#45 - Leadership and Land: Geoff Hurdle’s Approach to Big Deals

Want a clearer path to owning land, and a sharper playbook for selling it with integrity? In this episode of The American Land Seller, we sit down with Geoff Hurdle, respected land developer, broker, and 2026 National President of the Realtors Land Institute.

Geoff shares how he buys, develops, sells, and finances rural land, often breaking larger properties into three to five acre tracts that make land ownership more accessible for first time buyers, hobby farmers, and families looking for space.

We talk about owner financing, structuring fair deals, and working with buyers through challenges without lowering professional standards.

The conversation also dives into Geoff’s leadership role with the Realtors Land Institute, the value of the ALC designation, and why education and relationships continue to be the foundation of strong land brokerage.

In this episode we discuss

• How smaller tract development can open the door to land ownership
 • Owner financing strategies for rural land buyers
 • RLI’s role within NAR and why education matters in land brokerage
 • Why boots on the ground experience still beats relying only on technology
 • Lessons from the COVID era surge in rural land demand
 • Transitional land opportunities for builders and developers
 • The power of relationships and conferences in building a land career

Geoff also shares his priorities as RLI National President, including growing membership with quality professionals, increasing engagement within the organization, and ensuring education keeps pace with a rapidly evolving land market.

Connect with Geoff Hurdle

Work Phone: (615) 815-9364
 Email: thelandman@geoffhurdle.com

 Website: http://geoffhurdle.com

The American Land Seller Podcast

Hosted by Koby Rickertsen & Brittany Murphy, The American Land Seller explores the people, strategies, and stories shaping the land industry across America. From farm and ranch brokerage to development and investment, each episode brings insights from professionals who live and work in the land business every day.

For more episodes and resources visit:
 www.americanlandseller.com

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Transcript

Introducing Jeff Hurdle

SPEAKER_05 0:05

Hey everyone, before we jump into this week's episode, I want to give you a little context. This conversation with Jeff was actually recorded last year, right before we hit the pause button on the American Land Cellar. You know, at that time we were in the middle of the beginning of building Iron Horse Land Company, and it required our full focus. So the podcast took a little bit of a back seat for a season, but this conversation was way too good not to share. We just wanted to share with you that this is a little bit of old information. Jeff is officially the Realtor Land Institute president right now. And so when he starts talking about what he's gonna do next year, it's this year. And the principles, the leadership, the strategies we discussed are just as relevant today as they were then. I'm glad we're finally bringing it to you. I hope you all enjoy. This week, on the American Land Cellar, we sit down with 2026 Realtor Land Institute President Jeff Hurdle. Jeff is a respected leader in the land brokerage space who has built his career around discipline, relationships, and long-term vision. Jeff brings decades of experience navigating land transactions, market cycles, and the realities that separate hobby agents from the true land profession. We talk about what it really takes to build credibility in this business, how markets are shifting beneath our feet, and why the agents who win long-term are ones to commit to mass creatures, not shortcuts. If you care about the future of land brokerage, this is one you don't want to miss.

SPEAKER_04 1:40

Welcome to the American Land Seller Podcast, with your hosts, Kobe Rickardson and Brittany Murphy. Kobe is an accredited land consultant and the CTO managing broker of Ironhorse Land Company, a multi-state land brokerage specializing in farm, ranch, recreational, and development land across the heartland. Brittany is the chief marketing officer of Ironhorse, bringing top-level marketing strategy, brand development, and creative execution built specifically for the landfills. Each week, we bring you real-world insight and expert conversations on land sales, marketing, regulations, economics, and the trends shaping the land market across America.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Okay, Kobe, and our special guest, let's get started.

SPEAKER_05 2:32

All right, welcome back to the American Seller Podcast. We are here with the great Jeff Hurdle today. Jeff, how are you this fine day? Great as a stretch, Kobe. I'm great. How are you doing? I wanna I want to make you feel real good when we get started here, Jeff, so you smile the whole time. We don't want to have any any confusing looks or frowns or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

I gotcha. I gotcha. I appreciate you having me, Kobe.

SPEAKER_05 2:58

Yeah, this is fun. Jeff, you know, um I wanted to kind of start out. You have like so much stuff that you're that you're into, but I know that you are getting ready to take over the Realtors Land Institute as the president next year. Kind of wanted to talk a little bit this first segment about what is that like, you know, like what is it like to be, you know, taking over some the brains of of an industry, especially, you know, in the wake of uh of the president we have this year. He's been kind of a fun one and probably be a tough act to follow.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Wow, that's that's a loaded question when you mentioned Dan.

SPEAKER_05 3:32

Don't like that guy.

