A Value-Creation Program for
FARMS, TIMBERLAND & RANCHES
It used to be that the most valuable land was improved to produce a crop, cattle, or timber.
Today, the land commanding the highest prices is often natural and used primarily for recreation.
Buyers from around the world are paying a premium — opening global markets where once land was sold between neighbors.
The Working Lands Initiative™ creates a new opportunity for landowners who want to capitalize on this trend, to sell not for what their land produces today, but for what it can become.
We perfected a model that emphasizes the land’s higher recreational value. We use our knowledge to “convert on paper” by monetizing your land’s higher intrinsic value.
All you need to do is let us see if your property has enough unique features for our model to make a difference.
We are More than Land Brokers.
We Didn’t Stumble into this Niche — We Pioneered It
Over the past 35 years, we have helped landowners convert more than $1 billion in working lands into higher-value recreational properties.
Our properties have been featured in over 20 countries, with 1B+ impressions, generating an ad equivalent of $5M in 2025 alone.
We are known for our Social Storm™ Properties and Legacy Working Lands ™
We created the valuation model and built the buyer “Rolodex” that is the envy of the industry.
Have you ever seen a property sell after being owned seemingly forever — only to resell shortly afterward for significantly more? That price gap is the intrinsic value the original owner unintentionally donated to the next buyer, who then monetized it. I hate seeing that, but it happens all the time. We built a model that captures hidden intrinsic value — something the traditional Sales Comparison Model simply cannot see. It’s common for us to uncover 27% to 102% more value. That’s a lot to give away just because you didn’t ask us what we thought.”
For Landowners,
it’s a Simple Proposition:
Let us determine whether your property has enough unique features for our model to make a meaningful financial difference.
OR
List it “as is” with a typical broker, ignore the intrinsic value, and never explore the difference we could make.
Why This Is a Win-Win — Right Now
While traditional agricultural and timber markets are softening, recreational land demand continues to set record highs. What was once a mere afterthought is now driving the market.
High interest rates slow production markets. They don’t slow lifestyle demand. Our longest run was a straight $300M before we had even one financed deal.”
Last Year . . .
58% of our buyers paid cash last year, which means less appraisal limitations
17,000+ acres closed last year for an unheard-of average of $6,900 per acre
61% of Buyers were on our “Rolodex,” which means you have immediate access to buyers whom we already know.
We are immune to high interest rates and lender issues
- Weak Timber and Uncertain Agricultural Markets Sideline Traditional Investors
- High Interest Rates and High Cost of Entry Reduce Replacement Farmers
- Demand is Local, Not National
- Many landowners are “In the Same Boat”
The hardest part is watching good families — neighbors who did everything right — plan, prepare, and sacrifice for retirement, only to be hit by economic and weatherdriven storms no one could have predicted. Many relied on timber and farm income, and with so many landowners facing the same pressure, those markets have gone flat. Often their best opportunity is to elevate the property into the recreational market — to rise above the chaos.”
Imagine the benefit to a seller knowing that 61% of the sales I made last year were to buyers I personally knew. Buyers who also trusted me. That’s how ingrained we are in this niche.”
A Proven Model — Not a Listing Strategy
In 1991, Jon Kohler had a realization: Land Has Value That Does Not Appear on an Appraisal.
That Insight Became a 35-Year Mission — And An Entirely New Recreational Land Category.
Even back then, I believed the pendulum had swung too far toward looking at land solely for production. I was convinced people would eventually recognize the land’s intrinsic value — the way God created it: natural. It was a long road to get here. Even I didn’t predict that one day we would be selling trophy deer hunting land for close to $10,000 per acre… 50% more than irrigated cropland.”
Average of $6,900
sold per day, seven
days a week
APEX Award Winner
– #1 Recreational
Land Broker in
America (2022)
Numerous Agents
have achieved the
APEX “Top 20”
Numerous Times
30% of our advisors
rank in the LandStar
Top 5%
$1B+ in private,
insider sales
intelligence
We even break out the best properties and call them Legacy Sporting Lands ™; these are at the top of the top when it comes to High Quality Recreational Property and command a premium.”
In 2025, we took what was renowned as the South’s signature timber property and resold it for $6.7k per acre as the #1 recreational land sale in Georgia history — proving once again that vision creates value.
Appraisals measure history.
Buyers pay for vision.
– JON KOHLER
Boutique Firm
Is Your Property a Fit?
Our marketing machine requires inventory – last year, we closed $6,900 sold per day, seven days a week
Yet we are not a Status Quo land brokerage.
We have a limited number of Working Lands™ we can take at any given time.
Each of our listings are custom-marketed following our proven Model.
Our marketing costs are much, much higher than the Status Quo.
It takes a little extra time and a lot more work. While unorthodox . . . the results are phenomenal.
The worst thing about this niche is having to get on a call and explain to someone who wasn’t my client that they sold their land for way less than they should have gotten. On one property alone, I brought an offer for $10M above another broker’s BPO and $9M above the appraisal. We just resold 489 acres for 102% more than another broker recently sold it for. In this niche it’s really about knowing how to share the vision of what the land can be…not necessarily what it is right now.”
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Traditional agricultural and timber markets no longer resemble the stable returns of the past.
Sales are flat. Values are flat.
However, the recreational niche is moving faster than many can keep up. We have seen several landowners and their brokers list and sell land for far less than they could have achieved.
Working Lands Initiative is best suited for:
- Farms, ranches, or timberland with natural areas, wildlife, or water
- Land with unique features, history, or legacy
- Properties with conservation values or easements.
