Local Girl Makes Good
Meet Sharon Perkins of Appomattox Title Company
Don’t let the fact that she has lived her entire life in one place fool you; Sharon Perkins knows what it means to take a risk. Raised in Colonial Heights, her family moved to Chesterfield when she was in high school and into a home that’s been in her family since the 1700s. It’s here that she raised two daughters, making sacrifices to balance being a wife and mother with making a name for herself as a successful entrepreneur in a complex industry as she founded Appomattox Title Company, Inc. in 1996.
“I am unique as a single-owned title insurance agency,” says Sharon. “Most title agencies are owned by banks, realty companies, or groups of lawyers. It’s rare to be a company owned by one person, particularly a woman. But this year marks my 40th year working in the title business. I own Appomattox Title and I also have six joint venture companies I’ve created over the years.”
Sharon says her introduction to the title business came in 1985 when she was taking college classes in business and trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. “Nothing was resonating. I was doing wedding photography with my dad and my mom was a realtor and title agent, so I was always around real estate. I went to a social with her and that’s how I was introduced to First American Title. They offered me a job in 1985. I decided to give it a try, took classes, then took the state licensing exam and got licensed. I jumped in with both feet.”
She spent 11 years at First American Title, working her way up to manager at a branch office close to home. In 1996, to cut overhead, the company decided to eliminate branch offices and consolidate to downtown Richmond. Sharon was given the option to stay with the company as a manager and move downtown. “I had young children, and my husband was traveling for his job. So, I took a leap of faith and decided to start my own business,” Sharon says. “I signed a lease—I didn’t have a lot of money—but I ordered computers, hired my first employee and never looked back.”
Sharon Perkins, TowneBank Chesterfield board chair, (right) started Appomattox Title in 1996. Her daughter Kelsey Arico recently joined the firm to learn the title business firsthand from her mom.
Since 1996, Sharon has built a team of 12 employees who are a trusted choice for realtors, helping them and their clients seamlessly navigate the home closing process. From two offices, one in Chesterfield and more recently, Colonial Heights—which she moved to in 2024 after outgrowing a quaint office in historic Petersburg—Sharon provides real estate closing services for both residential and commercial transactions anywhere in Virginia. “I am a First American agent, and I also write for Fidelity National Title, the top two underwriters in the country,” Sharon adds.
Appomattox Title performs important services during the home-buying process. They conduct title searches to confirm ownership and identify any potential issues, liens or outstanding claims against a property. Title insurance provides peace of mind to protect a buyer against any unforeseen title issues. They also manage escrow accounts and disburse funds to safeguard financial transactions.
The staff at Appomattox Title is ready to walk you through all aspects of closing on a residential or commercial property from their offices in Chesterfield and Colonial Heights.
Anyone who has ever closed on a property knows how tedious and stressful the process can be. “It takes years to learn how to manage that stress,” confides Sharon. “You can’t take it personally. You have to always be professional and not give into pressure to close before we are ready. Integrity is important and we have high standards in our industry.”
Sharon first connected with TowneBank when the Iron Bridge branch opened near her office. “I had heard great things about them, and I quickly found out that TowneBank is amazing. The staff embraced me and the next thing I knew Matt Clarke, president of Chesterfield, took me to lunch and asked me to serve on the Chesterfield Board of Directors.”
Now Sharon chairs the Chesterfield Board. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to understand and learn more about TowneBank and finance from the board perspective. I also can see what’s happening in the market which provides great insight for me as I make business decisions.”
Sharon is active in her community and helps several nonprofits with sponsorships. She was recently appointed to the Architectural Review Board for the City of Colonial Heights. “I am excited to work with the city on restoration of some historic properties in our area,” Sharon says.
For more information on Appomattox Title, visit AppTitle.com.