Tara Petersen: The Queen Of Ranch And Recreational Real Estate

Source: MT Ranch & Home Real Estate

Tara Petersen is a female realtor and owner at Montana Ranch & Home Real Estate. She specializes in helping her clients buy and sell ranch, recreational, and horse properties.

Tara, who grew up on her family’s working ranch, holds a deep passion for her real estate niche, even though navigating the industry as a woman has presented its challenges.

However, despite her obstacles, Tara founded a successful brokerage and has made significant strides in her career.

In this article, we’ll delve into Tara’s background, what led her to start Montana Ranch & Home Real Estate, and her advice to women in real estate.

Tara’s Background

Raised in Helena, Montana, Tara grew up rodeoing, hunting, and fishing with her father across the state.

Growing up in a family that has always owned working ranches, Tara gained an early and in-depth understanding of the complexities involved in managing these properties.

Later, she graduated from Panhandle State University in Oklahoma with a degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER). Shortly after graduating, she started teaching PE and coaching softball and volleyball teams at a middle school level.

However, in 1998 when she moved back to Montana, Tara decided it was time for a change. She started her own welding and art business, and then, a few years later, she entered the real estate industry.

She was employed at a renowned real estate firm in Helena, a region she is deeply passionate about. She believes Helena is the perfect spot for work, living, and vacationing, thanks to its stunning natural environment, a wealth of activities, and the array of amenities on offer.

Starting MT Ranch & Home Real Estate

Although Tara was supported by her previous employer, she always felt that something was missing. She says she had a feeling that she should be doing real estate for herself, not for someone else. 

Tara and her father then opened MT Ranch & Home Real Estate. “I needed this to be just for me and my dad,” Tara says. “And I wanted our agents to come onboard and be successful.”

Tara says that starting her own business is what filled that gap for her.

“I would recommend it to anybody to go out on your own."

She now thoroughly enjoys running her own firm along with her dad and making her clients’ property dreams a reality.

“But you have to be a self-starter,” she warns. She believes it takes a certain amount of discipline and drive to start your own business.

A Father and Daughter Partnership

Tara’s dad, Gordon Clark, who lives in central Montana, has been a broker for more than 35 years. The two of them started Montana Ranch & Home Real Estate together.

Source: MT Ranch & Home Real Estate

Tara recalls observing her dad work as a broker for many years, gaining valuable insights into the business from him. "And then it came easy to me," she reflects.

While her dad is now semi-retired and Tara is taking the lead, she says it’s been amazing working with him to build their business.

Her Advice for Women in Real Estate

There’s no denying that the real estate industry is male-dominated. However, when it comes to ranch, recreational, and horse properties, this specialty is notorious for being run by men.

It’s often assumed that men know more than women when it comes to running a ranch. Yet, Tara grew up on a working ranch and has extensive knowledge about these properties. In fact, she still rodeos to this day.

She says that people assume that because she’s a woman, she doesn’t know much about these types of properties. However, she understands all the intricacies of buying and selling in this market.

“I know and understand the unique aspects of this market, what it takes to match people to properties in western Montana and successfully complete a transaction."

She mentions that her firm competes with big companies that have been around for a long time. Being a smaller firm and competing with these other real estate companies is challenging for a woman.

Tara’s advice for women who want to work in her niche is to get to know everything there is about these types of properties.

She emphasizes the importance of thorough research and understanding the ranching lifestyle for women without her background. This knowledge is crucial, she explains, for effectively representing sellers or buyers in this niche. “You do what you know,” she says.

Her Advice for Ranch, Recreational, and Horse Property Realtors

If you’re a woman interested in entering the world of ranch, recreational, and horse properties, Tara’s advice is to be familiar with your client’s exact needs and budget.

“What’s different about this industry is that most people don’t care as much about the house on the property they’re buying,” she explains. Instead, what they’re concerned with is that they are buying an actual working Montana ranch, and all it has to offer.

Source: MT Ranch & Home Real Estate

They care about the productivity of the land and how they can make a living out of it.

“Sit down with them, find out what’s most important to them, and then tailor your search to match exactly what they want."

Find out “everything that’s super important to them,” Tara explains, and then execute based on that.

Lastly, she says, "professionalism, knowledge, experience, integrity, and willingness to work can significantly influence the outcome of any real estate transaction.”

What We’ve Learned from Tara 

Being a woman in real estate comes with many challenges. Being a woman in ranch and recreational real estate is even harder.

However, with the right amount of experience and a passion for these properties, women can have a successful real estate career in this niche. Tara is living proof of this.