Brothel listing poses challenge to agent

Nestled against property owned by the Bureau of Land Management about 90 miles north of Las Vegas sits a "ranch" frequented by truck drivers and others who travel along U.S. Highway 95. Wildkat Ranch, a legal brothel in Mineral County, is on the market, complete with independent contractor "working women" and its furnishings for $1.2 million.

"If you find an interested party, this will sell overnight. But it might take a few months to find that interested party. It's obviously not your everyday type of sale," said listing agent Cliff Noonan of Century 21 MoneyWorld in Summerlin.

"It is an unusual property, and it is a legitimate business in Nevada. At one time there might be two or three brothels for sale. Some people are looking to buy a brothel to pull a quick profit."

According to the listing, the ranch has been operating near Mina, an unincorporated town of roughly 280 residents, for about 25 years. It sits on about 5 acres and offers 2,820 square feet in converted mobile homes.

"There are two mobile homes and some additional structures on the property. There is a spa, and different rooms have different themes to them," Noonan said. "There are roughly eight employees who are independent contractors."

The buyer must apply for appropriate business licenses to operate the brothel. Nevada has more than 20 licensed brothels, however they are prohibited in Clark and Washoe counties, as well as Carson City.

"Anyone interested would have to be approved for the license before purchasing it, because there would be no point in buying it if you can't operate it," Noonan said. "The number of applicants is limited because of the legalities that go with it."

Confidentiality is of upmost importance to Noonan.

"When we talk about it with a potential customer, we ask the client to sign a confidentiality agreement. The current owner only wants serious buyers and only those who are serious about running the business," Noonan said. "So far, we've had some interest from a few people from out-of-state and a few from Nevada."

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