RLI’s Role Inside NAR

SPEAKER_03 3:34

I'll apologize for those viewers who will be looking at the camera, but I've got a dual screen setup, and Kobe's over here, and my camera's over here, and I don't like looking at that when he's over here. You don't know what kind of faces he's making at me. So anyway, I'll go back and forth. Wow, uh yeah, for those that don't know, uh the Realtors Land Institute, we're all things land. Under everything is the land is our motto, and uh I am next year 2026's national president, following Dan Murphy, the 2025 national president, who happens to be my daughter's father-in-law. And that gets confusing because Dan and I have known each other and Michelle's wife for years prior to the kids even meeting. And uh that's a whole story that could I could use the whole podcast for when I won't, but nonetheless, Dan and I are are close, and I couldn't be happier to run behind him, but unfortunately, I'm after Dan. Dan's a big powerful speaker, big, you know, West. He says from Mexico to Canada, he sells all things right in the Rockies, and I'm just a developer in Tennessee and Georgia and do a little land brokerage work too. But RLI is it's a it's a great organization. It's powerful. To be president is humbling. I had no idea when I joined in 2018, just five years ago, well, seven now, that I'd be in this position. But I'm glad to do it. I'm glad to serve, I'm glad to give back. It's given a lot to me. I've got clients and friends that I would not have without this organization. And Kobe, you know what I mean. When I say it's family, it's a big one, but it's it is family.

SPEAKER_05 5:04

Yeah, that's it is um an incredible organization. I think man, I must not have joined too long after you did. It's like it's been seems like it's been forever, but I guess it own it hasn't even been ten years yet.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

And I said five, jumped quick to seven because I had to be a member five years to run for president. And uh there's another little story there where I had to wait another year, but I can't believe that's been two years ago. Running the elections when I became a vice president. Yeah. Crazy.

SPEAKER_05 5:32

Yeah, no, I can't imagine what the uh what the schedule is like for you guys. Like this, even now you're in meetings quite a bit, and you know, like and I think the great thing about RLI is the voice that we give to the National Realtors Association. You know, like um I didn't realize until last year when I agreed to serve on a NAR committee for RLI that that was the case. The the Realtors Land Institute really is woven into NAR, and I think they, you know, from the way it looks, they take us fairly seriously on a lot of issues.

Travel, Time, And Leadership Load

SPEAKER_03 6:06

Yeah, we we are part of NAR. We are one of the commercial affiliates. There's you know, there's us, there's CCIM, there's SIOR, there's others. And so we are officially part of them. Um we're you know, but we're on the commercial side. We're obviously most of NAR is it focuses on residential and rightfully. So but yeah, you're talking about time spent. Last week I was in Austin, Texas at a commercial affiliates meeting hosted by SIOR. We before that I was in Chicago at the NAR uh leadership summit. September I go back to Chicago for the CCIM C5 commercial conference. I'd be there for four nights. And luckily our offices are in Chicago, so I can swing through there and do it, you know, kind of make two two things out of one trip. But yeah, there's a lot of travel, a lot of time. I've got a meeting when as soon as we get off here, I'm gonna be logging in late to a budget and finance meeting for RLI. But I like I said, it's you know that going in. You accept it going in. Delta is now my friend. In the last couple years, I've done more flights than I have in a while. But yeah, it is time consuming. That it is.

Finding RLI And First Deal Win

SPEAKER_05 7:14

Yeah. What what when you I mean you're you've joined fairly recently for somebody that's gonna be the president. Um, did you know like what got you into the to the Realtors Land Institute? What what forced you to to pull that trigger after being in business for quite a few years?

SPEAKER_03 7:32

I started uh my business in 1992, which was part of my father's development business that he started in 1969. He'd never heard of RLI. Actually, I didn't discover it after he passed. But I'll tell you, and it's kind of they laugh on the executive committee. We talk about, yeah, how did you discover RLI? And I'm like, uh a Google search looking for something totally different. I stumbled across it, and I just hit like okay or whatever and saw what it was, and and I thought, well now these are I've been in the land business at that point. It was about thirty years. I'm like, well, I'll just I'll join, you know, and and see what they have to offer. And I hit the join button, dropped in my credit card, and I went on to what I was looking for. All of a sudden I start getting emails and I get the uh what do they call those, the e-properties across emails, and then a few weeks later they announced the National Land Conference, which I'll I'll pitch a couple of different conferences here today. National Land Conference is heaven on earth in the land business. It was in Nashville, and at the time I lived in Nashville. So I immediately, you know, that'd be an easy one to go to. So I joined the National Land Conference or registered for. And uh between registering and actually going to conference, I got an e-property from now the the the infamous Rayburn Taylor. And he had a property in in Polk County, Georgia, and I looked at it and we ended up talking about it. And at the conference, I signed the contract to buy in the lobby of the Hilton in downtown Nashville. And he during the conference we negotiated back and forth, and before it was over with, I had it bought and I developed it and let Rayburn sell it for me. So that's how I found it, and that was my first interactions with it. And when I went to the conference that year, I sat in awe. I bought a ticket to the Apex Awards and didn't even know what they were, but that looked felt like, well, an awards banquet, there's got to be some pretty good action going on there. And that's when I saw Dan and his brother go across the stage with all those different awards, and I thought, man, that I want to meet that fella. And here we are six, seven years later. But yeah, I f I've stumbled on it on a Google Google search and uh been the best ad that ever came across my screen. Uh I was I was happy. I had been very happy with it, obviously.

