Empathetic yet systematic, Matt Johnson listens to his clients’ needs and delivers what they want. A private office advisor at the international firm of Engel & Volkers, Johnson specializes in equestrian estates and training facilities, in addition to luxury oceanfront properties and gated club communities within Palm Beach County.

Johnson, a Vermont native and longtime competitive equestrian himself, earned his BS in animal science in 1992 before training with Olympic equestrians in Wellington every winter for the next five years. “Working in the horse industry full-time, I burned out,” he shares. “But I loved Wellington, the Florida lifestyle and always had an interest in real estate. So, it was a natural progression and became the perfect marriage.”

Self-dubbed the “Riding Realtor,” Johnson bears encyclopedic knowledge of horses and personal experience in the field that have earned him a reputation as the go-to agent for equestrian estates. Since January 2020, he has captured 60% of the market share of farms sold above $10 million and has a clientele composed of referrals and repeat business. “My clients know that I have their best interests at heart and am dedicated to finding solutions,” he says.

Johnson’s sales record and client portfolio have earned him a spot in the Private Office group, a global network of luxury agents at Engel & Volkers. He is also a member of the United States Dressage Federation and United States Equestrian Federation.

This year, after seven years of training, Johnson debuted his horse, Petersborg’s Qasanova, at Grand Prix, the Olympic level. He did all the training himself. “It takes about eight years or longer to train a horse to this level,” he explains, “and many aren’t capable of making the cut.” He recently purchased his next prospect, a two-week-old colt, in Denmark to bring along behind Qasanova. It’s obvious that Johnson’s drive in and out of the arena is tireless.