About Sterling Land Company
SLC List with Us
At your request we would do an onsite inspection of your property. Then we would gather data from several sources including-Soil Maps, Aerial Photos, FSA data, Property Tax data, recent sales of comparable land And an inventory of other similar property that may be for sale in the area. We would make recommendations to you as to pricing and method of sale.
Upon receiving your authorization we would hire our FAA approved Aerial Photography service For drone video footage with professional voice-over. And of course add this to our marketing brochures.
SLC Buy from US
We are happy to act as your buyers agent. We do our best to stay current with farm Properties that may be for sale in your targeted area. With nearly 38 years in the Business we have developed a tremendous network of Real Estate Land Brokers, Agricultural Lenders, Attorneys and most importantly farmers and investors.
LAND BROKER ILLINOIS

Monte Van Kooten
Managing Broker
agent5841@gmail.com
Monte Van Kooten, owner of Sterling Land Company, has served as the company’s managing broker since its inception in 1999. Starting his career in real estate in 1980, Mr. Van Kooten has developed an excellent reputation as a fair-minded business associate who provides straight and honest answers.
In addition to his work as a managing broker, Monte shares his expertise and knowledge by writing and publishing the Sterling Land Company Land Report, a popular semi-monthly report that provides readers with insights on the latest land sales and real estate trends in Illinois.
As a member of the Realtors Land Institute-a global network of land professionals and The Chicago Farmers, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing “a forum for education and an exchange of information between member and others allied in agribusiness,” Monte has the unique ability to understand and overcome the challenges that buyers and sellers of land in Illinois face.
When not actively engaging in land deals, you can find Monte, who is also an Instrument Rated Pilot flying over picturesque, Illinois farm properties or enjoying a few rounds of golf during the summer months.
Monte currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chapter
of the Realtors Land Institute as well as the Board of Directors for
the Whiteside County Airport.

Dan Cribben
Broker and Appraiser
dgcribben@yahoo.com
Dan has been with Sterling Land Company since 2002. He has held an Illinois Real Estate license since 1989.
Dan also does extensive farm real estate work throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. He is an accredited member of the American and Illinois Society of Farm Managers and Appraisers.
Dan also serves on the DeKalb County Board and Tax Assessment Board of Review.
Some of his recent appraisal clients include-
John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Natural Land Institute
Monsanto
Castle Bank
The University of Illinois
Premier Farm Properties
American National Bank of DeKalb County
Dan lives outside of Somonauk and runs his own small cattle farm in DeKalb County.

Preston Brown
Broker
PrestonBrownSLC@gmail.com
Preston grew up on a small family farm in Central Illinois and has spent his life immersed in Illinois agriculture. At a young age, he developed his love for farm ground and the people that work with it and on it. It was that love for ag that sent him to study agribusiness in Champaign at the University of Illinois. After school, Preston moved to Northern Illinois to work as a district manager for a major family owned seed company.
Once he laid down roots in Northern IL, Preston was able to further his passion for helping neighboring farmers navigate major agronomic decisions. Humble service, relentless drive, attention to detail, and a gritty work ethic helped Preston establish a thriving seed business from Freeport to Sterling, Mendota, Dekalb and Rockford. In 2017, Preston started to consider other ways to serve his customers, friends, and neighbors which led him to Sterling Land Company.
Preston’s deep network in Central IL, coupled with his daily engagement with growers and ag professionals across Northern IL give him a unique advantage in agricultural real estate. He is able to bring an authentic, professional, boots-on-the-ground approach pairing together buyers and sellers. Give him a call today and put him to work for you.

Martin Haak
Broker
MartinHaak@yahoo.com
Martin comes from a multi-generational farm family and has been involved in farming and agribusiness his entire life. His lifetime experiences have given him a love and appreciation of the land and land values, as well as the importance of proper stewardship to maintain it’s integrity for future generations. Martin has worked extensively providing sales and support to farmers throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. He is dedicated to providing expertise and knowledge to assist buyers and sellers of farmland and rural property.
Martin is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in Agriculture and currently resides north of Sterling on the family farm where he maintains a small beef cow herd.

Jon Windstrup
Broker
jonhwind@yahoo.com
At a young age, Jon would travel to small towns throughout the state to help with the family race car. Visiting the tracks in towns like: La Salle, Morris, Farmer City, Fairbury, Macon, Kankakee, Sycamore, Canton and others, would involve cruising through some of the best farmland in the world. A desire to live on a farm grew from observations made on these trips.
A member of the Sterling Land Company Sales team since 2002, Jon was first a client before becoming an employee. After purchasing land listed with Sterling Land Company, Jon became intrigued with the land market and secured his real estate license to become part of the team.
Although family obligations called him back to the suburbs of Chicago, Jon takes every opportunity to head out to farm country and breath that fresh country air. A unique perspective comes from having personally lived in both the suburbs and out on the farm. This life experience is especially helpful when dealing with fellow suburbanites who have the same dream of owning or living on a farm.

Glenda Seradilla
Office Manager