SPEAKER_05 9:42

That's insane because you know, like that's probably a shout out to Google, even if it is kind of a mistake. No, that's uh I didn't I didn't have Google, but I did kind of look into uh um you know, like what would help me um with education was my big thing into the land world. Uh so I think that was my Google search was um land, you know, like uh farm and ranch real estate education, and that's you know, that's where I found RLI and one. Was a realtor, and so uh it kind of kinda made sense to join them, and I I have not had one bad thing to say about them since then. They are a great group.

Education, ALC, And Community

SPEAKER_03 10:20

They certainly are. Yeah, education that that's our mantra, man. We we have obviously we bestowed the ALC designation and the coursework it takes to get that along, and there's even more. I mean, you don't have to take every single class. There are electives in some of that. We have our core, of course, but our education is by far top notch. I mean, and we're continually improving, updating, and changing and adding. So yeah, you can you can pitch the education or RLI and uh no one could ever say anything other than high praise.

SPEAKER_05 10:50

No, that's that is definitely the truth. And even despite some of the um their instructors, because I I do that.

SPEAKER_03 10:59

And I know of whom you speak, Mr. Taylor. No, I'm just kidding. He's the good fella. Let's see, what else about uh I'm sitting here looking to my left. I've got a uh I guess you call it a collage of pictures. Uh when I ran for president, I took a trip around the country uh solo in a R V visiting people who would ask me to come by during my what ended up becoming like a campaign. Go ahead and put it out there. If you ever get on RLI's Facebook page and you say, Hey, who wants to who wants me to swing by? That would be everybody. And uh I didn't have time for that, but I'll this I made this little collage, I'm not sure you can be able to see it. But this is when I and I s these are just some of the pictures that I took when I was on the trip, but I keep that right there on my desk. It reminds me every day of why I'm doing what I'm doing and and why it means so much to me, because of the people in these pictures, uh they've become some of my dearest friends over the last seven years. Yeah.

Goals As President: Quality And Involvement

SPEAKER_05 11:51

No, it's a like I said, it's it's a good organization, and so I think you're gonna be an incredible president. I think it's gonna be, you know, it's just it's one of those things where you get get one year to do to do something, and so I hope what uh normally when you get one year, you get you like pick one or two things that are gonna be your big focal point. So when you take over, what what is it you're gonna focus on as the president?

SPEAKER_03 12:16

Well, first it's uh the presidency is one year, but uh when you when you decide to do this, it's four years, and you're you're an executive committee member for those four years, and they start asking for your input right away. And of course, I mean we always want everybody's input. I had a call with Aubrey just a little while ago, and I'm I'm gonna get some of the words wrong because I sell dirt. All this other stuff I'm doing, I get confused sometimes on what they call it. But we've we've got our education still growing. I want membership to grow, but I want it to grow quality-wise. I don't want to grow just to have numbers. And I want the apathy of the members to go away. And if you're a member, look at me right now, get involved, stay involved. I cannot tell you how many I mean, I'm not gonna say dollar-wise, but how many deals I have done that I would not have even had an opportunity if it wasn't for RLI and being involved. So growth of membership, a growth of quality membership, and then involvement of the people. I'm doing and I'll always do this, but I'm gonna try to be a little more focused on it during my my year's presidency to get people off the fence and just get involved. And I don't mean run for president, I mean go to a chapter meeting, get on a on podcast with Kobe, look up the members and see if there's anyone you can reach out to that might have an interest in what you do and see if y'all can put a deal together. Come to conference. Certainly come to conference. Uh getting involved doesn't mean you have to lead. But if you do get involved, you might get that urge. I'm just saying, it happened to me.

SPEAKER_05 13:47

That's I mean, really, where I think that's that's what I have learned is is that um if you're a passenger on most organizations, you really don't know what you're missing until you get dig into it. And then reality is, is you know, like you've you're getting the same paycheck that I am. So I mean to be president, and so um it's a great opportunity to make an impact in the industry, which was my goal from the very beginning, was is to make a positive impact in the industry. And so being a part of the of the organization on the committees, and and that's that's just a great way to leave your mark a little bit, you know, even if it's not a whole lot.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 14:28

Everybody involved that I have met is incredible. I mean, the people are just in absolutely top notch. So yeah, that's I think uh that you know, like you, Dan, Matt coming behind you, you know, like you guys are, you know, to have that team together to kind of look at, you know, like what do we want to accomplish. I I think it's great that that focusing on quality membership is probably, you know, the best thing you could could to to focus on.

National Land Conference And Chapters

SPEAKER_03 14:55

I'm gonna give it a shot. Well, I am gonna focus on it. I hope I can have an impact on the numbers, both membership and those involved who are members. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:05

And I and to help you out, I think a little bit, the um this year's um which which committee is it that I'm on that's working on calling everybody. We're we're calling trying to ta touch base one-on-one with all the members in the organization to just kind of go over what's available to them and to encourage them to, you know, to you know, serve on a committee or or do that.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_05 15:29

So I think uh I think future leaders is the one that we're doing that in.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

And yeah, I didn't uh need to know what was going on. That's that's good to know. Yeah, uh good to know.

