Sometimes the Best Advice Comes From the Wrong Perspective

When people begin the process of selling farmland, one of the first things they often do is ask others for advice.

Neighbors, tenants, family members, bankers, and friends all have opinions. Many of those opinions come from people who are credible in their own way.

But there is something farmland sellers should remember.

Most advice given to farmland sellers actually comes from a buyer’s perspective, not a seller’s perspective.

And those are two very different things.

A buyer naturally hopes the price will be as low as possible.
A seller hopes the process will create the highest possible price.

Those goals are not the same, and advice shaped by one perspective does not always serve the other.

Over the years, I’ve seen this play out many times.

Early Experience With Online Farmland Auctions

At DreamDirt, we began experimenting with online farmland auctions as early as 2008, long before the industry widely accepted them.

In fact, many auction companies didn’t seriously adopt online auctions until the COVID pandemic in 2020 made them necessary. By that time, we had already spent years refining our processes—studying bidder behavior, developing better bidding platforms, and learning how farmers interact with technology.

Many in the industry first learned about online farmland auctions simply by watching ours.

That early experience gave us confidence that online auctions could work extremely well for farmland sellers.

Still, whenever families begin preparing to sell land, someone usually says:

“Farmers won’t bid online. They want to attend a live auction.”

There is some truth to that. Auctions can be social events in rural communities. People enjoy gathering together, visiting with neighbors, and watching the bidding unfold.

But there is another side to that reality.

The Hidden Dynamic of Live Auctions

In small rural communities, people know each other well. Everyone understands the social hierarchy.

When bidding happens publicly, there can sometimes be what I call “social friction.”

If a well-known landowner or large operator raises their hand to bid, others may hesitate to compete directly with them. Sometimes it’s out of respect. Sometimes it’s etiquette. Sometimes it’s simply human nature.

But regardless of the reason, that dynamic doesn’t always serve the seller.

Online auctions remove much of that friction.

Bidding becomes private.
Everyone competes on equal footing.
And the focus stays on the value of the land—not the personalities in the room.

A Family Estate Sale That Proved the Point

One sale in particular illustrated this in a memorable way.

The family involved had five heirs. Four had moved away from farming, but one son had remained on the farm and was actively farming the family ground. When their parents passed away, the estate included the farmland he had been operating.

The family was thoughtful and respectful with one another, and the on-farm heir was understanding of the need to sell. Everyone genuinely wanted to make the right decisions together.

During our meetings, I explained both options: a traditional live auction or an online auction.

Most of the family liked the idea of selling online.

But the on-farm heir strongly disagreed.

“You have to have a live auction,” he said more than once.
“Nobody wants these online auctions.”

He had a list of reasons.

Some farmers don’t trust the internet.
Some don’t understand the technology.
Some would rather show up in person.

These concerns come up often, so we offer something called a bidding site—a physical location near the property where anyone uncomfortable with computers can come and have our team help them place bids online.

It keeps the auction online while still providing assistance for anyone who needs it.

Families appreciate having that option.

Interestingly, what we’ve learned over the years is that very few people actually use it. Most bidding sites don’t even get a single attendee.

Despite what people assume, farmers are often more technologically advanced than the general public. Their equipment, record keeping, agronomy systems, and machinery rely heavily on technology.

A Change of Perspective

As the auction day approached, everything was in place.

About two hours before the auction was scheduled to end, I noticed a new bidder registration come through.

It was from the brother who had argued most strongly against the online auction.

I knew he had interest in purchasing one or two of the tracts himself, which is common for the on-farm heir. But seeing him register online caught my attention.

So I gave him a call.

Part of me thought he might have been trying to register for the bidding site instead and had accidentally signed up for online bidding.

When he answered, he said something I have never forgotten.

Without hesitation he said:

“I’m just going to stay home and bid where I have privacy.”

Then he laughed and added,

“Plus I can get up and go to the bathroom anytime I want.”

I smiled and asked him,

“So you’ve warmed up to the idea of online auctions?”

He replied,

“I think this is the way to go. I understand it much better now. At first I thought you were crazy. Now I see why it works.”

Then he added something that stuck with me.

“I’m glad I don’t have to go somewhere today. I don’t have to answer questions, and I can have my banker on the phone with me if I need to.”

We talked for a few more minutes, and before hanging up he said something that meant a lot.

“Thanks for not giving in to me when I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

There was no hostility in his voice—just honesty, and maybe a little relief.

In that moment, he was standing on both sides of the table.

His family land was being sold, but he was also a buyer hoping to keep part of it in his operation. That can be a difficult emotional position, especially when families are still grieving the loss of parents.

The online auction gave him something he hadn’t expected:

Privacy.
Flexibility.
And space to think.

What This Experience Reinforced

That conversation reminded me of something important.

Innovation isn’t about forcing change.

It’s about helping people discover that something new can actually serve them better than they expected.

Sometimes the strongest objections simply come from people who haven’t experienced the process yet.

Once they do, their perspective often changes.

Thinking About Selling Farmland?

If you’re considering selling farmland and want to understand your options — including whether an auction or listing strategy makes the most sense — we’re always happy to have a conversation.

Jason Smith
Broker & Auctioneer
515-537-6633
[email protected]

Our past auction results can be found here.