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Why our market intelligence is unique and how you can leverage it to maximize your farmland investment returns.

Federal and state governmental agencies and private groups regularly conduct opinion-based surveys to estimate agricultural land values and lease rates. Economists have studied the accuracy of opinion-based land value surveys by comparing them with actual agricultural market sales. A 1995 study by Gertel which appeared in the Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers concluded that agricultural market sales were consistently higher than values from several different opinion-based surveys in both Illinois and Maryland. 

Our competitive-bid lease data offers the clearest window into current lease market rates. We conduct original research to collect rental rates for actual competitive-bid leases as well as lease auctions. Mercator MarketVu offers a powerful tool for ensuring your cash rent rate reflects current market conditions, and helps put landowners and tenants on an equal footing¹.

Mercator MarketVu includes:

· Rent bid date

· Current rent rate

· Prior rent rate

· Rental rate percent change

· Lease Term (Years)

· Parcel Location (County)

· Productivity metrics-when available (to compare the productivity of land in our report to your land)

The Illinois report currently includes rent rates for more than 275 competitive-bid leases. Click here for subscription information.

¹Every land parcel has unique characteristics and should always be evaluated on an individual basis.