The Land Report announces America's Best Brokerages and 2011 Deal of the Year

America's leading land brokers take center stage in the Spring 2012 issue of The Land Report. "Thanks to record-setting gains in several areas of the country, land as an asset class is enjoying unprecedented popularity. The rural land specialists featured in our Spring issue are proven performers, the best in the business," said Land Report editor Eric O'Keefe. More than 100 brokerages were surveyed by the magazine's editors; some 70 were selected for inclusion in this second annual survey of America's Best Brokerages. The magazine singled out the sale of Camp Cooley Ranch as 2011's Deal of the Year. "This $28.5 million transaction may not have been the biggest deal of the year, but it was one of the most complex transactions we've ever been privy to," O'Keefe said. "The iconic ranch was in federal bankruptcy court, it had been quarantined, and was headed to foreclosure when Australian dealmaker Bernard Uechtritz convinced a bankruptcy judge to let him market it to the country's top investors. 45 days later, 22 qualified bidders chased the price up to almost $30 million, and Hall & Hall Auctions gaveled the Deal of the Year to a close." "When it comes to land as an asset class, this issue is a total eye-opener," said Land Report publisher Eddie Lee Rider. "On every metric - number of transactions, dollar value of transactions, total acreage - 2011 was a banner year for America's Best Brokerages. And for American landowners." The pronounced spike in farmland values has been a key driver of investor interest. In its most recent report, the Kansas City Fed notes that farmland values soared in 2011 to all-time highs in the fourth quarter. Complete facts and figures as well as quotes from economists and bankers in the Tenth Federal Reserve District are featured in the spring issue of The Land Report. Founded in 2007, The Land Report is an award-winning quarterly publication whose readership includes investors, leading landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, and brokers from coast to coast. In addition to the print version, the Magazine of the American Landowner can be accessed at Land Report.com and is also available on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.