Tag: Best Greenville SC Realtor

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For Realtors, finding the best solution for the client is the ultimate goal

Herlong Sotheby's International Realty

The following blog was originally posted in the Greenville Journal on August 28.

There are times when a good Realtor will talk a buyer or seller off a ledge, not push them over it, says Joan Herlong of Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty.

“Sometimes, the best play is to talk someone out of being my client,” she says. “Because it’s our job to represent their best interests, not ours.”

Herlong points to a recent interaction.

“This couple was serious about buying one home and selling their own,” she says. “Both properties were well over $1 million.”

But there was a hitch — the home they were selling was better than the home they were thinking of buying, and they were both equally sized.

“They were neither downsizing nor upsizing,” Herlong says. “But the home they were interested in had a pool, and the pool was the tail that was wagging the dog.”

Instead of moving forward, Herlong advised the couple to install a pool at their existing home, which is what the couple decided to do.

“At first, they were stunned,” she says. “But as I explained it to them, they saw that to move just for a pool just didn’t make sense.”

Was this advice a missed opportunity for Herlong? It depends, she says.

“Yes, I talked myself out of a good bit of income and volume,” Herlong says. “But that’s not the point. I’m not here to shoehorn people into or out of their homes. That would be serving my bottom line. My job is to serve their bottom line, and that’s the better long-term strategy.”

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Diving into the topic of pools

Joan Herlong Sotheby's International Pool Blog

In the heat of the summer, homeowners who don’t have a pool may find themselves wishing they had one. 

Clients often the Associates at Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty whether adding a   pool adds value. 

Our boss Joan gives this sage advice, “pre-pandemic, I would advise   homeowners to add a pool for   their own enjoyment, not as a value-add because sometimes, a pool might actually drive a home’s value down. But post-pandemic, however, pools have become more than  just pools. They’re seen as a safe way for families to entertain and enjoy the outdoors. “

During the pandemic a friend with a heated pool was approached by other friends who offered to pay the heating costs if it meant their kids and friends could use it. 

Today, many buyers expect high end homes to have a pool, even if the topography doesn’t readily lend itself to it. The demand for pools skyrocketed during the pandemic, and that hasn’t come down. 

But not all pools are the same, she warns. 

“If you’re putting in an above-ground pool that is made of vinyl,  it’s probably not the right move,” she says. 

Instead, buyers should invest in gunite (a durable mix of ce ment and sand) pools over concrete or above-ground installa tions with vinyl linings. 

“If the quality of the pool doesn’t match the overall quality of  the house, you could be making a poor investment,” she says. “It’s  like paring flip-flops with a tuxedo — it just doesn’t work.” 

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Even in the high-end home market, cash is still king

Joan Herlong Sotheby's International Realty

Paying cash for a seven-figure home happens more often than people think, says Joan Herlong of Herlong Sotheby’s International Realty.

“Some buyers may finance part of the home as a tax shelter,” she says. “But in many cases, if they have the cash, they’re going to pay cash.”

And paying cash brings certain benefits for buyers and sellers, alike.

“Most notably, if the buyer brings cash, the seller knows the money is there,” she says. “There’s no waiting, no guessing, no wondering.”

Cash also greases the wheels in what can be a lengthy closing process.

“A cash buyer can close quickly,” she says. “Whereas those borrowing the money are constrained by lending rules that slow things down.”

Another benefit is that cash offers are not contingent upon appraisals.

Herlong says some cash buyers sometimes include an appraisal contingency, but that can be perceived by a seller as a red flag.

“This is because it removes the ‘arms-length’ aspect of the appraisal process, which could lead to a conflict of interest, depending on who the buyer brings in to do the appraisal (their brother-in-law, for example).”

The bottom line? Even in high-end residential home sales, cash is still king.

“If there are two identical offers on the same listing, the cash offer will almost always be the seller’s choice,” she says. “And it’s way more common for people in the market for a seven-figure home to come to the table with cash than first-time homebuyers.”