SPEAKER_05 15:38

It's uh it's a big project, but we've kind of divided all the members up amongst all the people on the committee, and I think I've got about half of mine left to call, but um but we've been working on that, and so I think that'll help out a lot with your mission next year to to get people to uh to step up and and want to do more.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

So I will mention getting involved is uh is also like I said coming to conference. So our 20th annual land conference is in March in San Antonio in 2026. So I would encourage listeners, you want to check that out. That that is not anything once you go, you won't miss another one if you can help it. Yeah, it really is fun.

SPEAKER_05 16:20

Got my uh got my plane book, my room reserved, and so we're we're going whether it happens or not, I guess. So hopefully there's stuff to do in San Antonio.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

I will be there. There's a lot to do, yeah. It's always in a fun spot. We always have a good time, especially the after hours. It is very fun.

Sponsor: The Land Report

SPEAKER_05 16:37

Well, I know you gotta get off here soon, so let's take a quick break and we will be right back.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

All right. The Land Report. The American Land Seller Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Land Report. For landowners, investors, and land professionals who want more than headlines, the Land Report goes deeper. Market trends, data-driven insight, and long-form storytelling focused entirely on land. This is not residential real estate news. This is land, big land, working land, legacy land. Visit thelandreport.com and see why it remains the most trusted publication in the land industry.

SPEAKER_05 17:21

All right, we're back here with Jeff Hurdle from Hurdle Land Company. Is it land company or land realty? It's Hurdle Land and Realty. Land and Realty. All right. I knit like I tell people every time, Jeff, that it's by the time we get through the last segment, I'll have this down. So it's kind of my way of getting to know people better is to have have people on here so I can have a good solid understanding of who you are and what you're doing by the time we get to the end. So here we go. Let's talk, let's talk about your business. Um, because I think like out of everybody that I've had on here, yours is more development. And you said to me something, and I and I'll admit this, like Jeff, you're a huge inspiration to me. Like I have always ever since the first postcard that I got when you were running for a director spot, like way back in the in the day, um, like I was so impressed by that that you took the time to, you know, that was how important it was. And so it was easy to not knowing anybody in the in the RLI at the time, super easy for me to vote for you because it was important enough for you to send a really high high quality postcard out to the members to to tell them who you were. Well, thanks, Brittany.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

My daughter ran my campaign, and I know you know Brittany.

SPEAKER_05 18:40

Yes, I do. So but uh so we're like we are I'm wanting to talk to you just a little bit about like the business side of it and what you're doing because it is kind of unique in the sense of and and what I was getting with getting to was you told me one time that your belief was that everybody ought to own a piece of land. And so your goal was to make that affordable and easy for them to do, you know? And so I I'd like to just dig into that a little bit about your business model, what you're up to in a couple of states out east of me, I guess. So I'll just let you go.

Making Land Ownership Accessible

Working With Buyers Through Hard Times

COVID Demand And Sales Surge

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Um well, it started. Well, I'll give you I'll give you the hundred thirty thousand foot and then I'll go back to the detail. Sure. We buy, develop, sell, and finance rural tracts of land, usually three to five acres. That's in a nutshell what we do. It started in 1969. My grandfather bought some property, he was a he was a farmer in Mississippi, in northwest Mississippi, bought some property in Walton County, Georgia, east of Atlanta, about thirty-five miles. And um back in the sixties, you know, if you wanted to develop anything, you needed a dozer and a truckload of gravel, you could build a road. And that's pretty much how it went. Uh so he developed it and uh sent my dad and a cousin down there to handle the sales. And a period of time goes by and they sold it all and grandfather said, All right, well, come on home, see what's gonna happen next. And uh and my dad did go back home. Well, I was one, maybe two at the time, but we moved back, and almost immediately the flip-flopped and came right back to Georgia because he understood that model and understood the customers because he was the one dealing with them day to day and then and the desire that people had to own a piece of dirt. And so he came back and until the day he died he did the same thing. He'd buy, develop, sell, and finance rural farmland. So I got into it in 1992, right out of college. Well, technically I got into it as when I was old enough to hold a hammer right on the back of his bronco, because I was his lackey. I would I would nail signs to trees all summer long. But I loved it. I mean, it was a great road trip so when dad was ready to go to South Carolina to do a deal. I was I was the first one to jump in a truck. So I got into it and st and have and am still in it. Uh we it's kind of a simple philosophy, and it's actually part of our website and part of our mantra is uh the Americ to own the American dream. That that's our our goal is to allow someone to own a piece of America. Not we can't make it for everybody. Not everybody wants to be in the places we go, and not everybody wants as small or as big of a track as we have, but anybody can afford to buy from us. And that was the idea. We just made it super simple and it's worked. And it's worked through economic cycles through, you know, in Dad's lifetime, you know, the oil embargoes and crashes of the market in the seventies and the eighties and the nineties and me, real estate crashes, COVID, all those things. And it just it just clicks right on through. It never really takes a break. There's you know, because we finance and we are the bank, we have the issues that any bank would have. We have people who don't like to pay. So, you know, the old adage you don't pay, you don't stay. But In our case, if you don't pay, we reach out and ask, What's going on? You know, why why can't you pay? If you're a a landscaper and you're work for yourself and it's rained for the last thirty days and you can't get out and do anything, call me and you say, Look, I I've hit a snag. We work through that with you. You lose your job. Now, we've had deaths in the family where people they get off track and uh we understand that. And so we've we in our model we have ways to allow them to get back on track. And and we're honestly we're proud of it. We're proud not that not proud that somebody's going through a rough time, but we're proud that we're we're able to not be that bank that says, you know, smack you on the hand and take your land away and go about our business. But there have been times, you know, where people don't listen or don't hold up their end of the bargain or or or do it every month. Every month, well, this week I'm a landscaper. Well, this week I was roofing houses and it rained, you know, so we do have to do deed backs and foreclosures on people. Not saying we won't do it. We just tried to work with folks. And so I've built a business of notes receivable and uh that kind of it's kind of the business model.

