Jennifer Wentz has lived in Menifee her entire life, and over the past thirty-plus years, she’s seen tremendous growth. While Menifee is now a bustling independent city with a population exceeding 110,000, things were far different during Jennifer’s childhood years. There was no Menifee Marketplace, the Temecula Promenade Mall was absent, and schools were few and far between.

“It’s changed dramatically,” Jennifer reflects. “I used to ride my bike on dirt roads that are now fully residential tract housing. There used to be two grocery stores and a couple of mom-and-pop restaurants. Now there are so many chains, so much business. It has grown like crazy.”

Jennifer has had a unique perspective on the changing landscape of Menifee. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, her father sold hundreds of homes in the Sun City area (now Menifee) and helped builders and private investors develop land in Canyon Lake, Murrieta, and the surrounding areas. Her mother was involved in real estate, too, as secretary for the owner/broker of a real estate firm in Hemet.  Both managed large apartment buildings in the early ‘70s in Los Angeles after arriving in California from Wisconsin.

Jennifer never wanted to be a financial burden to her parents, so she’s been working since she was 15 years old. She explored a more traditional career path working for retailer Office Depot. She moved up from cashier to store department manager to outside business sales, achieving relative success. But after nine years in the business, she was frustrated with her role.

“I was fed up with corporate America — the incremental goals we couldn't achieve, reporting was never accurate or on time, working like a dog for another company and putting in 60+ hours each week...  It was never good enough.,” she says frankly. “I was ready to start my own business and the familiar route was real estate.”

In 2014, Jennifer got licensed and launched her real estate career. She planned to get six real estate deals under her belt before quitting her corporate sales job, but after one home sale, she put in her two weeks' notice. She knew real estate was the path forward for her.

“I was going to sink or swim, and luckily I’ve swam.”

Today, Jennifer is an individual agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. She closed 35 transactions for nearly $17 million in 2022.

At one point, Jennifer managed the Menifee Tarbell Realtors office, but she discovered she preferred to work independently. Managing 65 agents wasn’t fulfilling for her, so she returned to sales full-time, where she is happiest.

“I have no assistant, no TC, no one helping me at all. I am a control freak. I've seen things fail when I had to rely on others, and I refuse to let things fail in my business, so I have to be in control of everything,” she says. “I’d rather be at capacity helping people with everything instead of counting on other people who let my people down.”

Jennifer runs her business with a fierce commitment to her clients. She’ll work with clients for years to ensure they find the right solution to their housing needs. She’s focused on empowering them with the knowledge to improve their housing situation and finances rather than on closing deals.

“I give knowledge to them before they make a decision, setting them in the right direction from day one. The planning part of it is huge for me,” she explains. “I’m fulfilled by having so many people rely on me for housing. Everyone has to have a roof over their head. So when people rely on my guidance, that's fulfilling to me. I don't want people to be stagnant in their wealth-building or retirement planning. I want them to set themselves up for success.”

Jennifer takes a 24/7 approach to her business. She’s even proud of working during her honeymoon in 2016, and she’s worked on every vacation since.

“I don't do too much other than work. Everything leads back to work. I'm always stepping out of a dinner meeting or a doctor’s appointment to answer my phone. Other agents on big teams put in the hours they want, but I don't clock in and clock out. I'm always on. It’s 24/7 for me, and I couldn't be more excited about it every day.

“I feel like I was put on this Earth to help other people make good decisions at a young age, help their families, and build their wealth through the housing market. Helping people in real estate — that’s my legacy. That's what I want to leave behind.”