Ray L. Brownfield is Designated Managing Broker of Land Pro LLC, an Affiliate of Peoples Company, which is a land real estate brokerage and land management company in Oswego Illinois and brings over fifty years of professional agricultural property excellence to the agriculture interests of his clients.
Ray holds the designations of Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), which is a highly regarded designation within the land brokerage profession, and Accredited Farm Manager (AFM).
As an ALC, Ray is afforded the opportunity to maximize the marketing potential of the sale of land through various advertising platforms, education, and networking.
The Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) designation is awarded by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), and is earned through years of experience, education, testing, and adherence to strict ASFMRA requirements for standards, ethics, and continuing education.
Ray graduated in 1965 from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. Ray is a recipient of the Holbert Award, which is the highest award bestowed on an individual by the ISU Department of Agriculture. In 2010, Ray was inducted into Illinois State Universitys College of Applied Science and Technologys Hall of Fame. In February 2017, Ray received the Alumni Achievement Award from Illinois State University. Since graduation from ISU, Ray has been a Vice-President of First National Bank of Peoria; Vice-President of Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Company; Vice-President of Northern Trust Bank and President of Capital Agricultural Property Services, Inc., a nationwide agricultural real estate company.
Also, Ray was president of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, receiving their highest award, the Hall of Fame Award, in 2001. Ray is past president of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (2007). In October 2012, Ray received the ASFMRAs most prestigious award, the D. Howard Doane Award. During 2012, Ray served as President of the REALTORS Land Institute (RLI) and as the Past President of the RLI Illinois Chapter Board of Directors.
In 2018, Ray received RLIs 2017 Largest ALC-to-ALC Transaction Award. Ray received RLIs APEX Top Twenty National Producer Award for sales in 2017, 2018, and 2022. From 2017-2024, Ray received the APEX Producers Club award. In 2019, Ray was the recipient of RLIs 2018 National Land Broker of the Year, Ag Land Sales-Crops award, and RLIs 2018 Largest National ALC-to-ALC Referral award.
Ray received the 2019 and 2013 Illinois Land Broker of the Year Award from the RLI Illinois Chapter. In 2017, Ray received the 2016 Land REALTOR of America Award from RLI.
Ray serves on the advisory board of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, holding their honorary FFA degree. Additionally, Ray served in the Illinois Army National Guard for 35 years, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer, CW5. Ray, and his wife Patty, reside in Naperville, Illinois.