SPEAKER_05 23:10

Well, and I think what I think is the most interesting thing about it is is you've got everybody from somebody that builds a pretty nice home on a track land to all the way down to people that either just go out there with tent camper or they, you know, you know, like and everything in between. And so it truly is selling the American dream.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

You know, our our properties are all zoned ag typically. We don't have to rezone them. Uh we we look, you know, we understand there's a set of rules, and we have to and we can only do this in counties where you're allowed like one home per per however many acres in an ag zoning, and that's kind of what we we model it by. So you will have people who immediately will get out there and grade and clear and and start building a house. Manufactured housing is big on our properties. We allow, and this is what kind of people get kind of confused, but we allow any commercial agricultural enterprise. So we've I've got a couple of cases where somebody bought it and just put up greenhouses and they they farmed it or under glass. And we've had people who just farm it and they live, you know, a few miles down the road, but they have whatever a soybean crop, five, ten acres of soybeans, and that's that's their hobby farm. I don't know anything about soybeans. Uh I should know more than I do since we had some then in Louisiana, but I don't think you can make a living on five acres of soybeans. So that's just something they do as a hobby. So yeah, we we have you're right, we have all points in between. And you'll have a soybean farm next to a greenhouse, next to a manufacturing home, and then a stick belt house. I mean, that's just they don't really care. That's just they want to be out in the country, and we gave them the opportunity.

SPEAKER_05 24:43

Yeah. Was like a lot of guys that I talked to people that were selling stuff, you know, like we had lots uh near one of the lakes in Nebraska that we were selling during that period of COVID. I would imagine that that got to be a pretty popular idea is to, you know, like I want to get out of the city type of thing, even.

Sponsor: Iron Horse Land Company

SPEAKER_03 25:01

I got I was so nervous, like everybody in the world was, they started putting restrictions, you know, you can't leave your house or you gotta wear the mask, this or that. And I had just bought a piece um in Georgia, and it was 326 acres, I think. It ended up being 57 lots. And um that hit. And I thought, oh no, what's this? You know, I always wondered when's the end gonna come, you know. Man, Kobe, I was selling six and seven a week. I think one day it'd be sold like 14 lots that they signed contracts on. I didn't have anything left to sell after about 90 days. I was uh I was pretty happy with that, considering how nervous I was.

SPEAKER_05 25:44

Yeah, I mean, and and that's the crazy thing about that period of time, though, is like you're not wrong. There was, you know, like there was a lot of stuff that we were into that was like when that happened, it was like, oh man, this is this is gonna, you know, end our world for a while. And it turned out to be one of the best things for Nebraska real estate just because we had all the I jokingly call them political refugees that we had come into the state from other parts of the world that were a little stricter than what Nebraska was. And so, but no, it was it was a fascinating time, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

Yeah, it sure was. I don't want to go through it again, even for the sales, but I'm glad it affected the real estate market the way it did, at least my real estate market.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Well, let's take a quick break and uh we will be the American Land Seller Podcast is proud to be sponsored by Iron Horse Land Company. At Iron Horse, land is not a side business, it is all we do. From farms and ranches to recreational and development companies, iron experience, land expertise, boots on the ground experience, and market and every listing. Whether you own land today or are planning for the future, Iron Horse Land Company helps landowners make confident, informed decisions. Visit Ironhorse Land Company.com to learn more.

SPEAKER_05 27:05

All right, we are back here with Jeff Hurdle from Hurdle Land and Real Estate. Is that right, Jeff? Am I kidding?

SPEAKER_03 27:12

I'm not even again hurdle, land and realty. Realty. Realty. Yeah. Been that since 1969.

SPEAKER_05 27:21

I promised I was gonna uh get that before the end. And uh so far I've failed. Hurdle, land, and realty. But um, Jeff, one of the things I think that is unique about your business is you are like a one-man show. Like you're the you don't have uh 500 realtors over 65 states. You are just you and a couple like you're what, two or three, four states maybe that you'll got uh the development piece that we've already talked about.

