Amanda Dunlap at RE/MAX Southern Shores: What to Know Before You Meet

Who Amanda Dunlap is and what she does

Amanda Dunlap is a real estate agent with RE/MAX Southern Shores, a brokerage operating across South Carolina's coastal communities. She works with buyers and sellers navigating residential real estate transactions in the region. Before meeting with any agent, understanding their background, service area, and how they work helps you decide whether they're the right fit for your situation.

RE/MAX Southern Shores operates as a franchise within the national RE/MAX network, which means agents maintain their own client relationships while accessing the brokerage's systems, training, and market data. Agents at RE/MAX typically work on commission—they earn a percentage of the sale price when a transaction closes—so their incentive is to complete sales, not to keep properties on the market longer.

Key Takeaways

• Amanda Dunlap works through RE/MAX Southern Shores, a coastal South Carolina brokerage, and earns commission when sales close.
• RE/MAX agents can represent buyers, sellers, or both, depending on the transaction structure and your agreement with them.
• Before hiring any agent, confirm their experience in your specific market area, their knowledge of local schools or neighborhoods if that matters to you, and what services they include in their commission.
• South Carolina real estate transactions typically involve a title company, a home inspection, and a closing attorney, none of whom work for the agent.
• Your agreement with an agent should specify the commission rate, the length of the listing period if you're selling, and what happens if you find a buyer on your own.

What to ask Amanda Dunlap before you hire her

If you're considering working with Amanda Dunlap, a few direct questions will tell you whether she's prepared for your transaction. Ask how long she has worked in your specific neighborhood or town—general coastal experience is not the same as knowing the Beaufort market or the Charleston suburbs. Ask whether she has represented buyers, sellers, or both, and how many transactions she closed in the past year. These numbers matter because an agent handling two sales a year operates differently from one handling twenty.

Ask what her commission rate is and whether it's negotiable. In South Carolina, commission is not set by law—it's negotiated between the agent and the seller (or buyer, depending on the agreement). Standard rates often fall between 5 and 6 percent of the sale price, split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent, but this varies. Ask whether she uses a lockbox system, how she markets listings, and whether she has a team or works solo. Ask how she stays in touch during the process and who you contact if she's unavailable.

How RE/MAX Southern Shores operates

RE/MAX Southern Shores is a brokerage, which means it provides the legal framework, office space, and support systems for agents like Amanda Dunlap to conduct business. The brokerage holds the real estate license; individual agents work under that license. This structure means the brokerage handles compliance, trust accounts for earnest money deposits, and dispute resolution, but day-to-day client relationships belong to the agent.

RE/MAX franchises are known for giving agents significant independence—they often keep a larger share of commission than agents at other brokerages—but this also means the quality of service depends heavily on the individual agent's professionalism and experience. The brokerage name carries some weight in the market, but it's not a may provide of performance. If you have a complaint about an agent's conduct, you can file a complaint with the South Carolina Real Estate Commission, which oversees all licensed agents in the state regardless of brokerage.

Understanding buyer representation versus seller representation

Amanda Dunlap may represent you as a buyer, as a seller, or potentially both in different transactions. If she represents you as a buyer, she has a legal duty to work in your interest—to find properties that match your criteria, negotiate on your behalf, and disclose known problems with properties. If she represents a seller, her duty is to that seller. In South Carolina, a single agent cannot represent both the buyer and seller in the same transaction without written consent from both parties, and even then, the agent's duties are limited.

Before you sign any agreement, confirm in writing which party she represents and what that means for your transaction. If you're a buyer working with Amanda Dunlap, ask whether she is a buyer's agent (working only for you) or whether she also represents sellers in your area. This affects how she shows you properties and what information she can share with you about a listing.

The real estate transaction process in South Carolina

Amanda Dunlap's role is to market the property, show it to potential buyers or help you find a property, and negotiate the offer and contract. She does not handle the legal paperwork, the title search, the home inspection, or the closing. In South Carolina, a closing attorney handles the legal side of the transaction—they prepare the deed, review the title report, and conduct the closing meeting. A title company searches the property's ownership history and issues a title insurance policy. A home inspector examines the structure and systems if the buyer requests one.

The agent's commission is typically paid at closing from the sale proceeds. If the sale falls through before closing, the agent does not get paid. This is why agents have an incentive to close transactions, but it also means they benefit when you get a fair deal—a buyer who feels cheated may back out, and a seller who overprices the property may not sell at all.

What happens if you find a buyer or property on your own

If you're selling and you find a buyer without Amanda Dunlap's involvement, your listing agreement with her should specify what happens. Most listing agreements include a clause that requires you to pay commission even if you find the buyer yourself, but the terms vary. Some agreements have a time limit—for example, you might owe commission on any offer that comes in within 90 days of the listing ending, even if you sell to that buyer after the agreement expires. Read this section carefully before you sign.

If you're buying and you find a property on your own, you're generally not obligated to use Amanda Dunlap's services for that transaction, but confirm this in writing. Some buyer representation agreements require you to work exclusively with that agent for a set period, while others allow you to work with multiple agents or find properties independently.

How to verify Amanda Dunlap's license and background

Before you hire any real estate agent in South Carolina, verify their license through the South Carolina Real Estate Commission website. You can search by agent name and see their license status, any disciplinary history, and the brokerage they work for. This takes five minutes and is free. If an agent's license is inactive, expired, or has disciplinary notes, that's a red flag.

You can also ask Amanda Dunlap for references from past clients—buyers or sellers she has worked with in the past year or two. A willingness to provide references is a good sign. Ask those references about their experience: Did the agent communicate clearly? Did the transaction close on time? Would they work with this agent again? Online reviews on Google, Zillow, or Realtor.com can offer additional perspective, though remember that people are more likely to leave reviews after a very good or very bad experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to work with Amanda Dunlap?

Commission rates are negotiable and not set by law. Ask Amanda Dunlap directly what her rate is. If you're selling, you typically pay commission from the sale proceeds at closing. If you're buying, the seller's agent commission usually comes from the seller's proceeds, not from you directly, but this varies by transaction.

Can I switch agents if I'm not happy with Amanda Dunlap?

If you have a written listing or buyer representation agreement, you're bound by its terms. Most agreements allow you to end the relationship if you give written notice, but some require you to pay a fee or owe commission under certain conditions. Review your agreement or ask Amanda Dunlap what the exit terms are before you sign.

What if Amanda Dunlap shows me a property she listed?

If Amanda Dunlap is both your buyer's agent and the listing agent for a property, she represents both sides of the transaction. South Carolina law allows this only with written consent from both you and the seller. Ask her to explain in writing what her duties are to each party and whether she can negotiate on your behalf if there's a conflict of interest.

How long does a typical real estate transaction take?

Once an offer is accepted, closing typically takes 30 to 45 days in South Carolina, depending on the lender's timeline, the title search, and the home inspection. Amanda Dunlap can give you a more specific timeline based on your situation, but the closing attorney and lender control much of the schedule, not the agent.

What should I do if I have a complaint about Amanda Dunlap?

Contact the South Carolina Real Estate Commission with details of your complaint. They investigate violations of state real estate law and can take disciplinary action if warranted. You can also pursue a civil claim through small claims court or hire an attorney if you believe you suffered financial harm.