The parallels between military service and real estate sales may not seem immediately apparent, but to Roma J. Amundson, a sales associate with Home Real Estate in Lincoln, Neb., and a colonel in the Nebraska Army National Guard, her two careers have a lot in common. 

Guiding home buyers—especially the first-timers she prefers—through a complex transaction requires the same blend of understanding needs and providing firm support that she used to mentor young recruits or fledging officers. 

“In both jobs, I believe in service leadership. I try to serve people actively, to help them recognize what they’re capable of and give them the knowledge and confidence to accomplish their goals,” she says.

Amundson’s desire to serve her country began to take shape in the mid-1970s. The Nebraska native was studying in Germany, trying to improve her language skills before taking up a teaching career. 

“It was at the end of the Vietnam War and during an economic downturn,” she remembers. “I heard a tremendous amount of negativity about the United States. When you’re in a foreign country and start hearing those kinds of statements, you suddenly discover your patriotism.” After a second trip in 1978, Amundson joined the military in reserve status.

Fast forward three decades, and Amundson has left teaching for a real estate career—but she has stayed with the military, rising up the ranks to become the first woman in Nebraska to command a Major Subordinate Command and now the first woman brigadier general select in the Nebraska Guard. 

Although she doesn’t lead troops in the field today, the 1,900 volunteer soldiers of the 92nd Troop Command she headed for nearly four years (until April) have transported supplies, maintained medical helicopters and armored HMVEES, built schools, and conducted missions from Korea, El Salvador, and post-Katrina Louisiana to war zones in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Amundson, CRS®, e-PRO®, juggles her two careers by partnering with other associates in her office. “When I was named commander four years ago, I went to my broker and worked out an agreement for how commissions would be shared with other associates during 15 hours a week I’m away on average,” she explained. “Since I switched to selling real estate in 1996, I’ve worked hard to develop relationships with clients, and I don’t want to lose those contacts.”

Her regular partner is Fran O’Leary, GRI, SRES. The pair go together to all of Amundson’s listing presentations and share commissions based on the amount of work each does on her transactions. Over the last four years, they’ve closed an average of 10 transactions a year for Amundson. Amundson also provides support to clients through “lots of long-distance negotiations” and tools such as the in-depth buyer and seller guides, in both English and Spanish, on her site, www.icanfindhomes.com.

Amundson’s world travels have shown her that the housing most Americans take for granted would be a dream to many. “Affordable, comfortable housing is one of the reasons so many people undergo extreme hardships to come to the United States,” she says. “By fulfilling the basic human need of a safe place to live and helping more Americans secure the dream of homeownership, we’re securing stability for them and continuing to build the strength of the United States.”