Tech Tools Versus Boots On The Ground

SPEAKER_03 27:52

I do have a staff and an office, and it's based out of Monroe, Georgia, out near Athens, Georgia go dogs. But my brokerage firm is just me here in Tennessee. I'm in Chattanooga, and um I that my business, I run it pretty much on computer, FedEx, and telephone. They know what they're doing, I don't have to worry about them. So that's what how I'm blessed and fortunate enough that I can live in Chattanooga and do this. But yeah, uh I've been brokering real estate. I brokered development tracks. I know so much about the development side, I didn't need to go very far to figure out what I was gonna do there. So I brokered development tracks to local, regional, and national builders and developers in Tennessee and Georgia. I'm licensed in both Tennessee and Georgia. And I should be licensed in Alabama to be honest with you, because Chattanooga sits in that little sweet spot where in five minutes I can be in Georgia and ten I can be in Alabama. And then the rest of the day it takes me to cross the state of Tennessee. But um been a one-man show, so I do all my own paperwork, I do all my own everything. I tell people I write the contracts, sign the contracts, and I clean the toilet. There's just because it I I about uh three or four years ago, I decided, you know what, I'm gonna I'm gonna get an assistant. I have these buddies that kind of resemble what I do as as a single operator, or or they're not, and they've talked about how much their assistant this, their assistant that. And I thought, you know, it would be nice to have someone do that part of this for me. I could be out, you know, scouting properties. So I got somebody three weeks into it. I'm sorry. This just isn't working out. I had a problem letting go. All the things she was doing, she was doing fine, but it wasn't the way I would have done it. And it and I was just like, uh, so that was the end of that. But yeah, so I I concentrate just on the the land side, on the development track side, uh in in this area, and have dealt with I say I do the top five, you know, the DR Hortons and the NARS and Pulting and Meritage, NVR, and I do, but to also do the local guys here in Chattanooga, we've got, you know, Pratt. They're m probably one of the largest local developer builders, and I've I'll I'll deal with them. Then we've got all the way down just to a single guy who builds two houses, three houses a year, and I'll I'll sell him a a lot if that's all he's looking for.

SPEAKER_05 30:05

So no, that I mean, I think that's that's kind of my some of my problem over the years too is that I'm a little bit like I know what my vision is, and it's really hard to to tell people what exactly like how do I get you to live in my brain with me and not be scared type of a it's difficult, it's difficult.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

And I I admire the folks that have these firms that have um you know 80 and 90 agents and more in them. And they're they're sole proprietors. And there's like uh friend of mine up in in Nashville, John Blackwell, Blackwell Realty. Last I heard, and it's been a while, in that office, he had like 96 agents. How do you manage that? Or how do you sell? How do you find the time to go out and do what you love um if you got those kind of people to manage? I can guarantee you there's a headache every five minutes. I knew anyway, it it's it is for some, but it's just not for me.

SPEAKER_05 31:06

I like I started out like in the military and in the trucking business, and so like it got to the point where you can you like you answer questions from people so fast and so many during the you know, like I would have to sit at the end of the day and go back to it and be like, what exactly did I say yes and no to today? And did did we did we we kill the entire company and anything I made a three-second decision on? Yeah. So I get I get that the other side of that where you know it's the adrenaline of of spinning 60 plates all at the same time and trying not to break one throughout the day. And but uh it's just to me, it's I think I could probably do what you were doing too, and just have my own thing and and uh kind of that way I don't have so much to worry about.

Land Isn’t Residential: Process And Care

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Well the expenses are certainly about as low as they can get. Uh I was fortunate I I guess you can't everywhere, but in Tennessee anyway, my office is in the house. And so you know, no big deal. I don't need a lot of space, it's just me. So I mean, we're in the middle of a move. This is the new office bland box because I haven't hung anything up, but y'all can't see what's around me. That's a mess. But um uh there there's advantage, of course and disadvantages you are working alone. Now I'm talking to people all the time, usually on the phone, sometimes on the Zoom, and a lot of folks, you know, they're they're buying land, they don't sadly enough, they don't need to meet me out there anymore. They either say we've already been out there or we've got our programs, we we know what it looks like. They got their their land IDs, you know, where they I see the water and the flood and the topo and I see where the substation is and I see how the power lines cross the back. They can look at that on a software program and know that you know the aerials are so up to date anymore. Yeah. They know with the trees, they know how much is is not in trees, and to visit it is almost like a waste of time. So I hate that because one of my favorite things to do is get out, you know, put on the pull the boots up, make sure the jeans are down over them, spray yourself off with the off and head into the woods.

unknown 33:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 33:15

Well, I think that that's like the that's really what separates the guys that are really pretty good at land brokering and what, you know, like a lot of people, is that they are out there constantly. So they are seeing, you know, it's one thing to look at it from a a series of maps, it's another thing to get out there and kind of see that you know what's what's out there and what what's gonna be impacted by what our project is or whatever that is.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

Well, it kind of also depends on what it is you're doing with the dirt. If you're a when I'm talking about as like a big track builder, you know, what the dirt looks like, fine, because they know what it's gonna look like when they're done. Now, if you're selling a ranch, if you're selling a recreational track, that certainly boots on the ground. You want to know, you know, totally different perspective than than a developer coming in to take a look at it. Yeah. That's for sure.

