Maria Dominguez is a REALTOR on a mission. In a business context, that means shes determined to deliver great results for her clients. Outside of work, you can find her on a mission trip, planning a mission trip, or reminiscing about a mission trip. A San Francisco native, Maria graduated from Cal State East Bay with a business degree. She worked in finance before transitioning into travel nurse recruiting and then lending. Real estate wasnt part of her career plan, but sometimes the best things in life arent planned. When I worked in lending, I kept meeting people who were real estate agents. The more I learned about real estate, the more interested I became. So I ended up getting my license and havent looked back since. Maria now calls Sacramento home, and enjoys providing her clients with her own personal style of real estate. Im not as aggressive as a lot of agents are. Im not flashy, I dont go to fancy real estate dinners. Those things dont matter to me. What matters is that I make myself available to my clients and do the best I can for them. Pastor Perky Maria is also an ordained pastor. Shes often referred to as Pastor Perky, a nod to her outgoing personality and endless positivity. Others call her Mama Love, because thats exactly what Maria does. She loves and serves those around her. Her happiness is contagious, whether shes stateside or on a mission trip to a faraway place (shes been to Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Cuba, and Romania, and hopes to make it to Africa soon). I love to travel and serve, so mission trips are the perfect partnership for me. I love making a difference in peoples lives, from my neighborhood to the nations. She also started her own homeless ministry in California called Loving on Someone Today (LOST). She partners with her church for their Church on the Streets ministry, and volunteers with several outreaches in inner-city communities. When she isnt working or volunteering, you can find the self-proclaimed spa diva enjoying a nice massage, taking part in a hot pilates class, or salsa dancing. She also loves spicy food, hiking, and hanging out with her son Matias. Maria also has what she calls her dashboard, a place where she tracks all the goals she wants to accomplish. Everyone has a dash, thats what goes in the middle of the day you were born and the day you die. So on my dashboard Ive made a list of 100 things I want to do. Ive done about 75 of them. Theyre all experiences, nothing tangible, she says. Shes already managed to meet Oprah and write a chapter of a book, and hopes to stay overnight in a lighthouse one of these days. Sharing the wealth Real estate is a numbers driven industry, but Maria isnt focused on being the #1 agent in California or driving a flashy car. You cant take money with you when you go, so Id rather use it to help others, Maria says. She gives back where she transacts, putting a portion of every commission check back into the communities she serves. Maria recalls one of her most memorable real estate transactions, when she helped her friend buy her very first home. She told me for years that she was going to buy a house one day, even though she had been told all her life that she would never be able to do so. It wasnt part of her familys story; her parents and grandparents never owned property. Then one day, the friend called her and said she had found the perfect house. They viewed it together and she immediately went under contract. It was the very first house she viewed, and it all worked out perfectly. She was able to break the generational curse of not owning a home. It was such a great experience to be part of, I get emotional just thinking about it! Maria says she approaches every transaction the same way, by meeting clients where they need to be met, answering all of their questions, and truly getting to know them. In addition to that, she says that patience and compassion are also necessary, along with being a good listener, having a solid real estate foundation, and maintaining good relationships with other agents. Im a networker, and those relationships with other agents are an advantage when it comes to getting a contract accepted, she says, adding that #TEAMFAST is also an incredible source of support. The amount of resources available at #TEAMFAST is beyond anything Ive ever seen, and everyone is so supportive. I can ask a question at midnight and 10 people chime in with an answer. Looking forward, Maria plans on continuing her pursuits as the REALTOR on a Mission, and hopes to one day create a specific niche within her industry. I would love to create an environment within the real estate world of people who are like me, who have a desire to give back, she says. If youre looking to buy or sell a home in Sacramento, contact Maria via email or give her a call at (916) 627-8970. You can also follow her on Instagram! &