Using Acres to Win Deals in a Dislocated Farmland Market

In today’s nuanced farmland market, traditional valuation methods and gut-instinct investing aren’t enough. Farmland prices are fluctuating, demand drivers are shifting, and volatility is creating both uncertainty and opportunity. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the factors driving today’s farmland market shifts and how Acres.com helps you make smarter, more confident decisions in uncertain times.

Contents

The 2025 Farmland Forecast

What’s Really Driving Farmland Volatility

How Acres Helps Accurately Value Farmland in an Inefficient Market

The 2025 Farmland Outlook

In 2025, there’s some uncertainty about the farmland market. According to a recent Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago survey:

• 55% of respondents believe farmland is currently overvalued.
• Over a third expect prices to decline.
• 45% anticipate reduced buying activity from farmers, a critical demand driver in rural markets.

For some, declining land values represent risk. For others, it signals an opportunity to acquire undervalued assets and position strategically for future gains.

Yet, amid uncertainty, seasoned investors see signals of opportunity.

A recent Purdue Ag Barometer defied expectations: farmer sentiment jumped 30 points in January 2025, despite high interest rates and volatile commodity prices.


Image credit: Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer

What’s Really Driving Farmland Volatility

Traditional pricing factors, like yield and location, are increasingly influenced by: 

• Emotional Buyers
• 1031 Exchanges
• Institutional Capital
• Shifts Toward Alternative Land Uses (e.g. solar farms, data centers, and residential expansion.)

This has created a highly dispersed pricing environment, where land of similar productivity can command dramatically different price points depending on who’s buying and why.

In Illinois, for example, Acres’ data shows large variability in farmland sales between counties with transactions influenced not just by land quality, but by local zoning, infrastructure, and potential for future use. 

How Acres Accurately Helps Value Farmland in an Inefficient Market

Acres provides complete land intelligence to help you analyze and value land with confidence.
It tackles three key issues in land valuation:

1. Recency: Timely, transaction-based data.
2. Coverage: Nationwide sales data, including hard-to-find comps.
3. Detail: Context-rich attributes like zoning, school districts, and opportunity zones.

Whether you’re valuing ag land or considering another use case, Acres gives you and your team the tools to move fast– from custom maps to shareable reports. 

Final Thoughts

An uncertain market can present big challenges and big opportunities. Those with the right data and tools can find value others miss.

By leveraging the Acres platform, farmers and investors can:

• Pinpoint undervalued opportunities.
• Improve valuations using up-to-date comps and insights.
• Stay ahead of institutional players and emerging land trends.

At Acres, we’re here to help you navigate these nuanced farmland values. Because in a market this complex, understanding land isn’t just an advantage, it’s essential. Explore Acres today and see how our platform can help you win more deals.