RARE CHARLESTON - Key Persons
As a sixth generation Charlestonian, M. Bruce Burris takes great pride in talking to clients about growing up and living in Charleston, South Carolina. Born and raised in the historic district of the city, he has witnessed the sleepy town grow into a hotspot for both national and international travelers. The steady increase in attention came with many visitors turning into full-time or part-time residents. As a city insider, Bruce was often the go-to-person with Charleston questions by friends, neighbors, family, and business associates. He was often told he should consider a career in the real estate industry! He always enjoyed helping folks find the perfect vacation home, permanent residence, or investment property, within the Charleston market, based on each individual's unique situation.
Bruce earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in economics from North Carolina State University. For 19 years, he then served as Vice President of International Purchasing and as a Director for Burris Chemical Incorporated. After the sale of Burris Chemical, Bruce started a Charleston-based maritime freight and storage company where he remained Managing Principal until it sold in 2011. It was during that time that he continued to revisit the idea that he should be an active part of the Charleston real estate industry. Bruce earned his South Carolina Real Estate License and practiced with Remax before joining Ravenel Associates Real Estate (RARE).
Burris' first day at the office was like a homecoming as he in fact started his career 40 years ago in the exact building that RARE is now located-960 Morrison Drive in downtown Charleston, SC.
Burris continues to reside in downtown Charleston and enjoys reading literature about Charleston's notable history while being an active part of its growing future. He is the father to two adult sons, both of which are currently pursuing careers in real estate development. When not exploring Charleston, he spends his time playing golf on a variety of the area's amazing courses, windsurfing, and bird watching. Call Bruce today to learn more about available Charleston area properties.
Managing Broker Forrest Edwards has been involved in the Charleston area real estate and finance industry since 1977. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance, he joined Cameron Brown Mortgage Bankers. Then from 1988 to 2000 he managed BB&T Mortgage. In 2001 Forrest launched Summerhouse Creek Properties.
From 2005 to 2009 Forrest served as Regional Banking Director for Wachovia Mortgage, while proficient and productive agents worked at Summerhouse Creek growing areas north of Charleston such as Mount Pleasant and Awendaw. He later served in a leadership role with Regions Bank and as Senior Vice President of Certus Bank. While developing and working with mortgage client post-recession, Forrest decided to devote all of his energies in helping newcomers learn all that Charleston has to offer and realize their goal of property and home ownership.
Job Titles:
- Estate Agent and Appraiser
With more than a decade of experience spanning a variety of facets in the South Carolina real estate market, residential expert Justin Albright has established himself as an industry leader and devoted agent. As a licensed Realtor, certified appraiser, inspector and entrepreneur, he brings a multitude of relationships with buyers, sellers, other agents, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, lawyers, FHA and VA lenders, contractors, accountants and national review companies to RARE Charleston and its clients.
Justin began his professional career in the construction industry, specifically in the residential remodeling/renovation business with his father. During that time he focused on improvements that would maximize his client's return on investment, maintaining construction schedules, contractor project management and exceptional client communication. This balance of technical skill, attention to detail and personal service led to an extensive client referral network which in turn inspired Justin to start his own company in residential real estate sales, appraisals and inspections, founding JDA Real Estate Services in 2003.
JDA Real Estate Services is a full service residential consulting firm offering valuation services, appraisals, inspections and construction management throughout the lowcounty of South Carolina. In addition to residential properties, he specializes in vacant land, developments, condominiums, FHA insured properties, short sales, and working with investors. He offers a full service of real estate experience and expertise.
In 2012, Justin and his family moved to the Charleston area where he quickly became recognized industry-wide for his professionalism, creative marketing and track record for effective closings. He enjoys working closely with developers, investors, financial institutions and owners, sharing his unparalleled industry expertise and market knowledge to ensure successful projects. He and his wife reside in the West Ashley area of Charleston, SC.
Lowcountry native and life-long South Carolina resident, Kevin Driggers brings 15 years of dedicated real estate sales, negotiating and investment strategy and market knowledge to RARE Charleston's clients. Kevin is a highly motivated professional with a proven track record in sales and relationship development. He takes pride in creating customer-driven strategies for individualized sales and unparalleled market knowledge for his clients.
He joins the firm after serving as director of sales for several custom residential developments. Prior to real estate, Kevin enjoyed success as a top-performing sales professional with several fortune 500 companies.
