About Us
Choice Realty is a full service real estate brokerage firm offering commercial, investment, residential and property management services with offices in Charleston, SC, and in Hartsville, SC. Access to both the Lowcountry and Pee Dee markets offers our clients the added benefit to cross-market properties.
Our licensed real estate practitioners are not only experienced in real estate sales but offer diverse backgrounds in corporate finance, owning and operating retail operations, managing all aspects of real estate investing, interior design, and construction. We are disciplined but aggressive; and committed to protecting client properties through preservation and appreciation. Our business is built on referrals, repeat clients, and fortitude. We treat our clients like partners and do what we say we’ll do.
Through the CCIM Network (a certification held by fewer than 5% of all real estate practitioners), Choice Realty has access to consumer spending data, demographics, flood maps, market data, sales and lease comps, traffic counts, and a worldwide network of professional real estate practitioners.
Meet Our Team
Core Values of Choice Realty
- We believe CHOICE REALTY offers its clients a distinct advantage in producing income and property appreciation due to our knowledge and our aggressive negotiating tactics.
- We commit only to transactions we are capable of completing as promised.
- We understand the importance in creating a pipeline of success stories to share with clients and to help them make smart real estate choices. We agree to touch the pipeline each day to ensure our clients success in each real estate transaction and to forge long-term relationships with our clients.
- We agree to continuously develop relationships to build our knowledge, develop confidence in ourselves and to provide more resources for our clients.
- We demonstrate respect for each other and to clients by being on time, doing what we say we are going to do, and exceeding client expectations. We value our long-term reputation more than short-term gain.
- Every day, we work at being innovative and strive to provide services that are more efficient, more economical, and more reliable and services that our clients come to rely on.
- We as individuals regularly reach out to our community to help people achieve their goals.
At CHOICE REALTY, we use our core values as a touchstone for our daily work. These values, professionalism, integrity, profitability, agility and accountability help guide our actions and decisions.
Your Property is Our Priority.
Our Team
Chris Lathbury: Licensed Real Estate Advisor. Chris and his family, live on Johns Island near Charleston, SC. To put it plainly, Chris thrives in real estate endeavors. In addition to being a licensed real estate agent, Chris has purchased and sold a number of residential and commercial properties; worked as a home inspector saving thousands of dollars for clients; started a hard money lending service; and, is founder and Managing Principal at HomeSpring Mortgage, a South Carolina-based direct portfolio lender, offering mortgage solutions for buyers who are unable to obtain a traditional government-financed loan.
Susan M. Lee: Vice President, Operations & Property Management. Susan is dedicated to providing excellent property management services by consistently ensuring properties are well taken care of, keeping owners informed, and maintaining strong tenant satisfaction. She oversees homes, town homes, condos, and multifamily investments throughout Charleston’s Lowcountry markets including Ladson, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville; and in the Pee Dee markets of Florence and Hartsville. Her experience, trust, commitment, and connections provides our clients (relocated home owners, military home owners, and local and out-of-state investors) peace of mind that their property is our priority. For more information on Choice Realty’s Property Management, visit www.ChoiceRealtyRentals.com.
Jonathan C. Lee: CCIM, founder of Choice Realty, is an active commercial and investments real estate advisor. He is a licensed broker in South Carolina and has assisted clients with over $60 million in transactions covering multifamily, office, industrial, retail and residential sales.
Mr. Lee began his real estate career working for a real estate developer in Atlanta where he contributed to sales of luxury condominiums. In 1998, he joined CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) as an Account Manager managing lease transactions for more than 100 locations nationwide. In 2001, Mr. Lee began focusing on private investments and corporate advisory services. In 2004, he moved to Charleston, SC, where he opened and managed an investment real estate franchise, known as the “We Buy Ugly Houses” company, generating investment opportunities and started Choice Realty, focused on commercial and investment real estate services. While maintaining a presence in the Lowcountry regions of Charleston and Summerville, SC, Mr. Lee opened an office in Hartsville, SC, to branch out to surrounding areas of the Greater Pee Dee regions in South Carolina.
You may have heard Mr. Lee on a Saturday morning talk show on 94.3, “talking real estate” and advising people to seek the url “we find space” (ref wefindspace.com). He has also served on boards in the past including Lowcountry Senior Network, Dorchester Children’s Advocacy Center, Coker College, and Flowertown Players Community Theatre. In 2019, he was appointed by the Mayor and Town Council Of Summerville to the Planning Commission. In 2021, he joined the Hartsville BNI. Mr. Lee helps companies locate and negotiate corporate space and advises individual investors on purchasing and selling commercial property, residential investments and multifamily property throughout South Carolina. Choice Realty provides traditional residential sales, commercial property sales and property management services.
Robert Leonard: Licensed Real Estate Advisor and owner of Angel Oak Maintenance. Rob and his family reside in the Charleston area on James Island. Rob has a diverse work background ranging from owner of a golf shop in Mount Pleasant to investing in rental properties as well as providing construction and maintenance services. He has worked with numerous clients, both investors and homeowners, maintaining proactive communication to ensure a smooth transaction.
