March 20, 2024 (KANSAS CITY, Mo.) – An auction led by executives from United Country Real Estate brought in more than $180,000 for the Land Education Foundation during the REALTORS® Land Institute’s (RLI) 2024 National Land Conference, held March 10-13 in Louisville, Ky.
United Country Auction Services President Shawn Terrel and Vice President Jimmie Dean Coffey (also an Accredited Land Consultant) were the auctioneers at the Cowboy Auction, which was sponsored by Kansas City, Mo.-based United Country Real Estate. One of the most engaging and enjoyable events each year during RLI’s Conference, the auction typically features bids on exclusive items such as hunting trips, autographed memorabilia, vacation packages and more.
The overall conference and the Cowboy Auction both saw a huge turnout. Bidding was fierce at the auction, resulting in almost double the amount of funds expected to be raised. Among the items auctioned were a custom bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon, engraved with RLI’s logo (Coffey pictured below auctioning the bottle, which brought in $18,200); a hand-made quilt ($3,000); and a Glock 40 10mm Pistol ($4,500).
In total, the event raised $180,652 to benefit RLI’s Land Education Foundation (LEF),which provides financial scholarship grants for assistance in land-based education opportunities. This includes pursuit of the elite ALC Designation through RLI’s LANDU® Education Program.
Terrel said United Country Auction Services has been a proud supporter of RLI and the LEF for years. Traditionally, Terrel and Coffey lead the Cowboy Auction by providing auctioneer services each year during RLI’s convention.
“The quality and heightened level of education and training provided by RLI and the LEF is mission critical to advancing the land brokerage industry in America,” Terrel said. “We will continue to support the efforts of RLI and its prestigious Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation.”
The ALC Designation is the only land-specific designation backed by the National Association of REALTORS®. Attaining it demands rigorous knowledge and experience requirements, and the ALC is recognized industry wide as the highest achievement for land real estate professionals.