Teaching, Relationships, And Deals From RLI

SPEAKER_05 34:02

Well, and I I wrote a blog post a couple months ago for RLI that was all about like thing people don't really understand. You know, like it's it's not like selling a house. We're, you know, like if I get a property that I'm in two, two to three weeks of of getting things ready to list it, you know, because we have to go research, you know, water rights and we have to research all the, you know, all the things that go into it, you know, and photography takes days, not just you know, it's not like residential where you schedule a photo shoot and you can get it done in a couple hours. Like we have to have, you know, we were just laughing. I was out taking uh doing videos and photos for Brian Reynolds, agent of mine from South South Nebraska. And I'm like, you know, it's been kind of hectic time, and so it's like, man, we really need to come back out this evening and get like photos from the you know, from the west side of this because the shadows are all on the west side, you know, and I'd really like to sign he just kind of shakes his head at me and he's like, Man, you are such a picky person. Like, these are great. This is you know, like this is really good. And I'm like, yeah, like I'd really like to come back out later if it wasn't a couple hours away. But but no, so it it's you know, like it's just a different world than I think what a lot of people understand about what our guys that we deal with, you know, in our businesses, what we do.

SPEAKER_03 35:21

Yeah, and especially uh, of course, you're in Nebraska, y'all have some pretty large tracks, I'm sure you go through. Some of those ranches out there in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, you know, they're talking about 30,000 acres. I mean, you show that for days. As Dan has said, they pack in. I mean, they've they've camped with clients on properties because it takes that long to see them.

SPEAKER_04 35:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:45

You're you're driving in trucks, ATVs, helicopters. That'd be kind of cool. But I don't say those kinds.

SPEAKER_05 35:51

I do know though, and I don't know if I'm talking out of school or not, but I do know they don't they lease those helicopters. They don't own them, so I've made that comment to before.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

I don't care how you take possession of it, that's cool.

SPEAKER_05 36:03

It is they do have like uh almost I I think they would have one of the coolest like reality TV shows. Not not just be you know, not just because of how fun their job must be to go like to go do that, but um I think their personalities would make a really fun one.

SPEAKER_03 36:20

There's no doubt about that. I can I can tell you I'm I'm from the Thanksgiving dining room table kind of fun. I mean they have a great time no matter what they do.

SPEAKER_05 36:30

They are uh they are they are just definitely living living large they're large livers, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02 36:36

You know Seth, don't you?

SPEAKER_05 36:37

Who's yeah, Seth, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Yeah, he's he's a hoot.

SPEAKER_05 36:40

I uh like all their guys. I actually had Peyton in my uh son Peyton in my class when I taught Land U in Oklahoma this year. What a great young man he is.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

So Yeah, I missed you out there, didn't I? Yeah, I uh I came in, I was like third from the end, so I came in right after let's see, Landon Lauders, LIA, I came in and uh Jeremy Stevens was teaching the next day.

SPEAKER_05 37:06

Yeah. He was right before me, so I uh I I got to see him. I came in early and so I got to see him and uh say hi.

SPEAKER_03 37:16

Yeah, that's something I'll say. Anyone on the education committee that that hears this right now, don't call me about it. Um but when I do finish up with the the immediate path president position, I am gonna look at doing some teaching.

SPEAKER_05 37:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

Because I've always, you know, enjoyed the people, and that's the a great way. I mean, people like you and Rayburn and Jeremy, y'all have met so many members just because you've instructed a lot of them, and I'd like to do that. There's a few courses I'm not gonna attempt to teach, but there's quite a few. You know, transitional land and subdivision land development, land one oh one. I'd love to teach those.

unknown 37:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Only in person, that's my thing. I don't want to teach on screen. I was I'd rather be doing this in Nebraska. I'd have flown out there, we could have sat next to each other in your office. Yeah. I'd have been better off than this.

SPEAKER_05 38:04

It's uh yeah, we got a airplane uh airport that's 30 miles from me now, so it's not quite as bad as it used to be where you plug in the Lincoln and be two hours from my office, but no, but uh I did teach my first class VIT and it was awkward. And it was like site selection too, so it was like mostly breakouts, you know, and so it was it was a tough one. And I had a lot of fun. I have a lot of fun teaching in person. It's and I think that that's that's a I think a lot more people are if you can get them close enough to them, you can f you fill those classes. I mean, it's not I've never been to one that's not packed out full, you know. And so there's something to be said for the in-class because I did a lot of my classes when I got my ALC. I did them all on online, and I I went to three and went did the rest of them online, and I met a lot of people and fast friends when I went to the ones in person.