Pearl Moore: Licensed Real Estate Advisor. Pearl and her family live in Hartsville, SC in the MacArthur’s Run subdivision. She loves seeing families and folks out and about walking and riding bikes throughout her neighborhood. In addition to being a licensed real estate advisor, Pearl has a cleaning business serving homes and businesses in the Hartsville area. She also has a degree in Physical Therapy and periodically treats patients in the Greater Pee Dee Area of South Carolina. Pearl serves in the leadership of her local American Heritage Girls Troop. She and her daughter are avid campers and love touring South Carolina’s State Parks. Pearl is also an investor and owns a multifamily rental property. Lastly, she serves as a Board Member at Kalmia Gardens and enjoys the Hartsville YMCA and participates in competition obstacle course races throughout South Carolina. Give Pearl a call or text the next time you have a house to sell or buy in Hartsville, Darlington or Florence.
Elizabeth Thomas: Elizabeth is Hartsville’s hometown agent. After receiving a degree from Clemson University, she moved back to the place she loves and calls home to raise her three beautiful children. Over the past five years, 50+ families have trusted her knowledge and expertise to help them buy and sell homes/land in Hartsville, and the surrounding area.
For years she has been a million-dollar producer and just recently achieved her goal of becoming a multi-million-dollar producer. She largely attributes her success to her ongoing diligence, energetic personality, and willingness to connect with her clients on a personal level but, most importantly, her clients are her real success story. She takes pride in maintaining relationships with them well after the transactions are completed and views her network as an extended family.
In her free time, you will find her at a ballfield with one of her three children, serving the community at a Women’s League event, or making her house a home with her passion for interior design. Make the right CHOICE, contact her today!
Shawn Johnson: Licensed Real Estate Advisor. Born and raised in Hartsville, SC, Shawn resides in Hartsville with his family and serves as a Special Projects Manager at North Industrial Machine has given him a love for helping others in high-stress environments. He has a passion for the outdoors, people, and good food. When he’s not working hard, you can find him spending time with his family, and close friends or playing golf at Hartsville Country Club where he is a member. Shawn is a lifetime member of Hartsville Masonic Lodge where he served as a past master and he attends Kelleytown Baptist Church. Shawn considers his family the primary motivation in his life and the experience people go through when buying and selling is extremely important to him. Shawn’s commitment goes beyond the transaction. He views each interaction as an opportunity to deliver a tailored, “white-glove service” that every customer and client rightfully deserves. Be it residential, commercial, or investment properties, Shawn and the Choice Realty team stand ready, armed with extensive skills and comprehensive knowledge to guide you across the finish line of your real estate endeavors! To quote Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb. “The stuff that matters in life is no longer stuff. It’s other people. It’s relationships. It’s the experience.”
Futrella McNeill, Originally from Hartsville, South Carolina, graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Futrella is a compassionate real estate professional who blends the empathy of a seasoned nurse with expertise of a dedicated agent. With a background in nursing, she understands the importance of listening attentively to clients’ needs, offering unwavering support, and navigating through intricate situations with grace and precision. Just as she prioritizes the well-being of her patients, she prioritizes the dreams and aspirations of her clients, going above and beyond to deliver personalized attention in their real estate journey. Beyond her professional expertise, she finds joy in gardening, traveling, and reading and participates in church outreach programs to serve others and make a positive impact in her community. From Registered Nurse to real estate agent, Futrella is here to create a nurturing and fulfilling real estate experience tailored to your needs.
Are you interested in joining us? Do you bring something special to the table of real estate brokerage representation? We’d love to find out if we are a fit. We offer one of the best commission structures in the business of residential, commercial, and investment real estate. Contact Jonathan Lee for a confidential discussion to determine if there is a fit.
Choice Realty’s Integrated Marketing Strategy
Choice Realty’s Integrated Marketing Strategy offers pre-listing inspections; interior decorative staging; minor repairs, professional photography; aerial drone photography; video presentations, professional marketing brochures, concentrated marketing to real human beings with whom we’ve built relationships; and, broad marketing to national websites, spheres of influence, and cross-marketing to our regional offices and spheres of influence. We focus on your objectives, whether that’s selling for the highest price, selling quickly, or purchasing your dream home or commercial space.
If you would like an “arm-chair investment,” we can help you find it and negotiate savings for you, or if you would like to offload managing your own rentals and create an “arm-chair” investment so you can simply collect a check each month, allow Choice Realty’s Property Management Division to manage your entire rental portfolio.
If you’re looking to purchase or lease commercial space, we can generate 20%+ savings for your Company, and there are zero out-of-pocket costs for you when you hire us as your Commercial Tenant Representative. If you’d like to sell or lease your office, retail, or industrial building, apartment complex or home, you’ve come to the right place. We work hard for all of our clients, and have saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we have references to share with you. If you’re looking for a smart real estate brokerage, make the Smart Choice with Choice Realty! Thank you for giving us your consideration.
Kind regards, Jonathan Lee, Broker-in-Charge