HAPPY Team
HAPPY Team
DOING GREAT THINGS
Together
Let's face it, you won't find a happier crew than us. Our team brings a wholehearted, vibrant approach to real estate, finding joy in helping our clients turn their wildest real estate dreams into reality. We love where we live, and it shows. We are deeply invested in our community. And if you can’t tell, we love getting to work alongside some of our favorite people in the world (each other)! That kind of positivity is infectious. You've been warned.
DOING GREAT THINGS Together
Let's face it, you won't find a happier crew than us. Our team brings a wholehearted, vibrant approach to real estate, finding joy in helping our clients turn their wildest real estate dreams into reality. We love where we live, and it shows. We are deeply invested in our community. And if you can’t tell, we love getting to work alongside some of our favorite people in the world (each other)! That kind of positivity is infectious. You've been warned.
Debbie Hopper
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REALTOR® | BROKER
Debbie Hopper
REALTOR® | BROKER
Debbie is a full-time, experienced real estate agent in Wilmington, NC specializing in excellent client care and professional service. She works proudly alongside her husband, Jay, and daughter, Katie. When you work with Debbie, you become a part of the family too. Debbie can negotiate with the best of them, always ready and available to help her clients get the best price possible for their home, whether buying or selling.
Born in Albemarle and raised in Raleigh, Debbie has lived in North Carolina her whole life. As a UNC Chapel Hill graduate, she married her husband Jay, an NCSU graduate, and settled in the Raleigh area until their move to Wilmington in 1998. Living in the Wilmington area for over 20 years, Debbie and Jay have raised 3 beautiful daughters, welcomed a wonderful son-in-law, and have been blessed with 3 beautiful granddaughters. Debbie also enjoys spending time with friends and family, both at the gym and at church, and is an active member of the Cape Fear Garden Club.
Debbie is motivated and eager to get to know you and help you with all your real estate needs, and she looks forward to introducing you to this beautiful coastal town she calls home.
GET IN TOUCH WITH DEBBIE
Jay Hopper
REALTOR® | BROKER
Jay Hopper is a lifelong North Carolinian. Born in Durham and raised in Hillsborough, NC, Jay graduated from Orange High School before going to NC State University. It was during his college years that Jay met and fell in love with Debbie. After earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering at NCSU, Jay went on to marry Debbie and raise a family while working in the commercial HVAC industry. Jay retired from Hoffman & Hoffman, Inc. at the end of 2019 after thirty-two years of service in Raleigh and Wilmington.
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Jay has since embarked on a second career in real estate, splitting his time between the Triangle and Cape Fear regions. He comes from a family of builders and developers, so real estate is in his genes. In the Cape Fear region, he provides real estate services with a focus on commercial properties. In the Triangle region, he manages a portfolio of both commercial and residential properties while providing real estate services. With an extensive background in corporate sales throughout North Carolina, Jay brings his knowledge, skills, and sales acumen to round out the team’s offerings perfectly. Always eager to assist Debbie, her team, and all their clients, Jay treats others with the utmost respect and professionalism. In his free time, Jay is an avid distance runner, bringing his drive and determination to the road or trail and competing in countless distance races, including a full marathon.
GET IN TOUCH WITH JAY
Katie Genes
REALTOR® | BROKER
Marketing & Client Care Manager
Katie is a mom of three daughters, Sadie born in 2015, Etta born in 2017, and Millie born in 2019, a wife to Elliott, and a registered nurse who previously worked in critical care and post-anesthesia recovery. She also happens to be Debbie’s daughter and feels so lucky to be working with her mom! She grew up in Raleigh until the age of 10, when she and the family moved to Wilmington. Upon graduating from Ashley High School (attending there the very first opening year!), she attended North Carolina State University where she earned a BS in Biological Sciences and was a cheerleader on the all-girl competition squad, and then went on to Watts School of Nursing to obtain her RN license.
After becoming a mom, she left her nursing career to stay home with the girls and saw an opportunity to help her mom, Debbie’s, rapidly growing real estate business while not having to be away from her girls.
Katie enjoys boating and the beach, fishing with husband Elliott, going to the gym, and spending time with friends and family.
GET IN TOUCH WITH KATIE
Colleen Collins
REALTOR® | BROKER
HOP (Home Ownership Pool) Certified
Colleen is a local coastal resident who has called Wilmington home since her early childhood, and she considers herself fortunate to embrace the coastal lifestyle alongside her husband, John, and their two sons, Keanen and Cole. Her family enjoys sharing the hidden treasures and thrilling adventures that coastal living offers. With a B.S. in Housing and Interior Design from Appalachian State University, Colleen embarked on her professional journey in residential interior design, where she skillfully assisted families and builders in every aspect of home design, planning, budgeting, and project management. During her tenure of over a decade, she developed close relationships with families in Charlotte, NC, and it was there that she discovered her deep passion for the world of real estate. She’s never looked back!
