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

Let's face it, "professional realtor" is all too often an oxymoron. In most states, a high school diploma and a passing grade on the realtors' test is all that is required to sell real estate. Most realtors do not work full time. 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 75% of my business is in listing homes for clients, 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. You will find my four-color listings ad every week in the Greenville 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. My focus is on promoting, advertising, and selling your home.

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.)

I have been Prudential C. Dan Joyner's top solo agent for several years running, listing and selling more real estate than several "teams" or agents who operate with the help of at least one licensed assistant. My clients get my full attention -- they don't have to deal with my "partner" or get bounced around within a phalanx of faceless assistants. I've been selling residential real estate for over 13 years, always full time (most agents are strictly part time).

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. I've been the top listing and selling agent in the Augusta Road office for the past five years. I RETURN ALL MY PHONE CALLS WITHIN THE SAME BUSINESS DAY, IF NOT IMMEDIATELY. (If I can't, my daily voice mail message will explain why.) I am a Certified Buyers' Representative (CBR), a Lifetime Member of the Greenville Board of Realtors Multi-Million Dollar Club, and a Member of Prudential's national Leading Edge Society, President's Circle and top 2% Chairman's Circle.

I've always been with Prudential/C.Dan Joyner. I chose this company because it is the largest and foremost real estate firm in Greenville and the Upstate, with consistent top consumer name recognition, consistent Number One market share, including high end homes, and it specializes in Greenville, not just one area or price range. 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.

I am not the number one agent in Greenville, nor is that my agenda. Beyond real estate, I have a full life. I write a bi-weekly column, "Life in the Slow Lane," in Greenville's weekly paper, The Greenville Journal, The Spartanburg Journal and The Anderson Journal (click here to see some of my columns online).

I'm a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Greenville Class XXIII (1997), and served on Leadership Greenville's Board of Regents for three years. I also served on the board for the Greenville Free Medical Clinic and currently serve as board member for Artisphere, Greenville's annual arts festival featuring local and national artists, occurring the 3rd week of every April.

My husband William and I have four children, ages 15 to 23. I'm a member of the PTA at Greenville High School (a magnet school). I have been a PTA president. We have one college graduate (from Davidson), two attending FurmanUniversity, and one in high school. I enjoy tennis, wish I played it better and more often. We are active in our church. My husband is an attorney specializing in corporate and personal litigation with Anderson & Herlong, 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!