Texas Rancher Acquires 2,614 Upstate Acres for $50M, Eyes Future Mixed-Use Development

GREENVILLE, S.C. — A Texas-based investor has made one of the largest rural land plays in recent Upstate South Carolina memory, acquiring more than 2,600 acres across three counties for approximately $50.2 million — with a long-term vision that includes residential and commercial mixed-use development.

Run Well Ranches, LLC closed on 2,614 acres spanning Anderson, Greenville and Laurens counties in two transactions totaling 23 parcels, according to a June 10 announcement from NAI Earle Furman, the Greenville-based commercial real estate firm that facilitated the deal. The combined purchase price was approximately $50,225,000.

NAI Earle Furman shareholder John D. Gray Jr. represented the buyer throughout the transaction. Gray collaborated with fellow shareholder Bill Sims and associate Will Freeman on the Anderson County portion of the purchase.

The largest single piece of the deal was a 1,335-acre operating cattle ranch straddling the Greenville-Laurens county line. The buyer, who previously operated a cattle ranch in Texas, is continuing that agricultural use for now — but the strategic intent signals something more significant for the Upstate real estate market.

According to NAI Earle Furman, the land is currently being held for investment. However, the buyer has outlined a long-term strategy to develop portions of the assembled acreage for residential and commercial mixed-use purposes. While no specific plans, timelines or development partners have been announced, the scale of the acquisition positions Run Well Ranches as a major future landowner in a market where developable acreage is increasingly scarce.

For commercial real estate brokers, developers and investors, the transaction underscores a continuing trend of outside capital targeting Upstate South Carolina as a long-horizon land play. The Greenville-Spartanburg metro area’s sustained population and job growth has driven demand for developable land well beyond core urban areas, pushing interest into surrounding counties including Anderson and Laurens.

NAI Earle Furman is one of the Upstate’s most active commercial real estate firms. The transaction highlights the firm’s land brokerage capabilities across a broad geographic footprint, with Gray and his team coordinating a complex multi-parcel, multi-county closing.

No buyer representatives other than NAI Earle Furman were identified in connection with the transaction. The seller was not publicly named in the announcement. Further details on the development timeline and commercial components are expected as plans mature.