Flying Dog Ranch was having a rough go on the market until Joe Risi and his team at Home Waters Real Estate earned the listing. 

Risi told the owners the property had a story to tell, and that he had an idea to ensure the market heard it. 

“This property was homesteaded in the late 1800s. It was the first conservation easement by the Trust for Public Lands west of the Mississippi,” Risi told Land id. “It's [also] the first conservation easement by the Aspen Valley Land Trust. It kind of set the stage for a lot of conservation easements.”

Risi believed the market needed to know what the property was capable of becoming as much as it needed to know what it looked like on paper. His message landed. The seller wanted that, too. 

“Part of that next chapter, and his handing it off, was that he really wanted to make sure that there could be someone else’s thumbprint on it,” Risi said of the ranch’s owner. 

Selling a Future, Not Just a Past

The Carbondale, CO property offers 229 acres, barely 30 miles from Aspen. It’s as pristine as one would expect. Farmable acreage. Three residences. Crystal River frontage. And, its value is bolstered by approval of plans for a 7,500-square-foot residence ready to be handed over to a new owner. 

But aspiring buyers weren’t surprised by these amenities. No one looks at a ranch like Flying Dog without knowing the basics. Risi needed to show the seller that common marketing tactics weren’t moving the needle with buyers in this category. For that, he turned to Land id.

“One of the first things I did was a basic print-out from Land id of the property boundaries,” he said. “I brought my computer along and said, ‘Let’s customize this map together.’”

In essence, Risi demonstrated that a general physical map will always provide some value, but that a layered, dynamic digital tour displays a property in an entirely different light. 

“It was kind of a mind-blowing thing,” he said. “The soil report, for example, makes you look so much smarter than a lot of other [agents]. And flood plains? [Land id] makes it so much easier to tell that story, too.”

Beyond the Boundary Line

Knowing that the owner saw a different future for his ranch, Risi used Land id to build a custom map to embed on the listing’s website. 

Users can experience Flying Dog Ranch via 3D aerial or using more traditional views, such as Modern USGS, Explore, or Satellite. Users can scroll over terrain and fully immerse themselves in the location, understanding its proximity to town, local highways, popular canyons, and, in general, how the property interacts with its surroundings.

The custom legend includes property-specific amenities, such as the on-site forge, cattle pens, the pivot line, and each residence. Together with Risi’s promotion of county-approved plans for a future residence and highlighting of the existing event space on the map, a new story emerges. What would be seen by potential buyers as a working ranch is being presented as a trophy recreational destination, commercial event space, or multi-generational family encampment. 

“When you create a custom map for someone, you’re giving them a toolbox that’s not fully filled. You’re able to fill it with more reports, and you can stack these reports on those layers, on top of waypoints, on top of photos, and then embed that map. It’s so invaluable.”

Every Listing Can Be a Brand

Risi also told Land id that he was seeking a product that blends land and terrain context with powerful, consumer-driven marketing features. Land id, he said, is giving the real estate market something it needs, for both ranch properties and the single-family market. 

“You can tell a great story with Land id,” he said. “For example, I’m listing a three-bed, two-bath house. If you look at one [listing] platform or another, you can’t see what’s really important, which is a water access ditch in the backyard. 

“It’s going to be a hard year to get water or irrigate your lawn, and the only way to see that ditch is to dive into maps. That makes properties with these water rights that much more valuable than even the home across the street.” There’s also a bike path nearby that’s not talked about, which is only visible on a map. 

Risi worked in public relations for a while, helped build a backcountry ski industry web publication, and was instrumental in building some popular consumer liquor brands. This is a trait he wants to apply to his real estate career.

“How do we tell stories about properties, too? I find that telling a story about what a property could be and what you can imagine it to be makes selling it so much easier,” he said. “How can I figure out what I want to say? I’m always intrigued by who the owner of a property is, and talking about that, too.”

The Story Isn't Over

Looking back on the initial listing meeting, Risi said Land id helped make tangible the owner’s vision for the next owner.

“That was the beauty of that situation,” he said. “We were in that listing meeting, and we were able to articulate what [he] wanted to see. It streamlines that process, the [information] goes straight in.”

Risi made a point that Flying Dog shares property lines with some intriguing owners. 

“The property is surrounded by billionaires, and I think that’s important. That’s not why you’re buying it, but it gives you confidence,” he said. 

He’s not wrong. Who lives close by is a powerful sales driver for real estate investors and homebuyers at any level. Why not tell that story, too? 

“By having all these tools at your fingertips, it makes it so much easier to tell a story, to convince a buyer that this is the right property for them,” he said.

The real estate industry isn’t bereft of data. Land id’s power isn’t derived from showing the market what they don’t know; it’s from telling them in a new way. Every buyer—or seller—is able to see their aspirations for a property in a way that best resonates 

The story of Flying Dog Ranch isn’t over. Especially with Risi authoring it.

Watch Joe's full interview on YouTube.

Learn How He Did It

Our customer stories feature real Land id users—people like you who saw a challenge and found a solution. Here are the Land id features Joe Risi used to land the listing and tell a new property story.

• Embed & Share
• Photos & Video
• Soil Report
• Create Custom Detailed Maps 
• Surface Water Overlay
• Conservation Easement Overlay
• Contour Lines Overlay
• Adding Labels to Maps
• Visualize maps in 3D