Veteran Land Broker Lou Jewell: Wants to Help Others Learn the Land Business
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Sure, Lou Jewell could be sitting on a beach. Others his age, 77, may be doing that or wishing that they could. Jewell doesn't. He is in his fourth decade as a rural North Carolina land broker, and he is committed to helping others learn the land business.
Jewell knows that when he started out in Pilot Mountain, a town of 1,400 people near Winston-Salem, he had a lot to learn and not a lot of easily accessible places to guide him.
"If you love the Lord and love what you do, you're not working," Jewell told American Farmland Owner from his office in Pilot Mountain. "So, I haven't worked in years."
Perhaps, not. What he has done, though, is to try to make other land brokers more knowledgeable for the benefit of landowners who need their services one day.
Lou Jewell Bio:
Land Pro Real Estate: Broker/Owner
Land Pro Educational Service: Founder
Land Pro Real Estate & Marketing: Broker in Charge
Dan River Real Estate: Realtor Salesperson
"Let's Talk Land": Podcast/Radio show
What Makes Land Different to Learn?
Real estate education traditionally focuses heavily on residential and commercial properties. Land, Jewell argues, is different.
Much different.
"Land is so unique; it has to be treated," Jewell said. "It's not a house... well, it's a house with no walls."
That philosophy has driven much of Jewell's work.
In 2010, Jewell said that he pushed for land to be recognized as a specialty under Article 11 of the Realtors' Code of Ethics. Then, in 2017, he created a four-hour "Introduction to Land Brokers" course for the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
Jewell said it was the first such class offered by the commission in its more than 100-year history. Then he looked around the country.
He wanted to know how many state real estate commissions offered continuing-education classes specifically focused on land.
"I was the only one," he said. "That just scared the poo out of me."
How Did Jewell Start Teaching About Land?
So, Jewell started teaching.
He has now recorded more than 300 one-hour episodes of his "Let's Talk Land" podcast, interviewing professionals from nearly every sector of the land business.
Along the way, he accumulated 13 three-inch binders filled with scripts, along with audio files from the programs.
Eventually, somebody asked him the obvious question: Why not share all of it? That question led to a series of books.
Why Did Jewell Write a Series of Books for Land Brokers?
Jewell has published nine books under the umbrella title of "An Insider's Guide to Land Brokers." They contain supplemental books covering subjects such as land surveying, appraisals, taxes, vendors and suppliers, agriculture, forestry and rural land.
The idea is to create something more useful than a textbook.
"These are wraparound books," Jewell said. "It's really... it's a working piece of history."
That emphasis on practical knowledge reflects what Jewell believes is missing from the industry. He asks you to consider the difference between selling a house and selling 500 acres of farmland.
A house may have a roof, basement, kitchen, and bedrooms. Land can have soil classifications, wetlands, timber, easements, water rights, road frontage, development potential, conservation restrictions, and agricultural tax considerations.
The differences are many.
Plus, two farms of the same size may also have dramatically different values.
Jewell used the concept of highest and best use to illustrate the point.
How Do You Know the Difference Between Two Farms?
One 100-acre farm might have excellent soil, road frontage, abundant water, and scenic views. Another 100-acre tract down the road might contain wetlands, poor timber, and an easement rather than road frontage.
"They go to MLS (Multiple Listing Service). And they try to compare those two, and you can't," Jewell said.
That's why education matters.
Jewell has also spent years pushing for better land-disclosure practices. Beginning in 2008, he worked on developing a North Carolina land disclosure form. The effort ultimately identified 72 potential issues and observations that agents should consider when evaluating land.
It took roughly a decade, but North Carolina eventually made the form a requirement. Jewell believes other states should follow.
"If your state does not have a land disclosure form in your real estate industry, get on the bandwagon," he said. "Because that helps everybody."
That includes buyers, sellers, and brokers.
For Jewell, better education isn't simply about avoiding mistakes. It is about creating value.
"The more we know about what we're doing, the more we make money," he said. "I always tell people I can make more money for you if you're selling. And I can save you more money if you're buying, because I know how to play the game."
