Some people live their lives with uncanny courage and creativity. They are typically flexible, curious, and with a richly discontent urgency that leads them to upend norms, take risks, and try new things. Jill Heng, with Nebraska Realty, is of this sort, and her life has been a remarkable journey, filled with twists and turns that have shaped her into the extraordinary REALTOR® she is today. Growing up on a farm in Southeast Nebraska, her path to becoming a real estate professional has been far from conventional. After completing her undergraduate degree in Health Science at Truman State University in three years, Jill decided to pursue a Master's in Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). This shift was a tough transition, as she was younger than her peers and somewhat out of her element in the bustling city of Los Angeles. “Without a car and in a new environment compared to the rural Midwest, I had to adapt. Housing was expensive, so I improvised; I even lived with a belly dancer one quarter and slept on someone's couch for another quarter!” Upon returning home for Christmas after her first quarter at UCLA, Jill’s father introduced her to Charlie, a friend's son, and said he’d like her to marry Charlie. Amazingly, Jill and Charlie took this suggestion to heart and tied the knot just one year and one week later on the eve of Y2K. They will celebrate 25 years of marriage next year.

Returning to live in Lincoln with Charlie, Jill joined Doane University as an adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology. While there, she developed and taught the university's first bio-statistics course. Concurrently, she was writing grants for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs through the Family Violence Council. This role allowed her to work closely with organizations like Friendship Home, RSACC, and Family Violence Council. “I didn’t have the social services background, but I had the research and grant writing skills to contribute towards the organization's growth and outreach. It was fascinating to be a part of this work.”

Jill became a mother when the first of her five daughters, Adah (20), was born in 2003. Having Adah changed the direction of Jill’s life, awakening a love of children and the desire to know her children as individuals, not extensions of herself. Adah is now a sophomore studying computer programming at Wayne State College. Ella (19) is a Regents Scholar at the University of Nebraska, majoring in English. Leah (16) is a beautiful, quiet artist. Next is Sarah,(14) independent, athletic, and into woodworking. Sarah and her mom love to work out together.  Lastly, there is Willa (11), whose superpower is friendship, inclusivity, and hospitality. Becoming a mother is where many new adventures began, including homeschooling and entrepreneurship. “Having five children with different gifts and personalities has helped me truly hear people. I can’t predict or prepare what will come moment to moment with any of my girls. Keeping them all home to homeschool made us a tight-knit group, but it can be tricky to navigate all that entails. Attuning to my clients has been influenced by learning to discover the unique and beautiful nuances of relating to all my girls.”

For the fun of it and the adventure, Charlie and Jill moved to Savannah, Georgia, in 2005, where homeschooling was full of trips to the ocean and abundant learning opportunities Southern Style. However, like in many cities nationwide, Savannah was hit hard by the housing and economic recession between 2008 - 2011. After surviving many rounds of threatened job loss, the company Charlie worked for eventually folded like many other companies in the area. Weary of the toll this lay-off cycle took, the family moved back to Nebraska, purchasing an abandoned farmhouse to fix up by Panama, NE. Inspired by the acreage available to them, Jill, in 2013, decided to start a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project known as Olive Creek Farm. The farm enabled her to generate income and innovate a very creative classroom. The venture multiplied, expanding from just a few takers to a thriving operation with chickens, produce, beef, eggs, and even a 24/7 on-site market space run on the honor system while providing enough income for Charlie to join full-time and even offered the kids employment opportunities In 2019, the CSA project was sold, and Jill began the more personal and uncomfortable process of wondering what was next, and it ached of an identity crisis.

“I knew I needed a new chapter, another project. I could see the combination of stepping back from running the farm full time and knowing my older girls would be heading off to college in a few short years would leave me with extra time on my hands. I prefer a full schedule and to feel I’m giving my all to my community. I watched the traffic of commuters heading to and from Lincoln, and I wanted to be part of that somehow.” Terry Lindstrom, a broker in Lincoln, had the idea that Jill would thrive in real estate and had been wooing her into the industry for a few years. “It was December of 2020 when I called up Terry and said, ‘Ok, what would it take?’” With all the classes complete, her real estate career launched in early 2021. 

The real estate landscape is evolving and becoming attractive to people with less conventional ideas, and these folks are finding their way to Jill. “Lately, I have had the opportunity to work with families purchasing properties to accommodate a shared life. I had four sets of clients this year who were buying in a multigenerational way to solve the affordable housing crisis to live together and make housing work. In one situation, three women bought a home together, giving up their single-family mindset of privacy and autonomy in exchange for a life with four adults and all their children sharing the same house.” The dream to share property, own land, and live together in communities in various iterations is finding hospitality, ambition, and willing advocacy in Jill. “I have learned from mothering, homeschooling, and running our small farm not to micro-manage but instead to discover what people are thinking about and what makes them tick and to trust the process.”. Jill continues to be active through running, weight lifting, biking, hiking, and anything outdoors. It’s inspiring and a relief to see all this drive, determination, and ambition unleashed, improving the lives and expanding the hope of those around her!