H&G Real Estate Kyabram agent, John Lilford, has seen many changes in property listings since he began selling farm real estate 16 years ago.

Based in irrigated mixed and dairy farming country in northern Victoria the firm also has a Nathalia branch that sells farm real estate in central and north east central parts of Victoriahttps://www.hgrealestate.com.au. 

As a Kyabram fifth generation dairy and beef cattle farmer John can draw on his background and a local network of contacts to sell farm real estate.

John draws on his background and a local network of contacts to sell farm real estate

“We sell a lot of farm land before it gets advertised as people come in (to sell) and we often know someone who wants to buy some land”.

John, 69,  was dairy farming when he decided to leave and the agent asked him what he intended to do once he sold.

“The agent said why don’t you come and sell farms for me,” John said.

And that is how John began his farm real estate profession.

After he began selling farms an opportunity arose to buy a local real estate firm experienced farm real estate agent Greg Caldwell ran.

Once John and his fellow directors bought the business Greg stayed on and still works for H and G. 

Their farm real estate listings come from an area that spans north to Tongala and Nathalia districts, north west to Echuca, south east to Ardmona, south west to Corop, south to Rushworth and west to Strathallan.

In his sales area John has seen many dairy farms change production

In his sales area John has seen many dairy farms change production as they stopped milking when costs increased and returns became unviable. 

“There is a lot of land that has gone to cropping now, it has changed in the last 4 years,” John said.

Greg Caldwell, 75, has sold rural properties for over 50 years after previous jobs with Younghusbands, Dalgety, VPC and Elders.

When Greg began with H and G Real Estate it was called Hinchliffe and Greed RE and average farm real estate per acre values ranged $2000-$4000.

An average per acre price for grazing land in most of the firms sales area now is between $4000 and about $5000 an acre Greg reckons.

Among the most valuable land H and G sells is country with fine sandy loam soil sought after for growing fodder crops or horticulture.

But to attract a premium sale price the vegetable growing land has to be in a about 500mm (about 20 inch) annual average rainfall area John says.

“It’s not what rainfall we get that matters that much, it’s when we get it,” John said.

“We want to get our rain in autumn and spring.”

Cheap farm land

Farm real estate buyers in the firms sales area includes many locals buying out neighbors with others coming from Gippsland and parts of western Victoria.

“Our farm land is a lot cheaper than many parts of Victoria,” John says.

Both agents also field buyer inquiries from a variety of overseas countries with requests from India increasing in recent years.