Name: Maria Hopkins SRA, RA

Postion: President, Real Estate Appraiser

Company: Maria Hopkins Associates 

Years in Real Estate: 33

Member of: The Appraisal Institute, Mass Board of Real Estate Appraisers, Realtor Association of Central MA, The Worcester Economics Club, Wachusett Rotary, Business & Professional Woman

What are some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor? Being mentored and mentoring others has been a key to my success. Because I was a woman in my 20s starting my own company in what was a male dominated field, my mentors were crucial to building strength both personally and professionally. My primary mentor was an appraiser by the name of Steve Byrnes who supported me making the correct and morally right choices that often required me “just saying no” to a potential client. He told me that those choices would come back tenfold to me and getting a top notch education in my field with top credentials would serve me well in the long run. 

He was so right. Over the years I have been able to mentor many other young woman and men to establish themselves even if they didn’t stay in my company or even in the appraisal field. I now work with my children on a daily basis, which is extremely rewarding and I have no desire to ever retire. I still love what I do. 

What is the best advice you have received, and who was it from? An older and wiser client, attorney Roger Leland, gave me some great advice one day. He told me whenever you have what seems to be a big problem & you are having a hard time solving it, especially toward the end of the day, just walk away. It’s because you are tired. Sleep on it and the answer will come to you in the morning clear as day. He then sent me the book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff with underlined words of advice, which I still have on my desk. He also proved to be very right. The other number one key to my success is Networking! Building relationships with PEOPLE is still the most important part of business.