Trust: A Satisfied Customer Story

In 2021, I got a call from Mike asking about one of my listings. He was searching for an elk hunting property. Mike is a passionate hunter, he’s hunted all over the country and the world. But as much as he enjoyed the experiences outfitters and guides provided, he was ready for something of his own. A place where he could make the rules, develop the land how he saw fit, and hunt on his own terms.

The property he originally called about had the occasional elk pass through, but it wasn’t quite what he was after. His expectations were high, but his budget was within reason, and I was more than happy to help him find the right piece of ground. Over the next couple of months, I’d send him a listing here and there, but nothing got his blood pumping.

Then, I made a connection on a great off-market property. That, along with a few other new listings, was enough to get him out for his first in-person tour. We spent a couple of days exploring the options. He liked the off-market one, it checked a lot of boxes, but it was a bit above budget. In the end, he passed on all the options.

Over the next year, he made two more trips out, and we kept at it. Finally, on his third trip we found one worth taking a swing at, it wasn’t great but it was cheap and had a lot of potential. We made an offer right before Mike hopped on his flight back home.

A couple hours later, I was doing what I often do, scanning the web for new listings. One popped up, barely 15 minutes on the market. It looked like it was exactly what Mike was desiring all along and still within his price range. I called Mike and left a message for when he landed:"We may have a problem. A good problem."

He was intrigued. Fortunately, it was close to where we had been and I already booked a hotel to spend the night before heading back home in the morning. I told him, “Let me go scan for elk in the morning, and I’ll report back.”

At first light, I parked on a county road a fair distance from the property but with a good view of the neighboring pivots that touched the fence line. And there they were. Elk. Feeding in the pivot. I watched as they worked their way up to the fence, hopped over onto the newly listed property, and disappeared into the timber to bed down for the day.

Eureka, I called Mike right away: “This is the one. Let’s terminate our offer and go after this.”

Now, keep in mind, Mike hadn’t even seen this property. But after a couple years of phone calls, hunting stories, and boots-on-the-ground tours, we’d built a strong relationship. He trusted that I knew what he was after, and I trusted that he knew I had his best interest at heart.

We submitted an offer, and it was quickly accepted. A week later I toured the ranch with the listing agent and knew we’d nailed it. I told Mike before he made the offer, “I don’t think the elk herd is huge, but they’re going to be on your property every day.” That turned out to be true.

We closed, sight unseen on Mike’s end. And to be honest, I was a little nervous. I joked with him, “I’ll either be your best friend or your worst enemy the day you finally see this place.” Thankfully, I knew we’d gotten a good deal, and worst-case, we could flip it for a profit.

We closed just before archery season. Mike didn’t have a tag, so he gave me the honor of hunting the property in September to get a lay of the land. It was incredible. The elk were there every day like clockwork and there were much larger bulls in the herd than typical for a general hunting district.

Mike didn’t visit the property until the following spring and he couldn’t have been happier. It was perfect.

You’d think the story ends there. It doesn’t.

We kept in touch, sharing trail cam photos and habitat improvement ideas. Then the next year, he called again and unexpected said “Scott, I’m ready to add another property to my portfolio.”

Within a month or two I found another gem. We went under contract the day it hit the market, again contingent on me touring it, since Mike couldn’t make it out. Again, he bought it sight unseen. And again, it turned out to be gold.

Then a year later, he called with another request.“Scott, I need a place to stay between the two ranches, with some land to go with it.”

We toured a few, and ironically, we passed a house not on the market and made comments on it being a cool place. Coincidentally, that house came on the market, the very next day. Mike went home to night before, so the third time, we went under contract and closed before Mike ever stepped foot on it.

Three for Three.He was thrilled with all of them.

To this day, we still trade stories, trail camera pics, and ideas for new improvements. But more than that, we built a relationship based on trust. A relationship where I listened deeply, shared my strengths, and surprised him with possibilities he hadn’t even considered.

And honestly? That’s one of the great joys of this job. Building a relationship built on trust and mutual respect and helping people not just find a piece of dirt, but find a dream they didn’t even know they had yet.