Kasey Mock from the Land Broker Insider podcast, sits down with Dan Murphy, Seth Craft and Jake Murphy to discuss their business philosophy, operational practices, market insights, and challenges.
Held at the National Land Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, the guys discuss how M4 Ranch Group has positioned itself as a leading land brokerage in the Western United States. By combining deep market knowledge, innovative practices, a commitment to conservation, and a passion for client relationships.
Dan and the M4 Ranch Group Team highlight how their focus on legacy, exclusivity, and delivering value beyond financial transactions sets them apart in the industry.
A summary of the topics discussed, below…alongside the direct links to the live recording from the Realtors land Institute 2024 National Land Conference in Louisville, KY:
Listen to the podcast on Apple or Spotify:
Highlights
Dedication and Passion
- M4 Ranch Group operates with a high level of passion and dedication, viewing their work as more than just a job
- Dan Murphy states: “It’s an addiction, just to be perfectly frank… I think that none of us get up and actually think we’re going to work! We do get up and go to work, we bust our butts, but it’s just passion”
- We start every day with a team prayer
- We show properties “any-where, any-time, any-season”
Expertise and Intimate Knowledge of Properties
- M4 Ranch Group prides itself on its deep understanding of Colorado ranches, New Mexico Ranches and Wyoming Ranches, they represent. Gained through hands-on experience and dedication to each property
- “There’s nothing more frustrating… you go onto a ranch and the agent showing you the place, doesn’t know anything about it! They don’t know the trails, the road system, the quality of the wildlife. They don’t know anything about it”
- We invest 5-6 days walking around each ranch for sale with our cameras, that’s the difference between us and others
- “Were spending time on them, hunting with the camera…. were calling elk, glassing deer, spotting trout and so much more”
- Kasey Mock states: “These guys are simply the best in the west for selling large western ranches”
Innovation and Technology
- The M4 Ranch Group team utilises advanced technology and equipment to showcase its properties and facilitate deals. To include aeroplanes, snowcats, drones, and helicopters
- Kasey Mock highlights: “The tools, the resources, the snowcats, the planes. You guys don’t have any fun, do you, Dan?”
- Dan states: “Alongside the aeroplanes, MD series helicopter, a new $2,000 drone was recently purchased to give us the capability to do interior flying and fly through cave structures on our properties. I joke with my wife that we buy so much equipment, that it must be a write-off”
- This investment in equipment allows them to operate “anytime, anywhere, any season.”
Client Relationships and Building a Legacy
- M4 Ranch Group focuses on building strong, lasting relationships with our clients, prioritizing care and solutions over immediate commission
- “For us, success is what relationships we have built at the end of this year… that we get to walk away with and that we get a call next year to do something even cooler with?”
- “We sell the legacy, the pretty, the spectacular and the emotion”
- “It’s not about… how much commission is Seth making… It’s how can I take care of our clients (you) and how can I be that guy for you that you’re going to call”
- Building relationships and delivering value for our clients, not just financial success, is the ultimate benchmark for our success
Conservation and Land Stewardship
- M4 Ranch Group actively engages in conservation efforts, including utilising conservation easements and working with conservation teams to improve properties and protect wildlife habitats
- Dan Murphy states: “We’re protecting the future for us in real estate, but at the same time we’re protecting the exclusivity of the West.”
- “We also assemble teams on: permitting processes, design, build and habitat enhancement”
- The M4 Ranch Group team has also worked with the Navajo Nation and the Ute Nation on conservation efforts
Market Dynamics and Trends
- The Western ranch market is experiencing significant changes, including increased property values, larger ranches becoming scarcer, and a shift in buyer demographics
- Dan Murphy states: “Bigger ranches are becoming fewer and farther between and they’re increasing in value”
- We are seeing more “educated buyers” and “institutional investors or individuals looking to just invest with a medium to long-term hold”
- We are also seeing investment pools bringing in “tremendous value” and seeing “well north of 30% returns on their investments if not better”
Political Challenges and Advocacy
- Political issues, particularly concerning hunting regulations and wildlife management, pose numerous challenges
- Dan Murphy states: “Politics are affecting everything we do in this country right now (*at the time of the podcast), with new initiatives around every corner”
- We are advocates for the importance of hunting for conservation
- Dan Murphy also testified in DC on the protection of 1031 exchanges
Teamwork and Culture
- M4 Ranch Group fosters a strong team environment reminiscent of the military, emphasizing accountability and mutual support
- Team comments include: “We push each other so stinking hard”, “You want to be the best, play with the best”, “You’re not above any role, is what we live by”… and many more
Examples of Successful Deals and Strategies
- Dan, Seth and Jake list examples, to include:
- Water Rights:
- Buying a ranch with senior water rights, selling the rights to an augmentation group for a significant profit while protecting the water in the upper St. Louis Valley!
- Conservation Easements:
- Conserving a ranch, sterilizing it from future building, and seeing neighboring ranch values increase, effectively paying for the conserved ranch!
- Assemblage:
- Buying adjacent land to provide a building envelope, conserving the larger property, and increasing its value!
- Quick Returns:
- Buying, improving, and reselling ranches in a short time-frame for significant gains!
- Shared Ranch Share:
- Selling a ranch by splitting it into 36 lots!
- Water Rights:
Work with Us
Our Dedicated Ranch Brokers are ready to assist you, if you’re considering buying a ranch, selling a ranch, or Investing in Land, let’s talk. We’ll make sure your deal is done right and with no surprises.
Enjoy the podcast and speak soon Dan and Seth
View our Listings
View our Colorado Ranches For Sale, New Mexico Ranches For Sale and Wyoming Ranches For Sale
And Contact Us to Learn More
A Sample of Colorado Ranches For Sale
Endless Creeks Ranch
$19,900,000
Endless Creeks Ranch is a remarkable Colorado Ranch For Sale, spanning 5,709.3± deeded acres. With an extensive water supply, diverse wildlife, and direct access to public lands, this property offers a rare opportunity for hunters and ranchers alike. Includes 1.25± miles of year-round Ault Creek and 2± miles of West Muddy Creek, with historic water rights of 12.25± c.f.s.
Red Mountain Ranch
$19,450,000
Red Mountain Ranch features two 7±-acre lakes, over 3 miles of improved trout streams, and Red Mountain Creek, which flows through the entire length of the property. This Colorado Ranch For Sale, also includes an Engelmann Spruce log cabin, a second log cabin for guests, and a barn with a caretaker’s apartment located above.
Arrowhead Ranch
$14,950,000
Arrowhead Ranch is an outdoorsman’s paradise with five magnificent Heritage Ranches that can be bought individually or as a whole. Superbly located in Central Colorado, this Colorado Ranch For Sale is ideal for ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, anglers, and hunters alike. Nearly seven miles of trout stream meander through the idyllic grassland plateau with picturesque snow-capped peaks surrounding you.
