducted an unbelievable auction. All through the process, the people at Loranda were so easy to deal with, and they...really went the extra mile for us.”

“We probably got double to two-and-a-half times what we would have gotten through a traditional sale with a normal real estate agency. ”

Steve Worner

Steve Worner is an Illinois farmer, and he turned to The Loranda Group for his first property sale, which involved a 1031 exchange.

“When I wanted to do a 1031 exchange, The Loranda Group not only found a buyer, but also followed the entire transaction through to completion. They were very thorough and did a great job,” Steve says.

“The main benefit they bring is the quality of the people they have working for them. Their response time is very quick, and they just take care of business. I would go back to The Loranda Group without hesitation.”

“Their response time is very quick, and they just take care of business.”