By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
Peoples Company, which specializes in land management, brokerage and appraisal, is growing through M&A. The Clive, Iowa-based firm is acquiring farmland brokerage Murray Wise Associates (MWA) from Farmland Partners, a deal that is expected to become finalized next month. As part of the agreement, Peoples Company will take on management of select farmland assets, highlighting a wider industry pivot toward specialized farm management solutions.
Investors have been hunting sharper execution in farmland, and they’re increasingly hiring specialist managers to get it. The idea is to run tighter operations, protect the soil and drive steadier returns. Peoples Company is one example of that shift, with a national footprint and local managers who know their acres, and experience coordinating multi-state operations without overselling the upside.
Peoples Company President Steve Bruere stated, “Murray Wise Associates has long been recognized as a trusted name in farmland auctions and brokerage. This acquisition not only strengthens our presence in key agricultural markets but also reflects a broader shift in the industry toward leveraging specialized farm management expertise. We’re excited to welcome the Murray Wise team and to continue delivering exceptional value to landowners and investors.”
MWA traces its roots to Murray R. Wise, who founded Westchester Group, now the world’s largest institutional farmland manager, and later spun out Westchester’s brokerage, auction, and farm management arm when TIAA acquired the firm in 2010, after which time the Iowa farm real estate and management office, MWA Capital, and Westchester Group’s land-auction division were combined to form Murray Wise Associates. Over the past 25 years, MWA has completed more than $5 billion in land and agri-business transactions across 43 states. Headquartered in Champaign, Illinois with offices in Clarion, Iowa and Naples, Florida, the firm focuses on institutional-grade brokerage, farmland auctions and farm management.
MWA President Eric Sarff said, “Joining forces with Peoples Company creates tremendous opportunities for our clients and team. Peoples Company’s national reach and comprehensive service platform will allow us to deliver even greater value while continuing to provide the personalized service our clients expect.”
Farmland Partners bought MWA outright in November 2021, expanding its managed footprint by about 16,700 acres at the time and establishing a joint asset-management platform that integrated MWA’s brokerage and management capabilities. Murray Wise has been a board member of Farmland Partners since that time. As GAI News reported earlier this year, Peoples Company bought Lincoln, Nebraska-based United Farm and Ranch Management, adding a nearly century-old platform with four Nebraska offices and more than 90,000 acres under management, expanding its Midwest footprint and deepening third-party management capabilities.
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