About Joan . . . About Buying or Selling Real Estate in the Greater Greenville Area . . .

I started AugustaRoad.com Realty, LLC, in December 2011. Before that, I had been with Prudential C. Dan Joyner, since 1993. For the past several years, I was the number one solo agent in that company, which is the largest real estate company in the Upstate. I enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, a great relationship with them.

I work full time, always have, but most realtors do not. Real estate is not a hobby to me. For most people, their home is their biggest single investment -- do you want to trust that to just anybody? I specialize in helping busy professionals buy and sell homes. I bring a level of professionalism to my work that enables my clients to focus on their own work. Having your home on the market should not mean time lost at the office, and finding a home should be done at YOUR convenience, not your realtor's.

About half of my business is representing sellers, the rest is devoted to finding homes for "listed" buyer-clients only.

As a listing agent, my job is to put your house in its best light, to price it so that you net the most in the least amount of time, to market it effectively, and to reduce the hassles inherent in showing. I'm not just your representative but your advocate in contract negotiations, arrangements for repairs, and closing details. I advertise most every week in The Greenville Journal -- highest circulation of any audited publication in Greenville. I am a near-constant advertiser in The Journal in addition to the "24/7" exposure this website provides. You won't find my photo in my weekly ad or on this website, because I market my listings, not myself.

As a buyer's agent, my job is not just to find you a house, but to ascertain your priorities (house, price, location, commuting distance, etc.) and educate you as to as to current market conditions and the entire buying process. Most of my business comes from referrals from past buyer-clients. I was a newcomer once, too. If you are new in town or simply new to me, I can readily provide you with the names of several listing or buyer references whom you may call.

Note to buyers: South Carolina law requires all brokers and their buyer agents to enter into a written agency agreement with buyers before showing properties listed by other companies. Because a traditional "seller's agent" cannot advise a buyer as to a property's merits, drawbacks, or value without the seller's consent, I act solely as an "exclusive buyer's agent" for my buyers. This agreement is analogous to listing your home, except that you are "listing" yourself to be represented exclusively by your buyer agent in your home search, including homes for sale by owner and new construction. Without a signed agreement, I cannot show you properties beyond Prudential's listings. In fact, NO agent should show you other companies' listings without a signed agreement as to your representation. (Sorry, but I do not work with corporate relocation buyers at all, and I only work with buyer clients, not self-represented customers.)

Prior to real estate, I worked at CNN in Atlanta; at Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago; at Kothe, Howard & Roche Advertising in Charlotte; and as a stay at home mom and freelance business writer. I have been a top producer since my first year in this business. I RETURN ALL MY PHONE CALLS WITHIN THE SAME BUSINESS DAY, IF NOT IMMEDIATELY. (If I can't, my voice mail message will explain why.) I am a licensed Broker, Certified Buyers' Representative (CBR), and a Lifetime Member of the Greenville Board of Realtors Multi-Million Dollar Club.

I specialize in Greenville's "Augusta Road Area," and other city neighborhoods such as Parkins Mill, North Main and of course Downtown itself. While much of my business centers on the "old" side of town, I am not limited to any one area. I list and sell all over the Greenville area as you will see from my current listings.

Beyond real estate, I have a full life. For over ten years, I wrote a weekly opinion/humor column, "Life in the Slow Lane" in Greenville's weekly paper, The Greenville Journal. I'm a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Greenville Class XXIII (1997), and served on Leadership Greenville's Board of Regents. I have also served on the board for the Greenville Free Medical Clinic and on the board for Artisphere, Greenville's annual arts festival featuring local and national artists, occurring every spring.

My husband William and I have four children, ages 19 to 27. I have been a PTA president. We have three college graduates (from Davidson and Furman), one in law school at USC, one in medical school at MUSC, one working at ProActive in Greenville, and our youngest is at Clemson. I enjoy tennis, wish I played it better and more often. My husband is an attorney specializing in corporate and personal litigation with The Herlong Law Firm, LLC. He served two terms as trustee for District 24 on the Greenville County School Board from 1998 to 2006.

I originally hale from Winnetka, Illinois. In 1981, I earned a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, where William and I met. Since then, we have lived in Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Washington D.C., and in Greenville since 1989. We are lifers here in Greenville and love our community!