Early in his career, Mason Muller walked into a meeting he’d been cautioned about. The landowner he was about to meet was known for being forthright and detail-oriented—someone who expected clarity and didn’t offer trust easily.

The discussion required a direct and honest approach, which led to a positive outcome. By the end, the landowner signed the agreement and complimented Mason on his professionalism, leaving a lasting impression on him.

For Mason, the moment affirmed a guiding principle he learned early on:

“Dishonesty is a quick way to a short career.”

It’s a standard he carries into every interaction. In land work, integrity and clearly communicating are core elements to building a foundation of trust, and they guide how Mason approaches every conversation he steps into.

An Unexpected Path—and a Moment of Recognition That Changed Everything

Mason didn’t come into land work through family ties or early industry exposure. Like many high school graduates, he wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to take—he just knew he wanted to keep playing volleyball. Olds College offered him that opportunity through a scholarship, but at first, he wasn’t convinced the school was the right fit.

Olds was known for its strong agricultural programs, and because Mason’s family had stepped away from farming years earlier, he didn’t initially see those programs aligning with the career path he wanted to take.

As acceptance deadlines approached, he took another look at Olds’ programs. That’s when he came across the Land Agent Program. The more he read, the more its content and structure made sense. The coursework covered the fundamentals needed to enter the land profession, helped students work toward their interim land agent license, and offered a weeklong practicum providing real exposure to industry work. What appealed to him most was the practical lens of the program—taught by former land professionals who could directly connect classroom concepts to real-world application.

“It looked like something I could understand and grow into,” Mason says. “Something I could see myself doing.”  

One moment from his time in the program has stayed with him. A course instructor, Nicola Millions-Hollamby., asked him to stop by her office. Mason assumed—half joking—that he must be in trouble; his classmates joked the same.  

Instead, Nicola shared the potential she saw in him and asked whether land was truly the career he wanted to pursue. When Mason said yes, she moved quickly to support him. She connected him with Tom Morgan —someone she trusted to invest in and guide new agents because of his experience and success.  

Tom brought a background Mason immediately connected with—rooted in small community values, practical experience, and an integrity based approach to every landowner interaction. That grounding made the mentorship feel approachable and set the tone for Mason’s early development.

For someone still defining his place, that recognition—and the mentorship with Tom—laid the foundation for his early growth and gave him a clear direction to follow.

“It changed everything,” Mason says. “That kind of support means a lot.”  

Learning the Work from the Ground Up

When Mason joined LandSolutions in 2020, the world was still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before he was able to have any landowner meetings, he spent almost a year doing land analyst work—something he believes every agent should experience.

“You learn how the work is built,” he says. “How files come together, where the pressure points are, what information matters. That foundation makes you better in the field.”

Then came the ridealongs: long hours on the road with experienced agents, absorbing every lesson they were willing to share. Conversations about judgment, timing, tone, and conflict. Watching how seasoned practitioners adapted to situations that don’t appear in textbooks.

“You watch how people handle tough situations,” Mason says. “What they say, what they don’t say, and the reasons behind it all.”

Land work is not a job you can rush. There’s no shortcut for observing human behavior, learning when to speak and when to listen, or understanding how to approach someone’s interest in land— which can be deeply personal, emotional, and even generational.

Mason didn’t rush it. He learned deliberately.

The Value of Working Across Multiple Sectors

As Mason’s responsibilities grew, so did the range of work he was exposed to. Although his academic program had focused heavily on oil and gas, his career quickly expanded into electric transmission, distribution, renewables, and telecommunications—each sector being uniquely different.  

The variety sharpened his ability to read situations and understand how landowners experience and respond to different projects.

“Versatility makes you sharper,” he says. “It forces you to adapt. It expands your judgment.”  

That judgment guides how he prepares for conversations in the field. Mason studies the file to understand where there could be sensitivities, and what the operator’s obligations will be.

“You have to understand the sensitivities,” he says. “But you also need to know your legal and regulatory obligations. You can’t go in unprepared.”  

“You’re there to communicate the facts and help people understand the reasons behind for the development.”  

What stands out to Mason are the conversations where a landowner walks away knowing exactly what their options are and what decisions are required. When a difficult discussion becomes a fair, informed exchange, it reinforces the approach he uses.

Mason’s Lessons

Nearly six years in the field. Hundreds of kilometres driven on Western Canada’s backroads. Mentors who shaped his judgment, systems that evolved around him, and conversations that required patience and a grounded professional demeanor. Through all of it, a few principles consistently guide how Mason approaches his work:

Honestly share the facts.  

Trust depends on it, especially when the information is difficult or the circumstances are complex.

Understand the work before you speak to it.

Preparation ensures landowners will receive what they need to make informed decisions.

Stay grounded.

Land is personal. Every conversation involves history, livelihood, and longterm meaning for the people who hold rights to it.

Build on the fundamentals.

Analyst work, ridealongs, and observation help your judgment and influence how every interaction is conducted.