Peoples Company Acquires Minnesota Farmland Management and Brokerage Firm 1 Stop Realty

Peoples Company, a recognized leader in integrated land management, brokerage, appraisal, and energy solutions with offices across the nation, today announced it has acquired 1 Stop Realty, Inc., a Kasson, Minn.-based farmland brokerage and land management firm. 1 Stop Realty’s team will continue their work servicing clients, primarily across Minnesota, in South Dakota and Iowa, under the Peoples Company brand and utilizing its industry-leading marketing, sales and farmland management platforms.

“While Peoples Company has been working in Minnesota, managing land and offering brokerage services, bringing 1 Stop Realty’s team into the fold allows us to further engrain ourselves in the state and bring aboard deep, regional knowledge,” said Peoples Company President Steve Bruere. “1 Stop Realty clients should expect the same level of service with Peoples Company and access to even more farm management services to ensure maximum productivity and yields on their land.”

1 Stop Realty was founded in the early 1970’s by the late Warren E. Swenson as a full-service real estate marketing firm in Kasson, Minnesota. Farm sales services were expanded, and farm property management was added in 1979 when his son, Kirk E. Swenson, joined the firm after a post-college career in banking and finance. The company’s many projects and listings have included all types of row crop farms, grain elevator facilities, water rights acquisitions, and a myriad of unique and complex properties.

1 Stop Realty’s team, including firm President Kirk E. Swenson and Vice President Wendy Forthun, ALC, will transition to Peoples Company effective immediately. In notifying clients of their transition, both Swenson and Forthun made clear they do not have any plans to retire or slow down.

“As a family business of more than 52 years, the decision to join forces with Peoples Company was not taken lightly, but it made sense because our clients will continue to enjoy best-in-class, personalized service, while benefiting from industry-leading technology,” said Kirk E. Swenson, President of 1 Stop Realty. “1 Stop Realty Vice President Wendy Forthun and I have always positioned ourselves as our clients’ experienced farmland professionals, and while that will continue to ring true, I am thrilled that our clients will now have access to an even deeper and broader set of professionals ready to help our clients with any of their land needs.”