Jared Ritz’s commitment to educating rural land buyers and sellers has landed him among the top performers across United Country Real Estate’s network of over 4,000 agents and nearly 500 independently owned offices specializing in land, farms, recreational properties, country homes and more.
“Competition was extremely tight this year, and Jared’s performance was truly exceptional,” said
Mike Duffy, president of United Country Real Estate, in a press release. “Jared consistently demonstrates deep market knowledge, outstanding client service, and a commitment to excellence that sets him apart on the national stage.”
Ritz, a north Clark County-based broker with United Country Real Estate / Discover Northwest out of Battle Ground, was named one of the top real estate agents in the nation for 2025. In recent years, with the rise in rural internet speeds, the ability to work from home has fueled rural migration and increased interest in country properties, which Clark County has plenty to offer despite its rapid growth across former farmland.
Ritz’s accomplishments were recognized at United Country’s National Training and Awards
Ceremony in February, where he also earned additional awards for exceptional listing
and sales performance.
“To me, this award that we got, it’s not about the award,” Ritz said. “It’s more the arena we were in when we got the award. … I wasn’t comparing myself with a generalist agent from in town. I was comparing myself with 4,000 national rural real estate specialists.”
United Country, which recently marked 100 years in business, includes brokers who handle some of the country's most high-profile ranch and land transactions. Ritz noted that fellow agents in the network have represented massive legacy properties, including multimillion-dollar ranches in Texas and the Mountain West.
So who would think little ole’ Clark County would be such a hot spot of rural real estate endeavors?
“I don’t think anybody would have expected an agent from north Clark County to rank in the top 10 of the largest sellers of land with a company that just turned 100 years old last year,” Ritz said. “But I think that’s the approach we took from really showing off the story of a property, showing off the area. What makes this beautiful? Kind of a boots-on-the-ground approach. I think that’s why we got there.”
Ritz’s whole business grew out of his own experience buying rural property and realizing how many agents treated it like “a house with more grass,” he said. Rural real estate is a completely different world — water rights, soils, timber, zoning, access, and lifestyle all matter just as much as the house, and “if your agent doesn’t understand that, people can leave money on the table or end up in the wrong property,” he added.
His approach to education and lived experience, rather than traditional marketing, has only grown since he set out to redefine rural land and home sales in Southwest Washington some 10 years ago.
“When we take on a listing, we don’t get out of the BMW with a tablet,” Ritz said. “Before we even get in the house, we’re going to walk that 20 acres, corner to corner. We’re looking at the wetlands. Before we even show up, we’ve already got well depths. We’re looking at fence lines, we’re looking at usable pastures, we’re looking at the layout of barns, shops, outbuildings, houses and how it all integrates. … This isn’t just a sign on the lawn.”
Today, the niche of rural and lifestyle real estate has only grown more competitive as the demand continues to rise in the post-COVID world.
“I truly think that the biggest transfer of wealth is from urban communities to rural communities and people are constantly coming to Battle Ground, Hockinson, north Clark County from Seattle, from California,” Ritz said. “So for home sellers, I think the prices are going to continue to increase because land is less and less.”
He pointed to the stark shift in values over the past decade, highlighting the problem for young homebuyers seeking the American dream.
“I bought a country home on 12 beautiful acres with a 2,500-square-foot shop for $450,000 in 2016,” Ritz said. “So the fact that $600,000 is now considered the lower side of the budget is definitely an issue.”
While rural prices have surged, Ritz acknowledged concerns about growth and development in the region.
“Would I love to see land not get scooped up for subdivisions and industrial? Absolutely,” he said. “But it’s really difficult to say to a farmer with 100 acres what they can and can’t do with their land.”
He expects large 40 and 80-acre parcels to become increasingly rare in the region, with more one to five-acre parcels defining the future or rural living in Clark County.
Despite growth pressures, Ritz believes Southwest Washington remains uniquely positioned. Ritz added that residents of the area are blessed to have 35 to 45-minute drives to access world-class healthcare, dining, an international airport, and other services.
For first-time homebuyers seeking rural living as their end goal, he believes buyers willing to think long-term can position themselves well.
“If their 10-year plan is to buy something on a postage stamp in town, then sell it and buy acreage, I usually say let’s skip the postage stamp altogether,” Ritz said. “Let’s get you at least started on acreage, learn about how the land works, learn about property, learn about what it’s really like to live on rural land.”
Ritz cautioned, however, that rural living isn’t for everyone. He added that living on land is not a vacation. It takes money, time and a passion to steward the property’s qualities.
In recent years, Ritz has also seen a shift in buyers’ knowledge.
“Knowledge is now abundant with the world of AI,” he said. “Wisdom is not. And because we live this every day, we’re coming to the process with wisdom.”