When the opportunity to pursue her dream job in Wilmington arose, Colleen eagerly returned to her roots and became a certified New Home specialist representing esteemed local builders and communities. Her remarkable aptitude in this role quickly catapulted her to the status of an award-winning top sales agent. Over the course of ten years, she had the honor of guiding numerous first-time home buyers, growing families, and retirees in finding their perfect homes within the New Hanover and Brunswick county communities.
Colleen possesses a unique fusion of expertise, experience, and negotiating prowess, which, combined with her inherent dedication to helping others achieve their aspirations, equips her to offer tailored real estate services to individuals from all walks of life. She has garnered a reputation for cultivating profound connections with her clients and delivering exceptional customer service that surpasses expectations.
In your pursuit to buy, sell, or invest, Colleen would be delighted to serve as your trusted advisor, ensuring a seamless experience from the initial planning stages to the finalization of your goals. She wholeheartedly commits to walking alongside you at every step of your real estate journey, steadfast in her determination to help you achieve your dreams.
GET IN TOUCH WITH COLLEEN
Eliza Dale Niemann
Graphic Designer
Eliza Dale Niemann is an artist and graphic designer who helps businesses create beautiful, functional design that sells products and turns customers into raving fans. Eliza joyfully joined forces with the Debbie Hopper Team in the Spring of 2019, to bring you the girl-powered real estate dream-team you’ve always wanted.
Growing up with a professional illustrator as a mother, Eliza has been drawing and designing since she could hold a pencil. With a foundation in studio art, her work has the refinement and precision of a lifelong designer. Pairing her creative mind with a knack for marketing and business development, she builds innovative design solutions to keep her clients on the cutting edge of visual media. Over her career, she has built a reputation for her insightful, dedicated approach to satisfying the needs of her clients, and for always going the extra mile to make sure their expectations are exceeded with every project. She is the founder of Within Sight Design Solutions, a graphic design company based in Wilmington, NC, where she helps clients up their game by generating powerful visual communication strategies that connect them with their tribe. At her core, Eliza is passionate about helping businesses find creative ways to tell the world just how awesome they really are.
GET IN TOUCH WITH ELIZA
Debbie is a full-time, experienced real estate agent in Wilmington, NC specializing in excellent client care and professional service. She is proud to be a part of the Living Seaside Realty Group family, where she is right at home with some of the most hard working and principled agents in Wilmington. When you work with Debbie you become a part of the family, too. Debbie can negotiate with the best of them, always ready and available to help her clients get the best price possible for their home, whether buying or selling.
Born in Albemarle and raised in Raleigh, Debbie has lived in North Carolina her whole life. As a UNC Chapel Hill graduate, she married her husband of 34 years, Jay, an NCSU graduate, and settled in the Raleigh area until their move to Wilmington in 1998. Living in the Wilmington area for over 20 years, Debbie and Jay have raised 3 beautiful daughters, welcomed a wonderful son-in-law, and have been blessed with 2 beautiful granddaughters. Debbie also enjoys spending time with friends and family, both at the gym and at church, and is an active member of the Cape Fear Garden Club.
Debbie is motivated and eager to get to know you and help you with all your real estate needs, and she looks forward to introducing you to this beautiful coastal town she calls home.
Jay Hopper is a lifelong North Carolinian. Born in Durham and raised in Hillsborough, NC, Jay graduated from Orange High School before going to NC State University. It was during his college years that Jay met and fell in love with Debbie. After earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering at NCSU, Jay went on to marry Debbie and raise a family while working in the commercial HVAC industry. Jay retired from Hoffman & Hoffman, Inc. at the end of 2019 after thirty-two years of service in Raleigh and Wilmington.
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Jay has since embarked on a second career in real estate, splitting his time between the Triangle and Cape Fear regions. He comes from a family of builders and developers, so real estate is in his genes. In the Cape Fear region, he provides real estate services with a focus on commercial properties. In the Triangle region, he manages a portfolio of both commercial and residential properties while providing real estate services. With an extensive background in corporate sales throughout North Carolina, Jay brings his knowledge, skills, and sales acumen to round out the team’s offerings perfectly. Always eager to assist Debbie, her team, and all their clients, Jay treats others with the utmost respect and professionalism. In his free time, Jay is an avid distance runner, bringing his drive and determination to the road or trail and competing in countless distance races, including a full marathon.
