2/15/2024
11 am PT / 12 pm MT / 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET
*approximate length: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Presenter: Erin Hopkins, Associate Professor of Property Management at Virginia Tech
Property management is a demanding occupation. As property managers handle the day-to-day operations of a property, they interface with human resources, relationship management, finance, accounting, maintenance, risk management, marketing, and leasing to name a few. This requires communication across a diverse network of people and tasks which can cause stress and negatively affect employee well-being. Researchers have found that mindfulness can significantly improve the emotional labor of the provider and therefore the service encounter for both the consumer and provider. Additionally, mindfulness interventions have been associated with lower burnout, stress, emotional exhaustion, and higher job satisfaction.
This session will define the increasingly popular term mindfulness, explore the benefits, introduce specific mindfulness practices, and provide strategies to help session participants design their own mindfulness regimen.
Learning Objectives:
- Engage first-hand with a mindfulness meditation practice
- Recognize the benefits of mindfulness practices personally and professionally
- Identify strategies to achieve a consistent mindfulness practice

Erin A. Hopkins, PhD, serves as an Associate Professor of Property Management within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, where she teaches courses in property management operations and sustainable property management. She has been awarded Virginia Tech’s Teacher of the Week and has received recognition in Virginia Tech’s “Thank a Teacher” program multiple times. As a certified MIEA Mindfulness Teacher, her research interests include how contemplative practices can be used in higher education and industry to cultivate mindfulness. She currently serves on IREM Foundation’s Board of Directors, IREM’s ESG Advisory Council, and is an executive committee member for the Contemplative Higher Education Alliance for Research, Teaching & Service. She most recently received recognition as a Woman of Influence from the GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum.