Sam Terrell: LandLeader Real Estate Broker & Outdoorsman

Bend, Ore., April 27, 2022- Meet Sam Terrell, a local Real Estate broker with LandLeader, specializing in farm, ranch, rural-residential, and recreational properties. An avid outdoorsman living the Central Oregon lifestyle he sells, you can find Sam somewhere between fly fishing on the Fall River to hiking and hunting in the Deschutes National Forest and Three Sisters Wilderness.

We sat down with Sam to learn more about his real estate specialty, his diverse background, and his love for the outdoors.

EDCO: Tell us about your background and your journey to real estate and working with LandLeader

Sam: I've loved the outdoors my entire life. In my youth, I would bike across various parts of the nation as well as experienced some international trips as a teen. After high school I worked as an outfitter while attending trade school in Arizona and gained an appreciation for wildlife management and environmental policy. This fascination led to a B.S. in Society and Environment from UC Berkeley, where I studied the “urban-rural interface” (where the city meets the country) and the conflicts that exist within that space. After graduating, I started a business building modular outdoor-recreation homes out of shipping containers.

From the shipping container business I shifted into real estate. I’m rounding out my 4^th year as a real estate broker in Bend and specialize in unique properties consisting mainly of farm, ranch, rural-residential, and recreational properties. I’m a member of the Martin Outdoor Property Group brokered by LandLeader, the largest network of exclusive real estate professionals that specialize in these property types in North America. I represent both buyers and sellers and live the lifestyle I sell in Bend. The team consists of six members in Southern Oregon, two members in Eastern Oregon, and me in Central Oregon. As a group we closed about $154,000,000 in combined sales between 2020 and 2021.

EDCO: Why Central Oregon and who can you help?

Sam: I focus my efforts on representing properties in Central Oregon, averaging a 2-hour radius around Bend. I love Central Oregon! Like many others, I moved here due to the lifestyle it affords. I have always dreamed about living in a place where art, culture, and delicious food were all at my fingertips, while having perpetual access to world-renowned outdoor activities. From fly fishing on the Fall River to hiking and hunting in the Deschutes National Forest and Three Sisters Wilderness, I fall more in love with Bend and the surrounding areas every day. I find my personality to fit within many social spheres that exist here. From ranchers and farmers, to hunters, fishers, bikers, skiers, and hikers. I understand what drives my clients from a lifestyle perspective. Whether these people are selling to foster a change, need an expert well versed in water rights, or are in the search for their private piece of paradise with some extra elbow room, my ideal clients are all of those that choose to live in this picturesque part of the nation.

EDCO: Can you share any stories of success, challenges, and/or pivoting?

Sam: With personal drive and support from my team, I have built a business for myself in a new area and new profession. When I arrived in Bend, I had just closed a company I had started with my late father. We had been building modular hunting and fishing camps out of shipping containers, and after his passing, the business felt hollow. Being we had started it together, I not only wanted to build a business for myself organically but one that suited my strengths. My fiancé and I had decided to move to Bend, and a mentor suggested that I look at real estate as a future profession.

Moving to a new area, building professional connections, and fostering friendships can be tricky on its own. Throw becoming a regional expert on various property types and industry specifics into the mix, and it becomes an entirely different animal. Especially in the niche market of rural properties, it was a challenge to become well versed in the minutia of water rights and grazing, among many other aspects. The insane speed and intensity of the market we’ve seen over the past couple of years made for a heck of a start to my career and helped me develop expertise at a rapid rate.

I know that there is a high dropout rate for many new real estate brokers. Already the majority of those that attended my licensing classes are no longer working in the business. It was, and is a hard grind, but as I move into my current year of business, I am quickly gaining ground. I strive to offer unparalleled marketing and dynamic representation for my clients. Already having repeat buyers and sellers and a tremendous increase in my annual sales totals, I chalk this up to the successful beginning of a career I wish to remain in for a long time.

Long term I plan to stay in Bend, continue growing my business, and make connections across our community. This will set the foundation for a future with my own regional team that provides cutting-edge marketing and market knowledge, along with a deep understanding of what drives the varied members of our area. Whether it is in a stunning home on the water, a recreational property surrounded by national forest, cattle ground, or irrigated alfalfa fields, I strive to be the go-to person for buyers and sellers in Central Oregon looking to foster a specific lifestyle.

EDCO: Do you have anything else that you'd like to share?

Sam: In my spare time, which is becoming more difficult to find, I write. If you have any interest in hunting, please take a look at my work in in Steven Rinella’s The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game Vol. 1 and 2 in the link here.

I also had a piece published more recently in LandLeader’s Stewardship Magazine. The article is titled “Passion, People and Places” can be found via this link on page 27.

EDCO: How has your partnership with EDCO impacted you and your career?

Sam: I am blown away by the opportunities provided by EDCO and will support them in as many ways as I can. It’s clearly an amazing non-profit that helps our region adapt to the rapidly changing world and fosters the next generation of entrepreneurs. The wealth of knowledge and experience that exists in Bend gleaned from the PubTalks and Annual Luncheons is extraordinary. The connections I’ve made through EDCO has provided me with a pool of individuals and their experiences that have contributed to my business development and provided inspiration as I move forward in my career.

The Bend VC conference was a particularly eye-opening experience. Having the opportunity to exchange with the potent entrepreneurs that exist here, hearing their stories of failure and success, and witnessing the support offered by EDCO in practicing pitches and awarded funds was beyond measure. To see the lifechanging connections made for so many was inspirational and fostered a strong urge to increase my connection with EDCO and the work they do. EDCO seems to have the best interests of our business community in mind, and I am honored to be a part of this fantastic world we have worked so hard to create.