Protecting Farms and Land

Travis Robeson,

Farm-Friendly Realtor

By Jason Zasky

“There are a lot of realtors out there, but not a lot of them actually live the life,” begins Travis Robeson, a Franklin native who has been a real estate agent for 25 years, having spent the last two decades with Fridrich & Clark. 

“I live on a 122-acre farm in Leiper’s Fork, I raise animals, and I speak the same language as many of these people,” he continues, referring to individuals who are looking to sell land, farms, and luxury properties. 

In fact, when getting a property ready to sell, he often takes a hands-on approach.

“When it comes to getting market-ready, staging, and all that—I know what it takes. I’ve got equipment—including a skid steer with a mulcher attachment, as well as commercial lawn equipment—and I help people do clearing, trail building, and maintenance,” he says. It almost goes without saying that a property is more attractive to buyers if it looks nice, the grass is cut, and there are trails that are easily navigable.

More than that, Robeson describes himself as a conservationist, noting that he has a conservation easement on his farm.

“In my business, we need to promote growth and development, but I think there’s a healthy way to do that. I like preserving open land. There are other people that do what I do that focus on development, but I work with like-minded people that want to see the land stay open. There’s a certain attraction to that,” he notes, especially in a region that has seen such dramatic growth in the past few decades.

“I have been doing this for so long that I rank well in Web search results. I’m also an Instagram (and YouTube) content creator and highlight farm living. I actually get quite a few leads from Instagram. People say, ‘I love your content, and I like what you do. Can we work with you?’”

Frequently, he also partners with other real estate agents.

“The average realtor sells homes but knows people that have farms, and when that realtor is ready to help them sell their farm, a lot of times we team up together, or they refer me, and I give them a referral fee.”

Those partner agents appreciate that he is an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC).

“There aren’t a lot of ALC’s out there, but when you are selling a farm, it helps to have someone who has that,” as it requires a certain level of experience, a certain number of years in the business, and a certain number of transactions and education to obtain such a credential.

As for the current market, Robeson describes it as “a little slow,” so it’s as important as ever that sellers make their property shine, whether it’s a residence or land. 

“Everything needs to look great, presentable, and they need to listen to their agent on pricing. The 2021 pricing is over,” relates Robeson. “We’ve seen some slowdown because the prices are still 2021 prices. A lot of people say, ‘We should have sold then, but let’s still try to get that same money.’” 

One thing that doesn’t figure to change for Robeson is his focus on quality over quantity.

“The clients I look for are those that care about quality, because I don’t do a whole lot of quantity. People appreciate that I focus on giving a whole lot of attention to their property. I don’t have a whole lot of inventory. I typically cap it off at about 10 properties at a time,” he notes.

As for his own home life, Robeson has been described as something of a hobby homesteader. 

“I raise sheep, I raise lambs, and I sell organic grass-fed lamb, which we call Leiper’s Fork Lamb,” he says. Robeson also owns a second farm in Giles County, where he and his son go deer hunting.

“My dad and I built a cabin there in 2007, and we made it look like it was constructed in the 1800s. It’s not a historic project, but it looks like it,” he says, highlighting his interest in historic preservation, having previously restored an old building in downtown Columbia, one that is now home to the Southern Tre Steakhouse.

He also volunteers with Grace Works Ministries in Franklin, “and I’m very active as a volunteer at Christ Presbyterian Church,” he says, before noting that he enjoys living in Middle Tennessee as much as ever.

“We have had a lot of growth, and there’s a lot of people here now,” he concludes, “but we have all the modern conveniences and amenities of a big city, and it still feels like a small town.”

CONTACT

Travis Robeson, Fridrich & Clark

5200 Maryland Way, Brentwood, TN 37027

615-263-4800

Travis Robeson Realtor (@travisrobesonproperties) • Instagram photos and videos

Travis Robeson Properties - YouTube