Real Estate Broker and Auction Manager

Jess Nighswonger

Wiggins, Colorado

About

Jess Nighswonger is a Real Estate Broker and Auction Manager with Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company, specializing in land transactions and equipment auctions across the Western portion of the United States and the High Plains. Jess Nighswonger grew up in Keenesburg, Colorado, and comes from an agricultural background that shaped both his education and his career. He earned an Associate of Science from Clarendon College and a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Texas Tech University, and he remains closely tied to the ag community.

Jess joined Schrader in 2021. He earned his license and entered the industry that same year. Before joining Schrader, he served as a General Foreman with Cargill, where managing people, processes, and day-to-day operations prepared him for the coordination and follow-through that large land sales require.

Background

In a relatively short time with Schrader, Jess has been part of some of the company's largest offerings, including a Wisconsin farmland portfolio that brought more than $46 million, a $14 million offering in Colorado, and a $14 million offering in Washington. He also serves on the board of the Colorado Auctioneers Association and is active in the REALTORS Land Institute.

"I take the time to understand what the land actually means to the person selling it," Jess says. "There's the work that went into it, and there are their goals - for the sale itself and for what comes after. Understanding both is how I make sure a sale actually serves the family behind it."

Some of Jess's work has included working for some of the largest land institutions in the country, but with that he will always have a huge passion for working with family operations. He has handled a large majority of recent farm retirement auctions near Lamar, Colorado.

Additional Information

Jess lives in Wiggins, Colorado, with his wife, Brook, and their children, Staton and Landry. He is involved with Ropin' Rascals and the Southeast Weld County Chamber of Commerce, and he supports FFA through its auctioneering contests and judging. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, hunting, rodeo, livestock shows, and his kids' sports.