Kevin graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Southern Studies and South Carolina History. He has volunteered numerous hours as a Post Graduate Chapter Advisor to Sigma Alpha Epsilon in Columbia, SC, on the Charleston Region National Kidney Foundation Committee and as a volunteer school teacher at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church.
A life-long competitive golfer, Kevin won the South Carolina Mid-Amateur Championship in 2002 and has represented South Carolina in the prestigious Palmetto Cup and The Carolinas-Virginias Team Matches. He and his wife Keri reside in Mt. Pleasant with their daughter (9) and son (6).
Job Titles:
- Member of the National Association of Realtors
In the 30 years Lea Anne Brown has lived and worked in the Charleston, South Carolina area, she has been part of the growth and activities that have led readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine to vote Charleston as the No. 1 city in America for the past four years.
Since 1984, first as a staff member at one of the world's ‘top 100' golf resorts and now as Membership Director at one of the state's foremost private golf clubs - Bull's Bay, she has helped shape amenities that add to the quality of life in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
Drawing on the same dedication and attention to detail that made her a South Carolina Golf Hall of Famer, Lea Anne has helped scores of newcomers and residents find their perfect main or investment home or home site east of the Cooper River, with a special focus on the growing Awendaw area.
Lea Anne is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Trident Association of Realtors and on the Board of Advisors of The First Tee of Greater Charleston. She is the 2014 Women's South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA) senior player of the year. When she isn't helping her RARE Charleston clients, Bull's Bay members or on the course, she can be found hunting for antiques in Charleston or gardening at her home in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Leigh has lived in the Charleston, SC area for 40 years and loves the history, beauty, and people. She has owned and restored properties from McClellanville to Edisto. Her involvement with the community has been extensive and ranges from Architectural Review Boards, the public and private school sectors, her church, Charleston Junior League, My Sister's House, and The Ronald McDonald House. Leigh received the prestigious SC Honor Award for Historic Preservation and currently serves on the Old Village Historic District Commission.
Her goal is to provide personal and thorough service with attention to detail, representing distinctive Lowcountry homes for discriminating buyers. She was an award winning pharmaceutical representative who has leveraged her sales experience into a successful real estate career.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Coordinator
- Real Estate Agent
Lori Crowley brings excellent customer service and an in depth communications background to the Ravenel Associates Real Estate (RARE) team. Lori has very strong organizational skills, and takes pride in discovering the most efficient way to solve problems for clients and colleagues.
Prior to joining RARE, Lori worked with forensic architect Ken Schneider for seven years, researching building codes, laws, and handbooks while drafting expert reports in preparation of expert witness depositions and testimonies. Organizing case file documents and providing liaison communication between architect and attorney, effectively honed her organization and communication skills.
Before working with Schneider in the Charleston, South Carolina area, Lori worked with Tribe Road Catering in New York City where she oversaw the service of crewmembers for the motion picture and television catering company. Providing superior customer service to Hollywood's elite, Lori's experience with Tribe Road Catering laid the foundation of efficiency and quality service that she utilizes today in her role as Marketing Coordinator for RARE.
A graduate of James Madison University, Lori and her husband live in the Johns Island area of Charleston, South Carolina with their young sons. Lori enjoys watching sports with her family and exploring all the wonderful arts, culture, history and outdoor events that the Lowcountry offers. She currently serves on the board as Treasurer of Barrier Islands Little League on Johns Island.
Louise brings a fresh perspective to the RARE Charleston team with nearly a decade in sales experience and a wide knowledge of the lowcountry. A lifelong resident of South Carolina, Louise grew up enjoying the many outdoor activities this "Sportsman's Paradise" has to offer.
Prior to joining RARE, she excelled in her role as a sales professional for a top wine and spirits distributor in South Carolina. During that time she built lasting relationships through her honest, loyal, and unique rapport, and continues to create a positive experience for both sides involved in any transaction.
Louise attended the University of Mississippi before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Sport & Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina. During that time she volunteered for the Carolinas Golf Association and The MASTERS. For the last four years, she has resided on the Board for the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday after the Masters tournament. Drawing from her education in business and her involvement in the community through various other activities, she is sure to bring an insider's vantage to any prospective deal.
Louise resides in Mount Pleasant and enjoys golfing, sport fishing, and boating. "Let her show y'all how good the Lowcounty Life can be."
Michael Elliott brings a dynamic and diverse range of resources to RARE Charleston's clients. As a licensed SC Realtor and licensed SC residential builder, he is well versed in the complexities of real estate in all phases- planning, development, investment, building, buying, and selling residential and commercial real estate. He also brings years of experience related to land, entitlements and mixed use facilities for both residential and commercial clients.
