By Koby Rickertsen, ALC, High Point Land Company

We started before sunrise.

Land changes by the hour. By the wind. By the light. And to get it right, you’ve got to be there, boots on the ground, camera in your hand, and your eyes wide open.

A few weeks ago, I was out on a 160-acre tract near Lewellen, Nebraska. I was there to prepare the marketing materials, photography, drone work, and storytelling. You name it. The kind of prep most folks never see, but all the serious land agents live by.

That day turned out to be a full-on reminder of why this work matters.

A Morning That Delivered More Than Just Photos

The light was soft and low, perfect for those wide-angle shots that do the place justice. As I walked across the field with my camera in hand, I could hear them: turkeys, everywhere. Three toms strutted across the food plot chasing a hen. Jakes pushing the edges. Gobbles echoing across the entire property like a morning roll call.

Whitetail deer moved with calm confidence through the cover, easing into view and slipping right back out. Pheasants flushed ahead of me while I picked my way along Ash Creek. And the alfalfa, fresh cut that week, filled the air with that earthy, a sweet smell you only get out here.

Later that day the clouds broke.

The reflection on the pond was damn near perfect. Two and a half acres of water, glassy and still, with bass and bluegill right below the surface. It looked like a magazine cover, but that kind of shot doesn’t happen by accident. It takes timing, patience, and being willing to get there early enough, and stay late enough, to let the land show you what it has to give.

Cabin Talk, Timing, and a Welcome Party

Later that day, I headed up to the lodge to shoot interiors. A hunter was staying there bow hunting turkey, a friendly guy, full of stories. He told me he hadn’t seen a turkey in several days.

Fifteen minutes later, we looked out and couldn’t believe it: 14 or 15 jakes strutted right up to the cabin like they were coming to file a complaint. Talking, showing off, the whole nine yards. Not 2 minutes later we saw 3 large toms chasing a couple hens through a valley maybe 100 yards from where we stood on the porch laughing, shaking our heads, and watching the show unfold.

That’s land for you. Wild. Timed on its own terms. And always ready to remind you who’s really in charge.

Every Property Has a Story, It’s Our Job to Tell It

When you’re listing land, you’re not just marketing acres, you’re sharing a story. One that only exists on that ground, in that location, with that mix of features, wildlife, and history.

It might be a family getaway built over generations. A hunting camp that produced once-in-a-lifetime memories. A pond where someone’s kid caught their first fish. Or a field where the deer know to bed down just out of sight.

Good land agents pay attention to that story. Great ones help tell it.

That’s what I’m doing when I walk the property. When I study the light. When I talk to the owner. When I listen to the critters. I’m learning what this place is, not just what it has.

Because the story is what sticks with buyers. It’s what helps a family see themselves here. And it’s what helps a seller feel proud when their land changes hands.

The Reality of Marketing Land: It Takes Time

Most people don’t realize how much work happens before a listing ever goes live.

You don’t get great drone shots at noon, You rarely wrap photography in one afternoon and you sure don’t get the story right unless you’ve spent a quality amount of time walking the property.

If you’re thinking about selling a piece of land, here’s the truth: you need to start planning weeks ahead. The best listings don’t happen in a rush.

• Drone work needs ideal weather.
• Photography takes multiple visits to catch the right light and conditions.
• Descriptions should be written after the land’s been understood, not just mapped.
• Marketing that works takes tons of coordination and no shortcuts.

This kind of preparation is what helps serious buyers connect to the property, and helps sellers get the offers they’re hoping for.

If You're Selling, Start Early and Start Right

I’m not saying every property needs a film crew and three months of build-up. But if you want real results, you’ve got to give your land the attention it deserves. That starts by calling your land agent early. Let us plan it out, catch the light, tell the story, and make it hit right when it hits the market.

Marketing land is part art, part brains, part timing. The best results come when all three are working together. None of it comes quick though.

The Wrap-Up

The 160-acre property is under contract now. But the lessons from that day still stick.

Great land speaks for itself, but only if you take the time to listen. And when you’re standing there in the early morning, turkeys gobbling, whitetail deer sneaking around, clouds dancing on the water… you don’t need a sales pitch.
You’re right in the middle of it.

About the Author

Koby Rickertsen is an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), Multi-State Managing Land Broker with High Point Land Company. With deep agricultural roots and a disciplined background in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, Koby applies a data-driven, results-oriented approach to land transactions, ensuring clients maximize their farmland's value.

Learn more at www.HighPointLandCompany.com/agents/koby-rickertsen