Southeastern Land Conference Invite

SPEAKER_03 38:55

And that's what happens. And I I I this is kind of going way back to the beginning of the episode, but um when I was I did what we used to call what is boot camp now, we called it Land U. It was the same thing. And I was in Arlington, Texas, and that was nine that those nine days, and I sat next to a fellow named Walter Hatchet all nine days. And Walter and I become dear friends, and uh he's the one that introduced me to a to a as he called it this some kid getting into real estate, he said he he's working for some big company up in Nashville. I taught him how to hunt when he was just a kid. You ought to call him, so I did. Ended up being vice president for development for Meritage Homes, becoming one of my biggest clients for that two or three year spread. And that's all because of RLI and all because of relationships that were made in RLI, and that happened to be through the boot camp. Yeah, but Walter and I, we we stay in touch. I just talked to him the other day. He's coming to conference for sure, and he might come to the Southeastern Land Conference. I'm glad you brought that up, Jeff. Yeah. October, all you listeners, October 3rd and 24th in downtown Chattanooga at the Marriott Convention Center is the Southeastern Land Conference. Two days of wonderful information. Day one is on commercial development, day two is on residential development. We will have rec guys there, we will have developing guys there, we'll have all sorts of officials there to talk about different things. We have Bobby Mink coming to do an open panel discussion on development. Um it's gonna be a lot of fun. Southeasternlandconference.com will get you there. Seats are limited, and uh hotel rooms are booking up fast, so go ahead and sign up for that. It is an RLI Georgia and Tennessee chapter event, sanctioned by RLI. Uh we will have most of the executive committee there. Some some of the folks from National will be there. It'll be a great time. Uh, there's my commercial, 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_05 40:54

Yeah, that sounds it sounds like a good time. I'm going to uh Colorado to the chapter uh meeting uh here in a here in a couple days. Nice. Um but he you know, like it's just it's like I said, there's stuff going on all the time. It's I've never been to a bad one. I've never walked out and said, what a waste. Uh most of the time I learn uh quite a bit of stuff. Yeah. So it's it's and it's always good to it's like going to a family reunion. You get to see all your all your friends.

SPEAKER_02 41:22

So it really is.

SPEAKER_05 41:24

I would love to go down there for that because it's gonna probably be a lot warmer where you guys are at than where I'm at during that time of year.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

Hey, Chattanooga is bring the family. This is the thing about Chattanooga. We've got the nation's number one rated aquarium, which is a couple blocks, if that far, from the venue. We've got Rock City, we've got Ruby Falls, we've got the Leafs Changing Colors, we've got the Tennessee River, it runs right through the middle of downtown and all that involved there. So you can make it a family trip and join us. We'd love to have you.

SPEAKER_05 41:54

And I it at least it used to be. What didn't you have like a WWE guy that's your mayor down there too? So crime probably ought to be pretty low.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

We don't have much of a crime problem that I'm aware of, and I live downtown for four years. But I'd I would recommend y'all come down and and anybody else listening, you can make it because it's a Thursday Friday, so you just stay after that and be able to do some stuff with the family and make a great fall getaway.

Closing, Contacts, And Calls To Action

SPEAKER_05 42:19

It does sound like a good time. So anybody listening, I will put the website in the show notes for this. You can click on it and go right to the the conference registration and uh get registered for that. I'll also put um Jeff's information in there. Jeff, how do people get a hold of you if they want to talk to you?

SPEAKER_03 42:38

Well, they can go to Jeff Hurdle.com, which it would be important to know that it's G-E-O-F-F Hurdle, H-U-R-D-L-E.com, and that's got all my contact information there. Send me an email. It's uh thelandman at Jeff Hurdle.com. Whatever you want, should you be interested.

SPEAKER_05 42:56

Yeah. Well, that has it's been awesome. I uh I want to thank you so much for doing this and for your leadership and RLI. It's been great to get to know you after the over the last few years and uh watch your family kind of grow and love all you guys and can't wait to see uh I'm I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it to the Southeastern Land Conference, but definitely we'll see you in March in San Antonio.

SPEAKER_03 43:21

I look forward to seeing you there. I do appreciate you having me on, Kobe. It's been a lot of fun and my pleasure to do it for you. We will see you, if not before, I'll see you in March.

SPEAKER_04 43:31

All right, and we will see you all down the road. As we wrap up another episode of the American Landseller Podcast, thank you for spending part of your week with us. For more episodes, resources, and updates, visit www.americanlandseller.com. And be sure to find us on your favorite podcast podcast. If you found value in today's conversation, please like, subscribe, follow, rate. And review the show on whatever app you are listening or watching on. It helps more landowners and land professionals find the podcast. You can also connect with us on social media for updates, new episodes, and behind-the-scenes content. Until next week, Kobe and Brittany wish you success in all your land endeavors. God bless you and have a great week.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

The American Landseller Podcast is brought to you in part by The Land Report. The Land Report is the premier publication covering land ownership, land markets, and the people shaping the future of land in America. From farmland and ranches to timber, conservation, and legacy properties, the Land Report delivers deep reporting, trusted insight, and long-form storytelling focused entirely on land. Learn more at thelandreport.com. We are also proud to be sponsored by Iron Horse Land Company, a multi-state land brokerage specializing in farm, ranch, recreational, and development land across the heartland. Built by land professionals, Iron Horse Land Company sets the iron standard through high quality marketing, real world land expertise, and a boots on the ground approach that puts landowners first. To learn more, visit IronHorse Landcompany.