The Southwest Montana Farm & Ranch Brokers is a network of farm and ranch brokers, appraisers, lenders, and other rural real estate industry professionals who meet monthly in Bozeman to promote the industry, network, provide education on current developments, and provide a venue for brokers to share their listings and their buyer's wants.
Anyone interested in presenting to the group on a topic or service relevant to the industry should contact Don Vaniman at the contact info below. Visitors are always welcome to the meetings.
Meeting Schedule: The group usually meets the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 AM in Bozeman, MT.
Twice a year, usually in April and September, the group holds a joint meeting with the Montana Farm & Ranch Brokers in Big Timber, MT.
The first meeting of the year is a presentation on the Montana land market by a panel of Accredited Rural Appraisers (ARA's) including Clark Wheeler from Norman C. Wheeler & Associates, Andrew Rahn from Montana Land Source, and appraisers from Northwest Farm Credit Services.
Upcoming meeting dates and topics can be found on the Calendar page on Montana Land Source at https://mtlandsource.com/news/event-calendar.
History: The group was formed in 1979 to address the fact there was no Multiple Listing Service (MLS), publications or internet sites available promoting Farm & Ranch listings in Montana. The group started with eight Brokers, and printed and mailed out a booklet of Ranch Listings to its members every month. Dues were $15/year. Every January, the first meeting of the year would be a presentation on the land market by appraiser Clark Wheeler of Norman C. Wheeler & Associates. In 2018, the January meeting was expanded to include a panel of Accredited Rural Appraisers (ARAs) and valuation experts. January is the largest meeting of the year with over 100 attendees. Membership peeked in 2007 at 115 members and currently is at about 60 members.
Dues: Membership dues are $50 per year, with the fees going to supporting the costs of the organization and sponsoring industry causes such as agricultural research at Montana State University. Visitors are always welcome to the meetings.
Contact Information:
Phone: 406-587-4250
Email: don@donvaniman.com or suzy@donvaniman.com
Mailing Address: 5020 Westlake Road, Bozeman, MT 59718