Growing Together is a blog series featuring people who have joined Peoples Company and their motivation to team up with a national leader in agricultural real estate services to pair experience with data-driven decision-making and deliver value to landowners. If you would like to learn more about partnering with or joining Peoples Company, please reach out to Molly Zaver, Director of Industry Partnerships, at Molly@PeoplesCompany.com.
What was your background before joining Peoples Company?
I was with Murray Wise Associates prior to joining Peoples Company. I started there in January 2019, and I initially focused primarily on transactions, both on the sales side with listings and auctions and also on the buy side, helping clients acquire farms. In 2020 I moved into more of an oversight role, eventually becoming president in late 2020. Prior to my time at MWA, I worked for Farmland Partners where I oversaw management and acquisitions in the Corn Belt region, where we acquired around 45,000 acres in Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Indiana in a 3-year period. The highlight was a 20,000-acre acquisition we did in Illinois with a single landowner.
What led you to Peoples Company?
Peoples Company acquired Murray Wise Associates in late 2025 and our MWA team merged into Peoples Company. I’ve known Steve Bruere my entire career; we started in the industry at the same time. We crossed paths many times over the years at various conferences, auctions, meetings, etc. and I always had an eye on what he was building at Peoples Company. Steve and I both identified that incorporating the people and history at MWA into Peoples Company would be a value add for all parties.
How has your business changed since becoming part of Peoples Company?
The volume of projects has been much more substantial. We worked on some really fun and interesting projects at MWA, but for us a good year was a dozen or so Midwest auctions, a handful of listings, and maybe 1 – 2 larger national-scale projects. The volume of sales that occur at Peoples Company is on another level. Also, for me, some of the more exciting projects to work on are on the acquisitions side. It’s been great to work with people like Hunter Norland and find undervalued properties and match them up with a Capital Markets client.
What has been the best part of being affiliated with Peoples Company?
Knowing that we are leading the way in our industry in all facets. Having worked for other firms, it’s exciting to think about the resources that are available to us at Peoples Company and how many tools we have to go out and win business.
Is there a success that you have had that wouldn’t have occurred if you were not part of the company?
Earlier this year, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion at the AIM conference in San Diego. The close relationship that Peoples Company has with the organizers of the conference was a contributing factor in me participating and being able to promote the company. I am not usually one to get up in front of a crowd, but it was a positive experience, and I am appreciative for the opportunity.
What are some advantages of being part of Peoples Company?
The resources that we have available to us are phenomenal: the various software tools that help us be productive, an amazing marketing and design team, loads of informational resources like white papers, reports, etc. All of that combines into something pretty special and gives us an advantage over every competitor out there. I think the key is being able to take all of those resources and use them to execute. I also have really appreciated our footprint of local experts. At MWA, we did a lot of work across the country, but we often had to educate ourselves on the local market when a project came in from an area outside of the Corn Belt. At Peoples Company, we are blessed to have great people across the country that have the local knowledge needed to be true experts.
What was the most challenging thing about becoming affiliated with Peoples Company?
Nothing really stands out, other than just getting used to the size of the company and the new number of co-workers that I now have. I have always worked for smaller companies, no more than 12 – 15 people, so being part of a much larger organization was a mental adjustment, but it’s been great getting to know everyone and what their role in the company is. I am fortunate that I already had relationships with many of the folks at LandPro and Atkins Group, so having some friendly faces in Illinois made that transition easier.
What advice would you give to someone that is considering joining Peoples Company?
I think what’s been created here is pretty special and from what I have seen and experienced, is unparalleled in our industry. If you want to be involved in the business that we are in, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to be here.
What else would you like to share about your affiliation with Peoples Company?
I’m biased because I worked hard to put the Murray Wise acquisition together, so naturally I am going to say I am excited to be here, but it’s 100% true. When I was on the outside looking in, I always saw the impressive marketing materials, the large presence at conferences, and all of the ventures that the team was working on like crowd-finding platforms, DSTs, FarmWorth, etc. What is more under the surface is the work ethic that everyone brings to the table every day, and the combined and focused effort to make the company what it is. It’s been a great experience, and I am really excited for what the future holds here.
Reach out to Eric Sarff at 309.612.9316 or email him at Eric.Sarff@PeoplesCompany.com.