- Land that feels safe, private, and secure (Social Storm™ candidates)
- Properties that deserve a national — not local — buyer pool
- Land where vision, time, and capital unlock higher use
I’m a third-generation forester from North Florida. Doing what’s best for landowners is in my DNA. I could work for any brokerage, but I choose to wear the Jon Kohler & Associates brand because our firm consistently demonstrates more value for working lands than anyone else. We are renowned for selling high-quality recreational properties at a premium, capturing value that others simply can’t. Our ability to uncover the hidden intrinsic value of timberland and ranches — and convert that value into real returns for landowners — is unmatched.”
Why This Is a Win-Win — Right Now
Dedicated servant leaders, and landowners making their living by helping similar landowners:
We will quickly and confidently tell you whether our model fits your property.
Compared to the standard brokerage model, we have very high marketing costs.
We don’t just take listings.
We only get paid if can perform, as we say we can.
If a property doesn’t fit, we will tell you who can best represent you.
In this niche, everything is built on trust and respect. The highest compliment is closing a transaction so well that when the other party decides to sell, they ask you to represent them. Over our career, we’ve sold some properties three, four, and even an unheard-of five times. That only happens when people consistently recognize the value you bring.”
In today’s internet world, the hardest question is knowing who is right. The Best Answer?
Follow the path of landowners who have already succeeded.
Case Studies: How Vision Changes Value
Bar-C Ranch
From Working Cattle Ranch to LEGACY SPORTING LANDS™
- Originally sold as a 489-acre cattle ranch at $3,895/acre
- Re-envisioned and resold by our firm at $7,873/acre
- 102% increase in value
A local broker sold the ranch — once owned by the late Florida Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner — as cattle land.
Shortly after closing, the buyer asked us a simple question: “What is this really worth?”
We simply went to our “Rolodex” and showed two qualified buyers how easily it could become a Legacy Sporting Lands™ property.
The Result: A Rapid Resale At More Than Double The Original Per-Acre Value.
Pettis Springs
From Family Farm to LEGACY SPORTING LANDS™
We represented this family pro bono during a period of prolonged health challenges.
- Appraised value: $3.1 Million
- Two immediate offers at full appraised value . . . we held. We trusted our Model.
- We sold for 20% above appraisal with a backup offer on the table
This sale perfectly illustrates why we consistently sell above appraisal. You could say we set record prices — or simply that we sell for the land’s true market value, one that remains hidden to most. The result is the same. Others just don’t know this niche the way we do.”
This result underscores what we believe: when land is marketed with intention and respect for its legacy, its true value is realized.”
Lone Pine
From Abandoned Farm to LEGACY SPORTING LANDS™
- Listed with another broker at $6,000/acre
- Sat for over a year — no offers
- Repositioned and repriced by us at $8,000/acre
- Closed quickly at 26% premium compared to the other broker’s listing price!
Madison Oaks
From High-Graded Timberland to World-Class Cattle Ranch
A mismanaged 3,500-acre timber tract needed a new future.
We brought in a nationally known cattle consultant and demonstrated a higher-use conversion..
Significant value can be created, and risk can be averted simply by allowing us to show the path to conversion. We share what we’ve helped others accomplish and build that forward for the next landowner. We invite you to benefit from more than $1 billion in firsthand transaction knowledge — knowledge earned as a direct party to those deals.”
Today: Madison Oaks is the world-famous Bubba Burger Ranch, now expanded to 6,000 acres.
Terra Chula
What Happens When Land Won’t Sell — But Then You Trust the Process?
- Listed for 3 years with two brokers at $9.6 Million
- Zero offers. Frustrated landowner
- Our valuation: $12.25 Million
- Sold Day 1 at full price
- $2.6 Million gain (28% premium)
Imagine owning a great property that sits on the market for three years with two respected brokers. No offers. Just frustration. Then you finally ask for our opinion — and we tell you it’s underpriced by $2.6 million. You’re stunned. Probably even upset. How could the ‘market’ be off by 28%? What broker would risk a sure listing by saying that? We asked the other brokers to take down their listings. We told the story in our own words — through our own short film. We had the Wall Street Journal announce the listing. We went to our Rolodex, lined up qualified showings, and sold the property on Day One for $12.25 million, at our full asking price. No one did anything wrong. No one — including the landowner — saw the land’s intrinsic value the way we did. And the ability to clearly explain that value so others can see it is everything. In truth, I had to sell this property twice: first to a skeptical landowner who couldn’t believe it was undervalued by millions, and only then to the buyer. Convincing the owner was the harder part.”—
If you believe your property has untapped potential, I highly recommend calling Jon Kohler & Associates. They’ll show you exactly how to maximize its value.
How it Works?
Many of the high-quality recreational and high-end properties we have represented in the past were at one-time working lands. Once, arguably unpolished, these lands were sold to folks who improved them and by doing so, made a lot of money. The famed Deep Creek Plantation (sold three times by JKA), Walker Springs (sold five times by JKA), Magnolia Hall (sold two times by JKA), Honey Lake (sold three times by JKA) are all now renowned as a one-of-a-kind asset class.
Our specialty is identifying how a property can be improved with just a little infusion of capital and then taking it to the next level. We have closed over $300M for investors who we showed where and how the land could be worth more, that did just that. With our new “Working Lands Program” you can profit from this knowledge yourself.
Why
What do you have to do? Simply trust us to do our job like over 361,867 acres of other landowners have. If we don’t perform, we not only don’t get paid, but we lose a lot . . . much, much more than a typical broker. We have major “skin in the game” on the listings we accept, from the short films we make, to our full-time marketing staff, and more infrastructure. The reason we can do this is because of our “Rolodex” of buyers and our proven marketing machine.
From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.