The Country Broker in Orange: How #7 Agent Jared Ritz Stands Out in Rural Real Estate

When I got to sit down over Zoom with the #7 agent at United Country Real Estate, Jared Ritz, the first thing I noticed was his huge grin stretching wide across his bearded face, welcoming and excited. The second thing I noticed was he was clad in his signature bright orange clothing. An unmistakable and unmissable shade.

He took time between showings to ensure we had a face-to-face meeting; a personalized touch that seemed to seep into all avenues of his work. We talked for nearly an hour while I was sitting in United Country’s corporate office in Kansas City, Missouri. He was at his office in Battle Ground, Washington, in front of a wall filled with plaques of accomplishments and photos of his team around his head, bearing a slight resemblance to well-polished antlers.

I couldn’t help but wonder about his signature orange look throughout our discussion. It appeared in every blog post, every video, and every piece of marketing I could find. It seemed as integral to him as the bold red of Coca-Cola or the deep-sky blue of United Country. When I finally asked him, he laughed and professed that it actually happened by accident.

After spending a lot of time filming on the beautiful properties he was representing, he felt like was blending into the background of his videos. He questioned how he could pop out more and, thinking like a true outdoorsman, he concluded, “Well, hunters wear orange,” and ran with it.

His photographer got on him for wearing that distinct orange in every single video, imploring him to switch it up. Instead, he adopted the color completely. “When they see this orange, they see country. They see Jared. Orange is the color of safety. It’s the color of trust. It’s the color of creativity.”

The Southwest Washington Country Broker

Ritz constructed his specialization within his Washington-based market as the country broker with his signature orange and unbeatable knowledge of the land.

“Riches are in the niches,” Ritz explains. His office, United Country | Discover Northwest Realty, has thrived in its Southwest Washington market by focusing on the rural, country and lifestyle real estate he knows best, becoming one of the most recognized brands in the region. Going against the grain of what normal REALTORS® do, Ritz insists on walking every fence line and seeing each corner of the land before every transaction.

In order to provide the best service to his clients, whether he is representing the buyer or seller, Ritz challenges himself to learn everything about the land underneath his boots. Whether it’s physical wetland indicators and fish bearing streams or how often one must turn out pastures for horses, no other real estate professional can rival his passion for the intricacies of land ownership, understanding the needs of his clients, and the beauty of the area.

“I think when you're actually living it, it makes a huge difference,” Ritz asserts. “And if you look at a lot of United Country agents, they're full-time REALTORS®, part-time ranchers. I think that having that real connection to land has moved the needle for us.”

From his youth growing up in an auction house and working on dairy farms, and his current residence being a 12-acre tree farm, Ritz has a lifetime of rural experiences that inform his business and his “land-first approach.”

The Washington-based professional stresses that, “You can't change the land, but you can always change the house.” While one can always find granite countertops or paint colors that better suit one’s style, it’s impossible to alter the land to such a degree.

It’s very important to know how to properly assess and care for land, but it’s even more important to remember who this is all for. I asked him about his recent accomplishment of being named the #7 United Country agent in 2025, making the top 10 for the second year in a row, and the legacy he’d like to leave in the industry. Instead, Ritz told me the story of the proudest moment of his career.

There was a family of five that had been renting, and, after years of saving, were eager to get out on the land. With Ritz’ guidance, they had to walk away from three opportunities – a tough yet necessary call due to bad wells, septic systems, and unstable ground. Finally, they found the perfect place and fought hard to get to it.

“On day one, their kids were running the fence line,” he said with a smile. “That’s why I get out of bed. It’s not to get ranked #7. It’s to make that kind of American dream come true.” His excitement reflected an authenticity as unmistakable as the bright orange of his shirt.

“They can pass that land from generation to generation,” he continued. “I think that’s the epitome of being a country broker.”

A Top United Country Real Estate Agent

The aligned focus on land, country lifestyles and honest service is what attracted Ritz to United Country Real Estate in late 2020 when he began his real estate career.

“It only made sense to partner with a brand that not only said they were doing it but were actually doing it, and they had 100 years to prove it.”

And from the moment he joined, he saw others with the same fervor for land specialization and commitment to stewardship and service, and he knew he found the right place. His ambitions for himself and his office quickly grew once he began working with United Country.

“From day one of the UCRE Convention six years ago, when the big boys got on stage, I kind of looked at them and said, ‘I'll be there in the next five years.’ And it happened.” Ritz reached the top 10 of UC agents within his first five years in real estate, all with United Country.

When I asked Ritz to clarify which “big boys” he was referring to, he named other leading United Country agents, all known for expertly carving out their own niches within their markets. Leaders like Curt Blackburn, Curtis Stocking, Slade Priest and Gary Hubbell, “crazy brokers,” as he described them, who would pick up their phones at any time to make a sale or help others navigate a transaction.

He mentioned his respect for Blackburn more than once, admitting that “he is one of the smartest guys I know in the business. He’s a purebred country broker.”

As he went on about his respect and admiration for these brokers and explained that he’s been able to expand his marketing reach and spend more time with clients due to his administrative assistance, it is clear that he believes no one can truly achieve anything completely alone. While the snake oil for quick success simply doesn’t exist, a powerful network and unwavering grit can take you far.

“Nothing has come easy, and there's been no secret bullet,” Ritz admitted. “But when I’m asked about what has helped me be successful, I simply say hard work. When you ask Slade Priest how he’s number one agent year after year, he's going to say the same thing.”

Ritz continued to emphasize the importance of hard work, but he seemed possessed by something different. An emotion that was evident from the moment we connected on Zoom: obsession. This undeniable drive that cannot be faked and cannot be manufactured but begs to be expressed. The meeting place of passion and knowledge that launches agents into success and promises clients the best possible service. Several times during our meeting, he had to stop himself from going on, truthfully very welcome, tangents. He was just bursting with information and enthusiasm.

Whether it’s his passion for Washington state ecosystems, revolutionizing his marketing or guiding everyday families into a future of freedom and adventure, his obsession never wavers. And his orange coat, as clear as his message, shines brightly against the dull competition.