Groups that have benefited from Jantzi’s community focus are Little League, Pop Warner and Snomads, a club of snowmachine enthusiasts on the southern Kenai Peninsula,

Terry Yeager, owner and broker of Re/Max and vice president of Kachemak Bay Board of Realtors, said each year a five-member committee selects one outstanding Realtor to be honored. The team is comprised of the individuals who were named Realtor of the Year for the past five years.

“I’ve always been big on what (the individual) does for the community rather than the amount of sales,” Yeager said. “Although (sales) play a part, it’s not the significant part. There are other things that would have the general public feel that (the nominee) is a responsible citizen.”

Topping Yeager’s list of Jantzi’s outstanding qualities are his parenting skills.

“From a family standpoint, he adopted four children from Poland and has done a marvelous job of raising those children,” Yeager said. “And then, of course, he is one of our top producers in the company.”

Jantzi moved to Homer from Phoenix, Ariz., with his wife, Sally Rogers, in June 1990.

“My wife and I actually came here on our honeymoon in the summer of 1988,” he said. “I looked at her and said, ‘You know, I think this is where I want to live.’ She said she could live here, too. We were looking for a place to go because we didn’t want to raise our kids in the big city.”

Jantzi managed a construction company in Arizona, but within months after settling into the Homer area, he began his career in real estate.

“I could have done the same thing I did in Phoenix, but I would never have been home,” he said. “I promised my wife that I would not take any jobs that would take me away from home.”

The couple’s five children are 15, 14, 12, 11 and 9.

“In 1996, we had one biological child and then adopted three siblings from Poland,” Jantzi said. A year and a half later, after being told of a fourth sibling still in Poland, they added one more to their family. Being involved in his children’s lives has led to participation in other activities.

“That’s how parents get involved in all these things,” he said, laughing. “They love to snowmachine and we spend a lot of time at Caribou Lake.”

Through Snomads, he helps organize snowmachine safety fairs for kids and ice fishing tournaments at the lake. He has been active in Little League, coaching and helping wherever he could. And Pop Warner has kept Jantzi busy for the past four years. He has served as vice president and president of that organization.

“That’s been my passion,” he said. “We’re sending the high school kids that have played together for four, five, six years. That makes a big difference.”

In a perfect world, Jantzi said he would do youth sports full time.

“That’s what would really make me happy,” he said. “But unfortunately there’s a little thing called ‘eating.’”

In his day job, Jantzi’s sense of professionalism has made others happy.

“He’s a superb Realtor, really conscientious and puts a lot of effort into serving his clients above and beyond the call of duty,” Story said. “He follows through, provides an extremely high level of service that doesn’t just stop at the closing table. He really cares about people.”

Going the extra mile to treat others fairly and respectfully is Jantzi’s guiding philosophy. Not only is he careful to honor the relationships other real estate agents in town have established with their clients, Jantzi also seeks to establish strong ties with his peers.

“You have to maintain respect with the other agents. That really goes a long ways,” he said. “And when you’re in a deal with someone, always hold up you end. Do your part.”