Colleen is a local coastal resident who has called Wilmington home since her early childhood, and she considers herself fortunate to embrace the coastal lifestyle alongside her husband, John, and their two sons, Keanen and Cole. Her family enjoys sharing the hidden treasures and thrilling adventures that coastal living offers. With a B.S. in Housing and Interior Design from Appalachian State University, Colleen embarked on her professional journey in residential interior design, where she skillfully assisted families and builders in every aspect of home design, planning, budgeting, and project management. During her tenure of over a decade, she developed close relationships with families in Charlotte, NC, and it was there that she discovered her deep passion for the world of real estate. She’s never looked back!
When the opportunity to pursue her dream job in Wilmington arose, Colleen eagerly returned to her roots and became a certified New Home specialist representing esteemed local builders and communities. Her remarkable aptitude in this role quickly catapulted her to the status of an award-winning top sales agent. Over the course of ten years, she had the honor of guiding numerous first-time home buyers, growing families, and retirees in finding their perfect homes within the New Hanover and Brunswick county communities.
Colleen possesses a unique fusion of expertise, experience, and negotiating prowess, which, combined with her inherent dedication to helping others achieve their aspirations, equips her to offer tailored real estate services to individuals from all walks of life. She has garnered a reputation for cultivating profound connections with her clients and delivering exceptional customer service that surpasses expectations.
In your pursuit to buy, sell, or invest, Colleen would be delighted to serve as your trusted advisor, ensuring a seamless experience from the initial planning stages to the finalization of your goals. She wholeheartedly commits to walking alongside you at every step of your real estate journey, steadfast in her determination to help you achieve your dreams.
Christy is a true native of Wilmington, NC. Born and raised on Wilmington’s beautiful beaches and Intracoastal waterway, she spent more time in the water than on land. After graduating from UNCW, she set out to explore other cities and cultures for 20+ years backpacking around Spain, then living in New York City and Los Angeles working in the Fashion Industry. She discovered her passion for Real Estate and came full circle back to the place she calls "home."
Christy is a huge animal lover who enjoys volunteering at local shelters and various rescue organizations. Her dog “Zero” completely stole her heart when he was abandoned as a puppy near her home in Los Angeles.
As an agent, she specializes in finding you the perfect home! Her services go far beyond the transaction. She is extremely committed to her clients and their needs long after the sale. Her diligence, mindfulness and determination set her apart from your average agent.
Christy is full of energy, driven and always enthusiastic about her work and developing new relationships. She is very well connected and dedicated to personal service. Her ambitious, competitive nature alongside her positive attitude and ability to connect with people and their needs provide for an exceptional home buying experience.
PHILOSOPHY:
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I don’t consider the people I work with as just “clients.” It goes much deeper than simply a transactional relationship. By the time we’re at the closing table, we have become great friends!
Buying and selling a home can be an emotional and sometimes stressful experience and I believe in doing whatever it takes to make it an enjoyable one. People need to know what to expect during every step of a real estate transaction and be able to trust their agent will fight to no end when representing on their behalf.
I strive to exceed any expectations in order to generate a positive experience and a valuable relationship that doesn’t end up as a folder in my file cabinet, but a friendship that continues to grow.
Katie is a mom of three daughters, Sadie born in 2015, Etta born in 2017, and Millie born in 2019, a wife to Elliott, and a registered nurse who previously worked in critical care and post-anesthesia recovery. She also happens to be Debbie’s daughter and feels so lucky to be working with her mom! She grew up in Raleigh until the age of 10, when she and the family moved to Wilmington. Upon graduating from Ashley High School (attending there the very first opening year!), she attended North Carolina State University where she earned a BS in Biological Sciences and was a cheerleader on the all-girl competition squad, and then went on to Watts School of Nursing to obtain her RN license.
After becoming a mom, she left her nursing career to stay home with the girls and saw an opportunity to help her mom, Debbie’s, rapidly growing real estate business while not having to be away from her girls.
Katie enjoys boating and the beach, fishing with husband Elliott, going to the gym, and spending time with friends and family.
Eliza Dale Niemann is an artist and graphic designer who helps businesses create beautiful, functional design that sells products and turns customers into raving fans. Eliza joyfully joined forces with the Debbie Hopper Team in the Spring of 2019, to bring you the girl-powered real estate dream-team you’ve always wanted.
Growing up with a professional illustrator as a mother, Eliza has been drawing and designing since she could hold a pencil. With a foundation in studio art, her work has the refinement and precision of a lifelong designer. Pairing her creative mind with a knack for marketing and business development, she builds innovative design solutions to keep her clients on the cutting edge of visual media. Over her career, she has built a reputation for her insightful, dedicated approach to satisfying the needs of her clients, and for always going the extra mile to make sure their expectations are exceeded with every project. She is the founder of Within Sight Design Solutions, a graphic design company based in Wilmington, NC, where she helps clients up their game by generating powerful visual communication strategies that connect them with their tribe. At her core, Eliza is passionate about helping businesses find creative ways to tell the world just how awesome they really are.
