What to Expect When Working with Stephanie Hastings at Modern Real Estate Consultants

Stephanie Hastings brings residential and commercial experience to South Carolina real estate transactions

Stephanie Hastings is a real estate agent with Modern Real Estate Consultants, a firm serving South Carolina buyers and sellers across residential and commercial properties. Her background spans both market types, which means she can speak to the differences between buying a home and purchasing investment property or commercial space. When you work with her, you're working with someone who understands the mechanics of different transaction types, not just one narrow slice of the market.

Real estate agents in South Carolina operate under state licensing requirements and represent either buyers or sellers (or both, depending on the transaction structure). Hastings works within that framework, meaning her role is to guide you through the process, explain what documents you'll encounter, connect you with lenders or inspectors, and help you understand what's normal in your local market. She does not set prices or appraisals—those come from the market itself and from licensed appraisers—but she can tell you what similar properties have sold for recently and what that means for your offer or listing price.

Key Takeaways

• Stephanie Hastings works with both residential buyers and sellers, as well as commercial clients, so her experience covers multiple property types and transaction structures.
• A real estate agent's job is to represent your interests, explain the process, and connect you with other professionals like inspectors and lenders—not to appraise property or may provide outcomes.
• South Carolina real estate transactions typically involve earnest money deposits, inspections, appraisals, and title work, all of which take time and require coordination.
• Your agent should be able to explain local market conditions in your specific area, since what's happening in Charleston differs from what's happening in the Upstate or the Lowcountry.

What a real estate agent does during a home sale

If you're selling a home, your agent's role begins with understanding your property—its condition, its location, what upgrades or repairs might matter to buyers in your neighborhood. She'll help you set a listing price based on comparable sales (homes similar to yours that sold recently), prepare the property for showing, and market it to other agents and to the public. She handles the paperwork that comes with listing: the Multiple Listing Service entry, the disclosure forms South Carolina requires, and the coordination of showings.

Once an offer comes in, your agent explains the terms, advises you on whether to accept, counter, or reject, and manages the back-and-forth negotiation. She coordinates the inspection period (usually 10 days in South Carolina), the appraisal, and the final walkthrough. She does not decide whether to accept an offer—that's your decision—but she can tell you whether the terms are typical for your market and what risks you might be taking if you accept or reject.

What a real estate agent does during a home purchase

As a buyer's agent, Hastings shows you properties that match what you're looking for, explains the neighborhood and the local market, and helps you understand what you're seeing during showings. She can point out structural concerns, outdated systems, or deferred maintenance—not as a home inspector would, but as someone who has seen hundreds of homes and knows what costs money to fix. She helps you make an offer that's competitive but protects your interests, and she explains contingencies: the inspection period, the appraisal contingency, and the financing contingency.

During the purchase process, she coordinates with your lender, the title company, the home inspector, and the appraiser. She attends the final walkthrough to make sure the property is in the condition you agreed to, and she explains the closing documents before you sign them. She does not provide legal advice—that's what a real estate attorney does—but she can tell you what's standard and what's unusual in your transaction.

Commercial real estate transactions differ from residential sales

Commercial properties—office buildings, retail spaces, warehouses, multi-unit apartment buildings—follow different rules and timelines than single-family homes. The due diligence period is often longer, the financing is more complex, and the documents are more specialized. Hastings' experience in this area means she understands commercial leases, triple-net arrangements, cap rates, and the kinds of inspections and appraisals that commercial buyers need.

If you're looking at commercial property, your agent should be able to explain what tenants are already in place, what their leases say, and what happens to those leases if you buy the building. She should know the difference between a property that's owner-occupied and one that's purely an investment, and she should be able to connect you with a commercial lender or a commercial real estate attorney if you need one.

How to decide if an agent is the right fit for your transaction

The best agent for you depends on what you're trying to do. If you're buying your first home in a specific neighborhood, you want someone who knows that neighborhood well—the schools, the commute times, the property taxes, what homes typically sell for. If you're selling a commercial building, you want someone with commercial experience who understands your market and your property type. Hastings' background in both residential and commercial means she can handle either, but it's worth asking her directly about her recent experience in your specific situation.

Ask potential agents how long they've been licensed, how many transactions they've closed in the past year, and whether they work full-time in real estate or part-time. Ask them to explain their process—how they price listings, how they show homes, how they handle negotiations. A good agent should be able to answer these questions clearly and should be willing to provide references from recent clients.

Understanding South Carolina's real estate requirements and timelines

South Carolina law requires sellers to disclose known defects in the property, and buyers have a 10-day inspection period to hire a home inspector and decide whether to proceed. The appraisal typically takes 7 to 10 days, and the title search and insurance take another week or so. Closing usually happens 30 to 45 days after an offer is accepted, though that timeline can shift depending on the lender, the complexity of the title, or any issues the inspection uncovers.

Your agent should explain these timelines upfront and keep you informed as each step happens. She should tell you what documents you'll need to bring to closing, what costs to expect, and what happens if something goes wrong—if the appraisal comes in low, if the inspection finds a major problem, or if the title search uncovers a lien. These situations are not uncommon, and your agent's job is to help you navigate them, not to pretend they won't happen.

What to ask before you hire an agent

Before you commit to working with Stephanie Hastings or any agent, ask about her experience with your specific situation. If you're a first-time buyer, ask how she works with first-time buyers and what she explains along the way. If you're selling a rental property or a commercial building, ask about her experience with investment properties. Ask what happens if you disagree about price or strategy—how does she handle that conversation?

Ask about her availability. Real estate can move fast, especially in a competitive market, and you need an agent who can show you homes quickly and get your offer in promptly. Ask how she communicates—by phone, text, email—and how quickly she typically responds. Ask whether she works alone or as part of a team, and if she's part of a team, who you'll be working with day-to-day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a real estate agent to buy or sell a home in South Carolina?

No, you can buy or sell without an agent, but you'll be responsible for pricing, marketing, negotiating, and coordinating all the professionals involved—inspector, appraiser, lender, title company, attorney. Most people find an agent worth the cost because she handles those tasks and knows the local market. If you do sell without an agent, you'll typically pay the buyer's agent commission anyway, so the savings are smaller than they appear.

What does a real estate agent cost?

In South Carolina, the seller typically pays both the listing agent's commission and the buyer's agent's commission, usually totaling 5 to 6 percent of the sale price. That cost is built into the sale price and is paid from the proceeds at closing. As a buyer, you typically pay nothing directly to your agent; the seller's proceeds cover both commissions. Ask your agent upfront what her commission is and whether it's negotiable.

Can an agent represent both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction?

Yes, this is called dual agency, and it's legal in South Carolina, but it creates a conflict of interest. The agent cannot fully represent both sides because their interests are opposed—the buyer wants the lowest price, the seller wants the highest. If dual agency happens, both parties must consent in writing. Many buyers and sellers prefer to have separate agents to avoid this conflict.

What happens if I want to back out of a contract?

It depends on the contingencies in your contract. If you're within the inspection period and you find a problem, you can usually back out without penalty. If you're past the inspection period and you back out without a valid reason, you may lose your earnest money deposit. Your agent should explain your contingencies clearly before you sign the contract so you understand what protections you have.

How do I know if the asking price is fair?

Your agent should provide a comparative market analysis—a list of similar homes that sold recently in your area, what they sold for, and how long they were on the market. This gives you a sense of what the market will bear. If a home is priced significantly higher than comparable sales, it may sit on the market longer. If it's priced below market, it may attract multiple offers. Your agent can explain what's typical for your neighborhood and market conditions.