There are few things more central to life than our abode. Where we live and how we’re sheltered is reflected in our day-to-day sense of well-being. And for many people, buying a home is the biggest investment they’ll ever make. Charleston Realtor Ginn Maiers embraces that tenet and performs at a high level to deliver for every client a seamless experience, from the first showing to the final closing, expertly navigating all that the often volatile world of real estate sales can bring. In fact, when we caught up with her for a chat, her ability to pivot was on full display as she managed a situation that was unfortunate for everyone involved—the buyer, the seller and the agents—of which she was one.

“I literally just had a buyer lose their job, and now they have to terminate their offer—literally, just six minutes ago,” she announced with a wry smile. “I’m devastated for my seller. And sorry for the buyer. But as soon as we’re done, I’ll get on the phone and call all the agents that showed the home who weren’t able to get in a bid.”

With over two decades in the Lowcountry market, Maiers’ achievements include Charleston Trident Association of Realtors top producer and being an agent of distinction since 2017. The Georgia and Wyoming native learned the business from the ground up, working in administrative positions in real estate offices in the beginning of her career. Her credentials are in education—she’s a College of Charleston alum—but she was looking to go in a new direction when a friend recommended her to Pam Harrington Exclusives, a firm in Kiawah Island, Charleston’s renowned luxury resort community. She says that’s where she was bitten by the real estate bug.

“Pam Harrington urged me to get my real estate license so I could help her with open houses and do showings when she wasn’t available.”

When an opportunity arose at Wild Dunes Real Estate in Isle of Palms, she took over that office, managing the intricacies of every contract, from ratification to close.

“That really enabled me to get to know all the players in the Charleston real estate market,” she explains. “From attorneys to lenders to other Realtors. When I transitioned into working as a full-time sales agent, I already had a really solid background and a network of professionals. I’d already established a reputation that I could get the deals closed.”

Maiers went on to join Ron Davis Realtors, always, she says, working for the best in the business and gaining a broad understanding of the market, from historic Charleston to West Ashley, Mount Pleasant and the coastal communities. But she credits Charleston real estate veteran Betty Poore for “catapulting” her career.

“I met Betty working on a transaction,” explains Maiers. “She invited me to join her group at Dunes Properties, and the knowledge and skills she shared with me I rely on to this day. She believed in always being positive—that there is a solution to every situation.”

With over two decades of resort-rich expertise, Maiers now specializes in beach and vacation home sales at Dunes Properties in Isle of Palms, where she also resides. She is quick to point out, though, that referrals from clients and other professionals garner her the full spectrum of Lowcountry properties—from a first home acquisition to a recent sale of a horse farm.

Maiers has parlayed her positive energy and wide and deep knowledge of the market into what she calls boots on the ground services she provides to her clients—whatever is needed to add value and to help.

“I operate at a very high level of service. I have a vested interest in ensuring that my client’s property is taken care of, maintained, during the listing to closing process,” she says. “And if an out-of-state client wants to engage, for example, a house manager, I have a solid vendor list—it’s all about having the right connections and trusted relationships that help facilitate the process.”

Questioned about the ongoing challenges in the local and national real estate industry—lack of housing inventory, high interest rates, rising insurance premiums—Maiers is upbeat.

“I believe that if you get out and hustle every day and you have great communication skills, you can do well in any market,” she says. “Certainly, the beginning of COVID was frightening, but we weathered that. I’ve had a stellar year again in spite of interest rates going up. I just think if you’re willing to do the things other people aren’t willing to do, you’re going to be successful.”

Maiers also contends that bringing clarity and transparency to the buying and selling process helps to cultivate a unique relationship with a client.

“I educate my clients,” she notes. “I have very informative conversations with them, so they really understand the commission structure and the value of that—how the commission is going to be used. It also builds trust. I’m really fortunate that many of my clients become friends.”

By the end of my 30-minute conversation with Maiers, an agent had responded to an email she’d sent while we chatted announcing the availability of her back-on-the-market listing. The agent’s buyer was in the process of writing a contract for a cash offer and would be forwarding it to her soon.

Maiers firmly believes that a solution-based, hands-on approach, whether helping a client move boxes, finding a buyer poolside—whatever is needed to add value—is the key to a seamless, successful contract-to-closing process. And happy clients. *

Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).