Grange Farm at South Kyme in Lincolnshire caused something of a stir last month when it sold quickly, amid stiff competition, for some 10% over its £6.5m guide price - establishing a new benchmark for Lincolnshire acres at over £7000/acre.
Strutt & Parker acted for the vendor and Fisher German represented the buyer of the 840-acre farm, who is understood to be a significant landowner.
So Brown & Co's latest instruction will be watched with interest by agents and buyers alike.
Waite Farm at Thornton Le Fen near Boston is nearly 1000 acres of Grade 2 soils with a 30,000m3 water abstraction licence from local watercourses. About a third of the land is suitable for vegetable cropping. Although predominantly a commercial unit with nearly 3000t on-floor grain storage, its amenity woodland, established shoot and five-bedroom farmhouse add to its appeal.
Brown & Co's James O'Brien has guided the farm at £7.5m, over £7500/acre.
Meanwhile, troubled agent Humberts appears to have been saved after Mercantile Group stepped in to acquire the majority of the firm in a so-called "pre-pack" deal - agreements struck before a company is placed into administration. Mercantile has bought 34 branches of Humberts, ten franchises including Farleys and Wellingtons estate agencies and the Humberts brand name.
The background to the deal is interesting. Mercantile Group owns 50% of Chestertons, the property firm in which entrepreneur Vincent Tchenguiz also has a stake through his Consensus Business Group.
And Consensus Business Group already owns 20% of Humberts - indeed it was said to have been Tchenguiz who instigated Humberts' ambitious expansion and acquisition of other agents including Halls, (which has since been bought back) a strategy that, when the global credit crunch began to unfold, cost the company dear.
Property developers interest in agricultural assets may be whetted still further by a farm coming to the market through Midlands agent Jeff Paybody of Howkins & Harrison.
Nortoft Farm includes 237 acres, a modern farmhouse and range of steel and concrete buildings. But it is its closeness to the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal and major arterial roads that could attract investors hoping for potential commercial development.