INTRODUCTION TO THE BAILEYS
This essay is an encomium to my beloved friends, Drennan & Lauren Bailey, their son Taylor, and their business, Bailey Properties.
MY CREDENTIALS: A JOURNEY THROUGH DIFFERENT CAREERS
First let me list my credentials for this report: I left journalism to go into rural real estate. I later left rural real estate, and rural America, in order to go to graduate school. After graduate school, I became a political economist for a think tank. I left that field to do market analysis, and then marketing, for Price Waterhouse.
DRENNAN’S ROOTS: FROM CITY TO FARMLAND
Drennan grew up with a love of rural America and the farm life. He was raised in St. Louis but the family frequently commuted to their farm near Kirksville, MO. He went to college at Westminster College in tiny Fulton MO.
LAUREN’S ENTRANCE AND THE GROWTH OF THEIR FARM
After college Drennan moved to Kirksville and to the old farmhouse. He was joined, later, by his new wife Lauren. Drennan and Lauren not only managed the farm successfully but grew it dramatically.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE BAILEY CHILDREN
That farm produced more than corn and beans. Their children are Ashley, now a lawyer; Tiffany, a teacher; Drennan III, a consultant with a global firm, and Taylor, the son in the business who sells elevators when he isn’t selling farmland.
BAILEY PROPERTIES: THE EVOLUTION OF A REAL ESTATE DYNASTY
Real estate brokerage started as a side enterprise but it quickly grew. It grew even more quickly when Lauren forced Drennan to quit buying farms and concentrate on selling them. When Drennan and Lauren decided to leave the farm, they hired managers, returned to St. Louis, and settled into their wonderful niche—investment and get-away farms for urbanites.
IN CONCLUSION: A TESTIMONIAL FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE
So, from that brief history here’s what we have: An investment (farm real estate) famous for holding its value, and a family whose qualities of joy, integrity, and mutual commitment will leave a lasting impact. If you have even an inclination to consider a farm investment, you owe it to yourself to call Drennan, Lauren, or Taylor. It will be a life adventure! Good luck. And tell me how it works out.
From our dear friend, Pat Nichols.
About Drennan Bailey
Drennan Bailey, the President of Bailey Properties, Inc, is a St. Louis native with a lifetime commitment to land management and ownership. After earning his business degree from Westminster College, Drennan followed in the footsteps of his family, who have been in farming and ranching for over a century. His early experiences on his family’s Missouri farm fueled his passion for the land. A pioneer in no-till farming during the 1980s, Drennan has both brokered and personally owned thousands of acres. His expertise spans agriculture, ranch, wildlife, and outdoor recreation land sales. Drennan’s extensive network includes trust departments, banks, attorneys, CPA’s, farmers, and landowners. He’s facilitated transactions for clients globally. Married for 40 years, Drennan is a father of four and a grandfather of six, valuing family and tradition.
