Potlatch Brokers boast Accredited Land Consultant designation
Potlatch is proud to work with a team of real estate brokers who are expert in their profession, gained through years in the field and professional designations. If you are thinking about buying recreational property, it makes sense to work with a real estate professional who focuses on that every day, says Tom Smith of Tom Smith Land and Homes in Ridgeland, Mississippi., part of the Potlatch Preferred Broker Network.
It’s an added bonus for the buyer when the land professional is a Realtor that has the title of Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) from the Realtors Land Institute. Both Mississippi brokers on the Potlatch team hold these credentials – one is Smith and the other is Scott Lindsey of United Country Gibson Realty & Land Co. in McComb, Mississippi.
So how do you become an ALC? The Realtors Land Institute (RLI) requires numerous hours of training, designed to develop a deep understanding of everything involved in selling land. Then, combine that with a pledge to act in an ethical manner, along with regular attendance at RLI events to share best practices, and you have Realtors who bring a professional set of skills and real estate-related abilities to every transaction they manage.
There are only about 350 Accredited Land Consultants worldwide, and their success and skill is reflected in their proven track record of transaction performance and their commitment to professional growth.
And that skill, commitment and experience can translate into saving time and money for the buyer.
“An ALC will have the ability to quickly understand a buyer’s objectives, and to match those objectives with the right land, for a price that works,” Lindsey says. “And sometimes those objectives may change as the buyer learns more about what’s possible in terms of budget, location and other factors.”
For example, a buyer may think of rejecting a certain tract because it doesn’t offer quality wildlife, but an ALC can bring to the table the resources and experts needed to suggest such strategies as planting food plots, while analyzing whether spending money makes sense vs. looking at another property.
As part of Smith’s and Lindsey’s work, they share information and best practices both with other brokers in the Potlatch network as well as as with other Accredited Land Consultants, on such topics as wildlife management, reaching buyers, and timber pricing.
“In the Potlatch network, and as an ALC, we know this is a relationship business,” Smith says. “A buyer needs to trust you, first and foremost. And for me, the ALC designation definitely lends credibility, as does involvement with Potlatch.”
Deciding who you are going to work with is a critical step in the land buying process. Look for more information throughout 2016 as we look at the credentials, ongoing training and designations that help set our brokers apart. Start with a Potlatch broker, and you’ll find credibility, experience and skill, every step of the way.