LIMITED listings, high local demand, low interest rates and good commodity prices have underpinned another strong spring/summer selling season, according to rural property agents.
With the end of the usual selling period in sight, several properties have come under offer or sold, with many believed to have fetched strong, even record prices.
And local buyers appear to have been driving the market, with several premium properties being purchased by local farming families for top prices.
"The market has been very buoyant and has well and truly strengthened on the previous year," said Nutrien Harcourts WA region corporate and business development manager - west, Glenn McTaggart.
"Most areas where our agents have sold farmland have achieved record prices."
Mr McTaggart said local buyers have been driving the market and since the interstate borders were relaxed, demand from other States had picked up a little.
Great Southern:
The quality property of Tamgaree, Gnowellen, is under offer to a local farming family.
Selling agent and Elders Real Estate sales representative Simon Thomas handled the marketing campaign and said the property "sold for a strong price" and was in the vicinity of the $5.1 million asking price.
He said the property generated strong interest, generally from people within the region.
Totalling 1278 hectares, Tamgaree was home to one of two kikuyu seed production businesses in Australia and also ran Merino sheep.
At Newdegate, EDL Farms, which spans 9160ha, is under contract to a "WA farming entity" understood to not be a corporate farmer or corporate investor.
Sold through Ray White Rural WA director Hugh Ness, EDL Farms is set to fetch a "strong price given the seasonal conditions of the year".
"It is a healthy number for the sales in that area and highlights that Newdegate is good value for money," Mr Ness said.
This was not a walk-in, walk-out sale as a clearing sale is scheduled for next month.
Wheatbelt:
Bundidup, at Badgingarra, has been purchased by farmers from the southern region as an investment and it has been leased out to local growers.
Covering 1332ha, selling agent Nutrien Harcourts WA sales manager Terry Norrish said four strong offers were received and the property is under offer for a "very good price".
John Nicoletti's property Cranes Neck, Beermullah, is under offer to local mixed enterprise farmers.
The property is 1048ha and the sale has been handled by Mr Norrish and sales representative Adam Shields.
At Mogumber, the grazing property Acquaviva Pastoral Company has been partly sold to a cattle pastoral family.
The buyers purchased the parcels Flora Downs of 1467ha and Marri Valley of 1512ha, with the remaining parcel, East Wing of 1745ha, being retained by the owners.
Selling agent Kevin Manuel, Nutrien Harcourts WA, declined to disclose the price and buyers, but the "price was what we expected".
He said interest came mostly from cattle producers and there was no corporate enquiry.
Known as Innverness, South Wyalkatchem, the Pearse family's 4882ha mixed enterprise farm has been purchased by three local farming families through Rex Luers, Nutrien Harcourts WA.
He said the overall price was well above previous sales evidence in the region and set a new benchmark for the area.
"The price exceeded my expectations a little bit and the sellers' by a lot," Mr Luers said.
Innverness received extensive enquiry from both locals and buyers outside the region, within 50-100 kilometres.
There was also some corporate interest.
Another property sold by Mr Luers, Greyhome, at Cunderdin, was purchased by four local farming families from the Syme family.
Declining to comment on the price, he said the 2172ha property sold for "well in excess of recent sales in the area" and "set a new benchmark for the Cunderdin region".
Mr Luers said the strong price reflected the quality of the property.
"It was presented as good as any property that I have seen, both agronomically and with the improvements," he said.
"The owners have worked very hard to build it up and present it the way it was."
Mid West:
Sandsprings, Yandanooka, has been purchased by three local farming families, who are all based within about 30km of the property.
Selling agent Yves Beagley, Nutrien Harcourts WA, declined to disclose the buyers or prices paid but said the overall price set a new benchmark for the area.
"The price exceeded my expectations, based on what I thought a realistic figure would have been," Mr Beagley said.
He said there was strong interest in the property, with formal expressions of interest coming from eight individual parties, including enquiries from the corporate sector and outside the region.
However, the majority of interest came from buyers within the local region.
There were no offers to purchase the 3771ha (3358ha arable) property as a whole.
"The property lended itself to being divided as there were three distinct parcels which all made great add-on properties," he said.
Those three parcels were Sandsprings Home, Norms and Dalgooka Hill.
Mr Beagley said the property was excellently presented, having benefited from a good growing season, particularly 95-100 millimetres of rainfall in August.
"(The price achieved) is testament to the property - it had good soil types and properties like that are in very high demand," he said.
