Paige Rhodes has a backstory not unlike many realtors: She started selling real estate to stay busy and find fulfillment while her husband traveled for work. But hers is a unique tale in the way that she found herself in Charleston, many miles away from where she started.
“I started my career working as a headhunter in the D.C. area, recruiting and placing legal professionals in law firms,” Rhodes says. “I moved to D.C. straight out of college, determined to be successful, and worked my way up the corporate ladder before I branched off to start my own recruiting company. After 23 years in D.C., my husband and I made a major decision to quit our jobs, sell our house and all of our belongings, and travel the U.S. We bought a 42-foot motorhome and spent 18 months touring the country, with the goal of exploring and enjoying all that our great country has to offer and also find a new place to live.”
During their travels, the couple visited Charleston and fell in love with the people, the culture, the weather and the food. “As our RV adventure drew to a close, we decided to purchase a home on Daniel Island to establish our new home base,” she continues. “I had no plans to work after our whirlwind RV trip and selling my staffing business in D.C., but my husband was working full time and spending a lot of time on the road traveling for his job. I wanted to do something to keep busy that would allow me to be active in our new community.”
The answer that presented itself was selling real estate, and so Rhodes obtained her real estate license in 2017 and joined the team at Carolina One in 2020. “Selling real estate and working as a headhunter actually require the same skill set,” she explains. “Both involve excellent matchmaking and negotiating skills. As a headhunter, I was used to finding ‘needle in the haystack’ candidates for clients with challenging positions to fill and negotiating salaries and benefits for those candidates. Working with buyers and sellers in real estate is very similar. As Realtors, we try to make the best match possible in terms of a buyer’s desired location and price range, and then we work to negotiate a contract and get the transaction to the closing table.”
As an agent at Carolina One, Rhodes takes pride in the company culture and the reputation that comes with the name. “When I learned about all of the programs and the amazing support they provide to their agents, as well as the networking opportunities they offer—especially with regard to ‘off market’ listings—I knew that I wanted to be part of their team,” she says. “I was also impressed with their family culture and their commitment to giving back to the community—and to their agents. I’m constantly amazed and inspired by the team of people who run the corporate office at Carolina One. I love the fact that I can pick up the phone and call a handful of people who will be there day or night to help me solve a problem when one arises.”
Rhodes considers her strengths as an agent to be her ability to find and highlight a home’s best features. “I work with the best of the best vendors who care about my clients’ homes as much as I do,” she notes. “I bring in a stager to meet with every client to give them advice on how best to show their home. She puts my clients at ease with her Southern charm and helps reassure them that she will be there every step of the way to make sure their home is ‘show ready.’ I also pay for professional videos for every listing, no matter the price point of the home I’m selling. My photographer is incredibly gifted, and he’s very passionate about his work. Between my staging and my photographer, I truly provide the ‘Dream Team’ for my clients!”
Unlike many Realtors, Rhodes relies on word of mouth for her business—and with good reason. “I go above and beyond for every one of my clients, and happy clients are always eager to refer friends, colleagues and family members to me because they know I’ll take great care of them. I’m competitive by nature, and I like to win for my clients. My clients know that I always have their best interest at heart. I’ve built my career on trust and relationships, and I think clients sense that about me when we first meet. I’m not in it for the quick, easy deal—I’m in it for the long haul. The most important thing to me is building a relationship with my clients.”
When a client enlists Rhodes as their agent, they can expect honesty, trust and full transparency throughout the transaction, as well as total dedication. “When a client’s dream home hits the market, I have to be available to show it to them—no matter what I have going on in my personal life,” she says. “For some Realtors, selling real estate is just a part-time business they do to create a little extra income. For me, it’s a full-time job. When a client trusts me with their biggest asset, I want them to know that I’m going to be there for them 110%. I was given great advice from a mentor I worked with early on in my real estate career who encouraged me to ‘own’ a neighborhood. I feel I’ve done that. I sell a lot of homes on Daniel Island, and I believe I’m a great resource to potential buyers who need help understanding the different parts of the neighborhood, the amenities and the various membership options. The Charleston area is a beautiful place to live, and I’m happy to be part of the process that grows this community.” *
Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on Twitter at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
