Farmland Realtors in Illinois and Indiana are reporting an abrupt cessation in sales of agricultural property in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an attempt to ignite sales, some Realtors are now looking toward online sales and sealed bid auctions.

“Since the live sale shutdown, we’ve had two online only auctions which resulted in no sales,” reported Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management, of Wabash, Indiana. “Fear of the unknown played a factor in the prices people were willing to pay as well as their willingness to bid at any price. The sellers were willing to hold their farms until later this year on the chance that prices recover.”