It has been said that the true mark of character is not how one spends a working day, but how one passes leisure time.

Imagine someone who has spent her leisure time over the years raising horses. Not just any horses, but legendary prize-winning Paso Fino horses.

Imagine a dynamic realtor who truly cares about the homebuyers she is serving and puts the same passion into serving the needs of buyers and sellers as she does into creating a champion horse.

Imagine a delightful and charming woman that has led a fascinating life in America and abroad.

Meet Mary Bookmiller - a true champion with a big heart for horses, and for people and a generous heart for assisting homebuyers and home sellers in negotiating important real estate transactions.

Sophisticated, yet earthy Mary exudes the qualities of what I would be looking for in a real estate agent. Savvy, yet more importantly down to earth. Nurturing and compassionate with a heart ready to serve.

Mary Bookmiller is a horsewoman, a nature enthusiast, a woman with a fascinating life, and someone whose business card and contact information should be in your Rolodex.

After visiting with Mary I knew that I had met a champion.

My heart was warmed as I listened to Mary share her passion for helping homebuyers find the perfect home. If I was in the market to buy or sell a home in Leon, Wakulla or Franklin counties, there is absolutely no question in my mind that I would call Mary Bookmiller.

The same passion that fuels Marys drive to create legendary champion horses, fuels her drive to build a champion real estate business.

To this conscientious realtor, success is measured in going the distance for homebuyers and home sellers. To Mary, selling real estate is never about the money. But it is about the service that she can provide to assist people with one of the most important negotiations of their lives.

Mary Bookmiller and the team of real estate professionals at Mar-Lu Properties strive to create the WOW factor in customer service.

So many times in life, it seems that salespeople are only interested in us when they are benefiting from us. After the transaction is completed, it is as though we no longer exist. This is not the way Mary operates. Her paradigm is one that seeks to grow lifelong relationships, regardless of whether or not a sale is being closed.

When I met with Mary recently, I was not looking for real estate. I simply wanted to find out a little bit about who Mary was and what made Mary unique, so that I could share these insights with readers of Tallahassee Discoveries Magazine.

I feel confident that Mary Bookmiller brings the same passion to her relationships with people as she has in the past to the relationship she has had in the stable, trails, and championship arena where her Grand National Champion, Zsa Zsa Imperial, Spanish Paso Fino horse won numerous highly coveted titles.

During our meeting, I indeed came to revel in the heart of a champion, both in work and in leisure.

Among the many exciting projects that Mary is working on is a project at the Tallahassee Ranch Club, a wonderful new community with beautiful homes, miles of riding trails, beautiful green space and a natural spring. The open areas of this gorgeous new community are simply perfect for morning hikes, impromptu picnics and horseback riding adventures. Mar-Lu Properties has teamed up with Perez Construction, who is building new homes in the Tallahassee Ranch Club. Mary will be handling the home sales and marketing.

Before I headed back to Tallahassee, I picked up two of Marys business cards, one for my article file and the other for my Rolodex.

When I come to Tallahassee, Mary said Can I take you out to lunch?

Absolutely! I said.

I knew I had met a kindred spirit, a new friend and someone whose name I would be happy to share with anyone seeking the services of a professional and caring realtor.

Visit the Mar-Lu Properties website at www.MarLuProperties.com or give Mary or one of the fine real estate consultants that work at Mar-Lu a call at 850-926-0230.