June 3, 2026 (WOODSFIELD, Ohio) – Two United Country Real Estate franchises in Ohio have inked a deal for one of the most significant multi-county land auctions in the state. Set to close June 15, the sale features some 1,870 acres of prime hunting, recreational and timber tracts.
A single-day absolute auction on May 9 at the Generations Complex in Woodsfield brought in $10.91 million on behalf of the John L. Christman Estate. In total, 17 parcels of land across four Southeastern Ohio counties (Monroe, Noble, Washington and Belmont) sold to 12 buyers.
The auction was a collaborative effort between Croton, Ohio-based United Country Real Estate | Real Estate & Auction Services and United Country | Smithberger Realty & Auctions, with offices in Barnesville and Clarington. In addition, United Country Auction Services and Enhanced Marketing Solutions provided support and created a full marketing campaign for the auction, respectively.
“This one drew interest from 170 bidders between online and live onsite people,” said Chip Carpenter, Owner/Broker/Auctioneer with the Croton office. “And the auction structure was ideal because the seller wanted all tracts to close at the same time. The previous owner passed away four years ago and there was a lot of interest from adjoining properties owners, recreational buyers and timber buyers.”
Those 17 tracts ended up offering a lot of buyer flexibility, with some marketed as small deer and turkey 
hunting retreats and others as larger investment opportunities. Stretching across nine different cities and towns, the parcels include live water, ponds, mature hardwoods, rocky terrain, and even one accented by a
charming two-bedroom country home. Two tracts border portions of Wayne National Forest.
“This liquidation represented around 1,870 acres of pure outdoor freedom, and as far as dollar amount and scale, it was the largest ever for me,” said United Country | Smithberger Realty & Auctions Owner/Broker/Auctioneer Melissa Smithberger. “When I received the referral, I knew I had to call in Chip, Ryan Rogers and Ryan Biltz. They are truly auction experts.”
Biltz, a REALTOR®, agent and auctioneer with the Croton office, said the rarity of this kind of estate on the market was a big part of the auction’s success. “This was a generational sale and the first time the land was available from the estate. We believe that is one of the main reasons the auction went so well,” he said.
United Country | Smithberger Realty & Auctions and United Country | Real Estate & Auction Services are lifestyle and rural real estate specialists. Handling both traditional sales and auctions, the two franchises cover clients’ needs throughout Ohio. If you’re in the market to buy or sell farmland, a hunting property, country home, commercial property, timberland or anything similar … you’ll want to see what they can do for you.