Following graduation from the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Michael began his professional career with Heery International as an assistant project manager working on large urban infill building projects in several major Northeastern cities. He focused on maintaining budgets and schedules of large commercial urban projects such as office building, hotels, hospitals and infrastructure systems.
Four years later, he joined Market Center Development Corporation, a quasi-public agency tasked with the re-development of 100 square blocks of the west side of downtown Baltimore. This revitalization included the campus of University of Maryland Medical System, numerous office buildings, mid-rise loft /warehouse conversions and a major urban market district. He served as the in-house planner and designer of many of the buildings. Additional key planning matters included the building of the Maryland Light Rail Line and the creation of the Performing Arts District. During his tenure with MCDC, Michael won first place for the design of the Maryland Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to be located atop Federal Hill Park.
Charleston was a city that often came up in Michael's architectural, development and revitalization conversations. For many reasons, including the rich architectural history, the proximity to the ocean and the real estate market forecast, Michael decided to move to Charleston, SC to create his own full service real estate, land development, property management and marketing consulting firm. Key projects that Michael helped bring to life include: Southport by the Sea, a resort condominium and marina in NC; Wentworth Hall, a 300-unit planned community in Summerville, SC; Old Orangeburg Center, a 20-acre shopping center in SC and Lakewilde of Santee, a 790-unit retirement complex located on Lake Marion.
Michael resides in Johns Island, South Carolina and is a Planning Committee member of the Allegro School of Musically Inspired, a new charter school in downtown Charleston.
Job Titles:
- Broker Associate, Realtor
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Sue Coccola earned her first residential real estate salesperson license in 1980 and began selling during her co-op education program in college. Upon college graduation, she moved to New York City and worked in the corporate relocation division for the Merrill Lynch Company. After nearly a decade in NYC, Sue's husband, Dave, was transferred to Florence, South Carolina, where she resumed her residential real estate career with Burt Jordan Realtors (now Berkshire Hathaway Home Services).
While at BHHS, Sue was continually a top producer within the industry consistently excelling in new construction sales. She has gone through extensive training with one of the country's leading experts in production home building and sales. Sue values her education in the real estate industry and has earned a broker's license, an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) certification, and is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute.
After raising a family in Florence for nearly 30 years, her husband's job relocated them again, this time to Charleston, South Carolina. Sue feels this move was a dream come true as she has always adored the Charleston area. After thorough investigation of numerous local real estate agencies, Sue chose RARE Charleston as the best place to continue her career.
Sue and Dave have three grown children (all Clemson graduates, and one at MUSC) and are thrilled to be living in Mount Pleasant, SC. In addition to her career in real estate, Sue has also been a group fitness leader for over thirty years, teaching classes in aerobics, indoor cycling and yoga.
Todd grew up in the Midwest, where he attended Western Illinois University. He joined the US Navy and was stationed in San Diego, Lemoore, and Alameda California. He served on the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Southern Watch in the Arabian Gulf and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia, Africa.
After serving his country, Todd and his wife Mary moved to Hilton Head Island where they lived from 1995 to 2010. Todd worked in the hospitality industry until he started his own construction business with his parents. Todd is still a licensed builder and home inspector who has renovated hotels, condos, and homes. In 2010 his wife was offered a unique opportunity to work for the Kiawah Island Golf Resort and they moved to Johns Island with their twin boys Max and Lance.
Todd is actively involved in the community by working with families to develop the only youth sports program through Little League Baseball on Johns Island. If Todd is not working on Real Estate you can usually find him working on the fields or behind the plate calling balls and strikes. Todd's background in home construction and understanding of the importance of community make him the right realtor for you.
Vicky was originally raised in South Carolina, but lived in Asheville for many years until settling in Charleston. After becoming Broker-in-charge at a previous firm, Vicky founded Wynn Realty. One of her passions is to help home owners through their home building process. She enjoys working as a liaison between the contractor and home owner to ensure the process is economical, timely, and easy.
As part of Vicky's passion for a healthy lifestyle, she pursued her Leed Certification, which ensures that existing buildings are minimizing environmental impacts and new buildings are energy efficient and making use of materials that are sustainable.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Vicky worked in customer service as a flight attendant at US Airways, then moved on to pharmaceutical sales, before immersing herself in real estate for the past 20 years.
When she is not working with clients, you can find her on the golf course, shopping, or help friends and family decorate.