This post originally ran in the Greenville Journal

Photo Credit: Chelsea Ashford

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Let’s raise the bar for the real estate industry

The real estate industry feels under attack.

“And that’s a natural feeling, given so many consumer-based concerns,” says our very own Joan Herlong. “But the better response is how is the industry going to raise the bar for itself?”

Herlong says a good start would be bolstering professional standards.

“The qualifications for getting a license in this state are almost non-existent. You must be 18, have a GED and a reasonably clean criminal record — not clean, reasonably clean,” she says. 

Beyond such low professional requirements, Herlong says lax ethical-accountability standards leave consumers at risk.

“While our state and local associations do hold ethics hearings, when the respondent is found to be in violation, it remains confidential,” she says. “And this can leave many home sellers and buyers in the dark. They’re trusting their Realtor with one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make.”

Inman News (a real estate industry publication) notes that 71% of agents did not close any deals in 2024. Professions, such as medicine or law, have designations that inform the consumer as to experience and expertise, such as board certificatied, senior resident, partner, junior associate, senior partner, emeritus, of-counsel, or retired.

“Realtors are associates, brokers, or a Broker-in-Charge,” says Herlong. “There are no other designations to better inform the public as to how experienced or actively-engaged a Realtor is.”

“If our industry truly seeks to improve our public image, we need to take a fresh look – from the consumer’s perspective,” says Herlong. “Otherwise, we’re at risk of more litigation. We need a megadose of transparency.”

This story originally ran in the Greenville Journal.

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Grace Herlong Loveless named one of GSA Business’s Forty Under 40

Grace Herlong Loveless has been named one of GSA Business Report’s Forty Under 40.

GSA Business Report’s Forty Under 40 annually celebrates the success and community involvement of 40 professionals under age 40 who are making their mark on the Upstate in a mix of industry, professional and community sectors.

Nominations for the award are submitted by businesses, organizations and individuals. Judges independently score the nominations, and 40 emerge from the pool of candidates for the final list of honorees.

Loveless grew up in Greenville and is a graduate of Furman University. Since 2017, she has been an award-winning Associate with Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty. She became a member of the President’s Circle, which is for  who did more than $5 million in sales, in 2020 and joined the Chairman’s Circle, which is for Associates who topped $10 million, in 2021 and repeated in 2022. She also was the top producer in the company’s Greenville office in 2022. She also was featured in a 2020 episode of HGTV’s House Hunters.

“Everyone is very proud of Grace’s accomplishments,” said Joan Herlong, owner and CEO of Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty. “Grace is an amazing Realtor and dedicated to working for the best of her clients.”


Grace Herlong Loveless
Grace Herlong Loveless
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Serving the community

Herlong Sotheby's International Realty $10 million

Several Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s leadership team members have been named to statewide boards overseeing the real estate industry, and a valued Associate has been named to a local one.

Patrick Furman has been appointed to the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors’ MLS Committee, for a three-year term. Furman previously served on the Ethics/Grievance Committee for the GGAR.

In addition, company CEO, Joan Herlong, as well Chief Operating Officer and Broker-in-Charge of the Greenville office, William Herlong, have been named to the Professional Standards Committee for South Carolina Realtors (SCR). This committee is a key part of upholding SCR’s commitment to upholding and enforcing the Code of Ethics on a statewide level. Jackson Herlong, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer and Broker-in-Charge of The Clemson/Lakes office, also serves on this committee.

For the second consecutive year, William Herlong also will be serving on the S.C. Real Estate Commission’s Investigative Review Committee (IRC), which functions as a panel to listen to licensing complaints registered by the public against South Carolina real estate agents.

“Our company is not just involved in buying and selling real estate, we’re involved,” said Joan Herlong. “Our personal involvement in local and state association committees is an integral part of our ongoing commitment to ‘raising the bar’ within our industry, and to serving our clients and community better.”