Mary Harmon Young has quickly become one of the most influential and established realtors in the nation, thanks to her creative genes and desire to help her Tuscaloosa community.

Recently, she was honored with state and national awards including a spot on the National Realtors Association 30 Under 30 list, something she calls a “coveted honor.”

“The best thing about this job is that I get to help people,” Young said. “It may be something as simple as helping them find a place to raise a family, or helping them find a place to liquidate properties after a death in the family; I’m able to help people in all stages of life.”

Though Young sells dozens of homes per year, she doesn’t lose touch with her clients after a sale. She hosts festive activities in her home and delivers s’mores to her clients in the fall. Additionally, she helps some clients connect to their new neighbors by hosting a neighborhood party after the initial move-in.

“There’s never excuse to hang out with your neighbors,” Young said. “You’re running in with the groceries or you’re late to something, so the cocktail parties give everyone an excuse to stop and come together. Everybody wants to welcome their neighbors, so it’s a good way to get everyone involved.”

In nine years as a realtor, she has sold almost 300 homes, and her clients couldn’t be happier.

“Mary Harmon is a Tuscaloosa native who really knows the market inside and out,” Sarah Kate Sullivan, a 2011 client, said. “I couldn’t have done it without her and I am continually amazed at the lengths she goes to help her clients out.”