Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2016

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Chamber of Commerce; Leadership SCAR with the South
Carolina Association of Realtors; and 40 Under 40 from
the Charleston Regional Business Journal.
Though he has had a real estate license since his
college days, Kent started his professional career building
homes rather than helping people sell them. He owned a
construction company and was named Member of the Year
by the Charleston Trident Association of Homebuilders in
1995. A graduate of Clemson University with a degree in
Building Science and Construction Management, he lived
in Cary, North Carolina, as a youngster and completed
high school in Bennettsville, South Carolina.
He spent part of his time at Clemson studying
architecture in Genoa, Italy. But despite his world travels,
he said he always knew where he would end up. The
parents of a college friend of his lived in the Old Village,
and he visited Mount Pleasant often, moving to town
permanently in 1985. The Real Buyer’s Agent was born 10
years later.
Kent’s decision to represent only buyers grew out of his
experience in the construction industry. Some friends of
his who were interested in purchasing a home asked for his
advice. He realized that buyers can be at a disadvantage,
so, when he left construction for real estate, he chose to
concentrate on helping people who are looking for a new
place to live.
“No one was representing buyers,” he commented.
“But buyers have the most risk, especially now. It’s a seller’s
market. Sellers have the upper hand. If I’m representing
both buyers and sellers, I’m not offering full representation
to my client. It’s the buyer who needs the most help.”
Kent pointed out that for him, helping a client purchase
a home is an educational process. He and the potential
buyer study the market to see how much homes are selling
for, they look at houses that might fit the client’s needs and
they shop interest rates.
“I’m the buyer’s advocate through the whole process,” he
explained. “My job is to make sure my clients have all the
information they need, even though they didn’t know they
needed it.”
“It’s a fun process,” he added.
Kent cited some issues that he discusses with his clients
and that all potential homeowners should consider. For
example, flood insurance is required by lenders in some
areas of the Lowcountry but not in others. And he pointed
out that you can save money by reducing the property
taxes you pay on your home if it is your primary residence.
Neither should you forget about the South Carolina
Homestead Tax-Exemption Program, which erases up to
$50,000 of the value of your home and up to five acres of
property from taxation once you pass the age of 65.
In both cases, you must apply for these exemptions with
the county assessor’s office.
Kent lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Minou, and
two daughters. Alexandra (Ali) is a sophomore at Clemson,
while Hanna is a junior at Academic Magnet High School.
The veteran Realtor is confident that Mount Pleasant and
its environs will continue to grow at a rapid pace.
“Forty-seven people a day move to the Lowcountry,”
he stated. “We’ve got Boeing, Volvo, the military, the ports
and the medical organizations. I don’t see anything that’s
going to slow us down.”
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