For many years, Nikki Rottweiler had the gift of being a stay-at-home mom for her three children. Spending so much time with them offered Nikki tremendous rewards, but it came with its own challenges. When Nikki went through a divorce in 2015, she was suddenly face-to-face with the need to work to support her family but without a career to lean on.

With three kids relying on her, Nikki put her nose to the grindstone and set out to rebuild her life. She began bartending and working other odds-and-ends jobs in the evenings. She was staying afloat financially, but unfortunately, this strategy wasn’t sustainable for family life.

“I didn't get to see my kids. I was burned out,” Nikki reflects. “A friend knew someone looking for an assistant at a real estate office, and I was intrigued, so I came in for an interview.”

The agent in need of an assistant was Karin Head, who Nikki has now been working alongside for six years. She began as an assistant, moved up to transaction coordinator, and eventually got her real estate license.

“I had no plans to be a real estate agent,” Nikki reflects with a laugh. “I was really just looking for a daytime job to support my kids, but it turned into much more.”

Early in Nikki’s real estate career, she was content in her role as an assistant and transaction coordinator. But Karin saw something in Nikki that she couldn’t see herself, and Karin began encouraging Nikki to get licensed.

“We laugh about it all the time; she basically forced me to get my license,” Nikki recalls. “I resisted. I loved what I was doing, but Karin kept encouraging me. She told me I was thinking too small, and she was right. She kept pushing me to do more. She saw the potential.”

Nikki got her license in 2019. What has followed is more success and fulfillment than she could have ever dreamed of.

“I love everything about real estate,” she says proudly.

Today, Nikki is the Vice President of Karin’s team—Head Realty Group powered by eXp Realty. As VP, she is responsible for a host of administrative tasks as well as her own book of business. Nikki closed 22 transactions for $6 million in 2022.

“I remember in 2019 thinking, ‘How do people even get business?’ But now, I've built my own, and the more I do for people, the more they refer my name. My business is built on that—developing relationships with the clients. I love the relationships. I love staying in contact with people. And I love the problem-solving aspect of it. We are going to hit bumps in the road, but I'm here to make it as smooth as possible.”

Nikki has not only grown as a real estate professional; she’s grown as an individual, too. Her mindset has shifted from one of scarcity to one of genuine abundance.

“Now, I really believe I can do anything, that anything is possible,” she says. “It's a different mindset, an anything-is-possible mindset, which I didn't have a few years ago.

“Believe in yourself. Playing it safe will never get you to your goals. That’s where I was—happy playing it safe, not taking risks—but I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't decide to believe. Moving to real estate has given me more freedom. It's completely changed my life. I'm not the same person I was a few years ago.”

Nikki has three children, Karlee (23), Brendan (20), and Cannen (15). She’s nearing the transition to an empty nester, but her days are still filled with family activities. When she’s not working or with her kids, you’ll find Nikki playing in and organizing cornhole tournaments; she hosts a tournament every Monday night.