Tippi Zur Heiden

For Tippi Zur Heiden, real estate isn’t just about contracts and closing days—it’s about connection. With deep Southern roots and a passion for helping people feel at home, Tippi brings a warm, personalized approach to every client she serves.

Raised in the Southwest Georgia town of Leesburg, Tippi grew up taking family trips to Mexico Beach. “Year after year, I dreamed about living by the water,” she says. “Eventually I knew—I didn’t want to visit Florida anymore. I wanted to live here.” When the timing was just right for her family, she brought her husband down to Gulf County. “He fell in love with it instantly. Our youngest was going into fifth grade—such a key time for friendships—and we knew it was now or never. It was a leap of faith, but everything worth having usually is.”

What started as a dream quickly became home. “One day we looked outside and there were surfboards and bikes piled at our front door. Our son had been welcomed in like he’d always lived here. That’s when we knew—we were home.”

Tippi’s professional journey began in the salon, where she became a licensed cosmetologist at just 18 years old. “People have always been my business,” she says. “Being one-on-one with someone is personal, and those relationships have changed my life.” After 30+ years behind the chair and helping her friends through their first home purchases, she decided to serve them in a new way—through real estate.

Her transition into real estate came naturally, working with a broker friend who specialized in relocation, staging, and neighborhood development. Now, Tippi brings that same relational depth and calm problem-solving to the buying and selling process. “Moving is hard,” she says. “It can be exciting or it can be scary, but either way it’s personal. I treat it with respect.”

Tippi’s approach is rooted in empathy and lifestyle alignment. “My favorite part of the process is when a client walks into a home and you just see it—they know it’s the one. The checklist matters, but so does finding the lifestyle that fits their stage of life.”

She also shares advice with newcomers who may feel unsure at first: “Slow down. Our community has everything you need—it might not look like what you’re used to, but the magic is in the discovery. Give it time. You’ll find it... and so much more.”

In addition to her work with Rish Real Estate, Tippi stays connected to the community through several local roles. She co-owns a cleaning business that services Cape San Blas and works a few days a week at the Haughty Heron, where she welcomes travelers and locals alike. “I meet people who’ve crossed the Atlantic, musicians passing through, families discovering the coast for the first time—it’s amazing how many people find their way here.”

On days off, she unwinds with good food, great music, local art, estate sales, and always, the beach. “There are stretches of water I drive past every day that still stop me in my tracks. I feel lucky every single time.”

Living here, to her, is one thing: magical.