Selling a farm or family land is a big decision, and for many families it only happens once. Rowell Auctions has been selling Georgia farms and land since 1936, and this guide walks you through exactly how a farm auction works: what it costs, how long it takes, how tracts work, what to gather, and what happens at closing. If you'd rather talk it through, call us at (229) 985-8388.
Request a Free Farm Consultation
Auction works best when a farm or tract of land has real buyer appeal and the sellers want a firm date and a price set by open competition. It's often a strong fit when:
Auction isn't right for every property, and we'll tell you so. That's what the free consultation is for.
We walk the property with you, look at soils, crop bases, timber, water, access and improvements, and talk through your goals and timeline. You get an honest recommendation, including whether auction is the right fit. There's no cost and no obligation.
If auction is the right fit, we put everything in writing before you sign anything: the method of sale, the marketing plan, the auction date, and every cost.
We decide how to offer the farm to bring the most buyers and the highest total. Many farms are offered in tracts that can be bought individually, in any combination, or as a whole.
Professional aerial photography and video, targeted digital advertising, national land marketplaces, email to our buyer lists, and the MarkNet Alliance network of auction firms. The goal is simple: put your farm in front of every serious buyer, well beyond your county line.
Every Rowell auction is online, so buyers can bid from anywhere. Our dynamic close extends bidding as long as competition continues, so the farm doesn't sell while someone is still trying to bid.
After the auction, we handle the contracts and earnest money and coordinate with the closing attorney through to the finish. Closing usually takes 30 to 45 days. 92% of our auctions close.
| Stage | About how long |
|---|---|
| Consultation, agreement and tract planning | Depends on the property and your timing |
| Marketing | About 30 days |
| Online auction | Ends on a set date and time |
| Closing | 30 to 45 days after the auction |
On our real estate auctions, the buyer pays the commission through a buyer's premium added to the high bid. In most cases, the seller's only cost is the promotional cost of marketing the auction. We put every cost in writing before you sign anything, so there are no surprises at closing.
Not always. Most of our real estate auctions are offered subject to owner confirmation, which means you review the final high bid and decide whether to accept it. In an absolute auction, the property sells to the high bidder regardless of price. We'll walk you through which method fits your farm before the auction is set.
A 300-acre farm might be worth more to a row-crop farmer, a hunter, a timber investor and a family looking for a homesite than to any single buyer. Offering the farm in tracts lets each of those buyers compete for the part they want, while whole-farm buyers can still bid on everything. The combination that brings the highest total is how it sells.
Recent examples: 108± acres in Brooks County sold divided to two buyers for more than the best bid on the whole, and 488± acres in Atkinson County drew 101 bids and sold to two buyers. See all of our auction results.
Estate land is one of the most common reasons families call us. We regularly sell estate property, including court-ordered sales, and we work alongside the executor or administrator and the estate attorney. Before an auction is set, the estate attorney confirms who has the authority to sign for the estate. From there, an open, documented auction gives every heir the same clear answer on price, which can take a lot of strain off a family.
You don't need all of this to call us, but the more you have, the faster we can plan:
Many families sell the farm and the equipment at the same time. We sell tractors, implements, trucks, trailers and shop equipment at online auction as well, and we provide equipment appraisals. See our farm, construction and equipment auctions.
We typically market a farm auction for about 30 days. After the auction ends, closing usually takes 30 to 45 days.
On our real estate auctions, the buyer pays the commission through a buyer's premium. In most cases, the seller's only cost is the promotional cost of marketing the auction, and every cost is in writing before you sign.
Auction puts buyers in open competition, and the price is set by what they're willing to pay against each other. On most of our real estate auctions, you also keep the right to accept or decline the final high bid. In recent sales, 97± acres in Colquitt County beat the sellers' best private offer by 58%, and 203± acres on Florida's Santa Fe River sold at 240% of the suggested list price.
Yes. We regularly sell estate land and work with the executor or administrator and the estate attorney, who confirms who can sign for the estate before the auction is set.
No. Rowell Auctions provides equipment appraisals, not real estate appraisals. If you need a land appraisal for an estate, a loan or tax purposes, your attorney or CPA can point you to a state-certified appraiser.
We're headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia, and licensed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Our home base is South Georgia, and because every auction is online, buyers can bid from anywhere.
Every family's tax situation is different, so talk with your CPA or tax attorney before the sale. We're glad to work alongside them on timing.
For over 90 years, Rowell Auctions has helped Georgia families sell farmland, timberland and hunting land. Call (229) 985-8388 or request a free farm consultation. There's no cost and no obligation. You can also meet our land team or read our common seller questions.