Gwendolyn F. Sims
Founding Instructor, The Valuation Collective
“True success is about more than financial gain. It is about creating opportunities for others to succeed, build lasting wealth, and leave a legacy for generations to come.”
— Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn F. Sims has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of real estate, valuation, business leadership, public service, and community development. She earned her real estate license in 1992 and entered the appraisal profession as a trainee in 1998. Today, she serves as Managing Broker of Devine Connection Realty Group, LLC, while continuing her work in real estate appraisal, investment, and consulting.
A graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, Gwendolyn holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a certificate in human services. That combination of business education and community focused study reflects the path her career would ultimately take. Her work has consistently connected real estate knowledge with service, economic opportunity, and the belief that strong communities are built by people who are given the tools to invest in themselves.
Gwendolyn’s experience allows her to understand real estate from several distinct perspectives. In addition to her work as an appraiser and managing broker, she is a Level 3 Tax Assessor-Appraiser, and a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise consultant for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Her leadership extends across both the real estate profession and her community. Gwendolyn serves on the NIRA MLS Board of Directors for the 2024 through 2026 term and currently chairs the Hoosier Chapter of the Appraisal Institute Women’s Initiative. From 2023 through 2024, she served as Chairperson for the Michiana Chapter within the Hoosier Chapter of the Appraisal Institute. She also served as Secretary of Redevelopment for the City of Gary from 2020 through 2023.
Gwendolyn is a 2025 graduate of the IAR Leadership Academy and participated in the Appraisal Institute’s Leadership Development and Advisory Council from 2024 through 2026. These roles reflect her commitment to strengthening the professions in which she works, encouraging greater participation, and creating opportunities for others to lead.
That commitment is equally evident in her community outreach. Gwendolyn is the founder of Treasures from the Inside Out Youth and Adults Christian Outreach and serves as Chairperson of the New Bethel Fellowship COGIC Women’s Outreach Ministry. Through mentorship, education, and access to practical resources, she works to help youth and adults grow personally, spiritually, and financially.
Gwendolyn’s mission is to encourage individuals and communities to invest in real estate, stimulate economic growth, and create lasting legacies. She believes that education, support, and the right professional tools can help people break cycles of poverty, achieve greater economic independence, and build generational wealth.
Through The Valuation Collective, Gwendolyn brings an unusually broad understanding of how real estate, valuation, assessment, public policy, redevelopment, and community service intersect. Her work is grounded in the belief that success is about more than financial gain. It is also about creating meaningful opportunities for other people to succeed, thrive, and build something that will endure for generations.