Since founding Mary Cook Associates (MCA) in 1986, Mary Cook has always had her finger on the pulse of the real estate market to stay ahead of the curve and competition. From ESG and wellness to hipsturbia and using psychographics to inform design, she has been able to predict and attack the next big thing far ahead of her peers by analyzing market conditions, connecting with her contacts across the country and gathering insights on global trends. This layered approach to cultivating information has allowed her to very accurately adjust her business strategy and create successful spaces for clients for more than 30 years.

Cook began her interiors career by designing model homes for production builders. She quickly established a national presence and redefined how model homes were perceived, shifting what was once a basic marketing step into a builder’s most valuable sales tool: good design. By delivering consistent results over several decades, Cook was able to prove that good design does in fact lead to ROI, or what she has coined in her seminal textbook “The Art of Space” as ROE – Return on Environment.

These are just a couple of the reasons we chose Cook as one of the 2020 Women in Real Estate Award winners. Connect Media’s Women in Real Estate Awards honor the achievements and inspirational stories of women who have reached respected positions of leadership and play key mentorship roles for others.