Berkeley Hall

Bluffton, South Carolina

Name of Project:

Berkeley Hall

Community details:

Total acres: 865, total units: 650

Homesites from: $219,500 – $1,650,000

Community highlights:

Tom Fazio golf courses

Seven restaurants

44,000-square-foot clubhouse

Gardens & community lakes

Destination:

Bluffton, South Carolina

Overview

Berkeley Hall is a private, gated golf community located near Bluffton, South Carolina, dubbed by Links Magazine and Travel & Leisure as “one of America’s 100 premier properties.” With an exquisite clubhouse and expansive views of the Lowcountry’s beautiful marsh-lined rivers, it is truly a golfer’s paradise.

The Challenges

A changing economy and declining interest in private club memberships nationwide left Berkeley Hall’s sales significantly less robust than projected. Additionally, management was attempting to introduce built product to a sales team divided between new agents with little experience and seasoned agents whose history was in land-only sales.

Enter Catalyst

Catalyst assumed control over all strategic planning and management while conducting an independent analysis of Berkeley Hall’s sales and marketing teams. Weekly, monthly, and quarterly training programs were implemented to bring these teams together and train them to communicate with each other – preparing them to nimbly adjust to the needs and challenges of a changing real estate market. Catalyst also implemented a weekly training program for all sales agents to increase their understanding of the subtleties between handling home sales as opposed to land sales, generating maximum buyer enthusiasm, and increasing their ability to close contracts faster with lower recession rates. A new system was put into place for reporting and tracking the marketing budget. Under Catalyst’s guidance, Berkeley Hall was able to cut the marketing portion of all sales costs by a third while maximizing the impact of the dollars spent.

Results

Within fourteen months, Berkeley Hall’s marketing expenses were cut by a full third, while sales volume doubled. In one year’s time, sales were drastically accelerated, volume tripled to over $95 million, and Catalyst achieved a complete sellout, allowing the community and all amenities to be turned over to the homeowners in early 2005, ahead of schedule.

“We liked working with the Catalyst team. They did a good job of managing, training and motivating the sales force and were very level headed and well balanced in their thinking.”

 
-Glen Barber, Berkeley Hall

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Tracy Harris

A native of Georgia, Tracy has been a resident of Greenville since 1987 and has been in real estate sales for 27 years, giving her tremendous insight into the local market. Tracy also combines infectious enthusiasm and keen attention to detail with her market insight, enhancing the buying experience for every family she serves.

What brought you to Hartness?
Tracy’s work with the Greenville Homebuilder’s Association ignited her love for real estate sales focused on residential development and new construction. Through that association she discovered Hartness and in 2016 met with the Hartness family as they were beginning to assemble their sales team. It was a bit challenging, given that no dirt had been moved. We were “selling the dream” in those days. While I had sales experience with residential developers and some of Greenville’s finest custom home builders, I was brand new to Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) and New Urbanism and how these concepts combine land preservation and retail offerings in residential developments. In short, it was a process of finding better ways for people to live, and I trusted that the Hartness family would bring that vision to life. Today, it’s a thriving community with a strong sense of connectedness, and that’s really rewarding to see.”

What’s the best part of your job?
“The people I meet and the relationships that are formed. I genuinely care about other people and enjoy getting to know them. By asking the right questions, then taking the time to listen and understand their goals, objectives, concerns, and hesitations, coupled with my knowledge of Hartness and the building process, I have helped numerous families find their perfect home!” It is very gratifying to see them out and about within the community, making new friends, exploring a new trail, or simply relaxing on their porch watching the day go by, living their best lives.

What’s the First Thing You Tell People About Hartness?
I have the rare privilege of representing a community in which the owners/developers of the property are residents of the community! They have a personal interest, and they are here to stay. The idea of Hartness, the South’s Next Great Village, came about as they asked, “What can we do to make this a special place to live, give back to Greenville, and still preserve the unique natural areas our family treasures?’ The answer to that question produced a vision that’s far bigger than themselves, and that’s why, even today, my favorite question to new visitors is, ‘Do you know the story of this property and the family who owns it?’ It’s an amazing story to tell.”

Marcia Simmons

Marcia brings 34 years of real estate brokerage experience to Hartness. For the past 21 years, her sole focus has been on-site sales in luxury golf course communities, giving her tremendous depth and understanding of the Greenville market.

What brought you to Hartness?
I’ve had the privilege of working in some exceptional communities with excellent offerings, but they were way off the beaten path. That was always challenging because families had to drive half an hour to a grocery store or pharmacy to enjoy these amenities and their homes. Living at Hartness eliminates this difficulty because it offers all the natural beauty and room to escape with the convenience of in-town living that’s minutes from everything you need.”

What’s The Best Part of Your Job?
“The best part of my job is wholeheartedly believing in the community I represent. The story of this community and all it offers makes sense to people, which makes it very exciting to come to work every day.”

What’s the First Thing You Tell People About Hartness?
“As a licensed pilot, I first recognized the Hartness family’s commitment to excellence when I visited Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, SC. Pat Hartness developed Triple Tree to ignite a passion for aviation, and I was so impressed with the facility that it made me want to be associated with the family. If they did a passion project at that level, I could only imagine how spectacular this family’s legacy real estate offering would be.

One of the first things I tell people about Hartness is the owners are not “big box” developers. This property was their family home. They chose to develop their land as a labor of love. As Sean Hartness once explained, “This was such a great place to grow up. I want the world to know what living here felt like.”

Steve Brown

Steve began his career with Hartness International—an industrial packaging equipment company—in 1987. In 2004, he moved to outside sales and remained with the company after its 2009 sale. In 2020, Steve had the pleasure of rejoining the family on the Hartness real estate sales team.

What brought you to Hartness?
“While I had engaged in some real estate development projects over the years, my primary motivation was to rejoin the Hartness family and work for a privately-held company. They’re unique in how they treat their employees, and it is a joy to work with them again. I also appreciate being ‘off the road,’ spending more time with my family and building relationships with my clients here in Greenville.”

What is the best part of your job?
“By far, the best part of my job is connecting with wonderful people who visit Hartness. Purchasing a home is very personal exercise, and that’s the aspect I enjoy most—connecting with the families and guiding them through that process to realize their quest for a dream home.”

What’s the First Thing You Tell People About Hartness?
“The first thing I tell people about is the level of involvement the Hartness family has here and the history of the property. The Hartness family are the developers, and some of them live here, which speaks volumes about their commitment. This neighborhood is as personal to them as it is to every other family we serve, and that’s a great recipe for a thriving community. I also enjoy sharing our unique position in this market—the convenience coupled with this incredible property that will be theirs for a lifetime. These families are not just buying a house. They’re investing in a way of life, and Hartness is different from everything else in Greenville.”

David Robertson

David brings a 27-year career in luxury real estate to Hartness, preceded by his work in the golf industry—first as a PGA Tour caddy, then as a professional player. Originally from Florence, SC, David distinguished himself as a top sales executive and managing roles in reputable communities like The Cliffs Communities, Bray’s Island, and Bear Lake Reserve before becoming Director of Sales at Hartness.

What brought you to Hartness?
“I came to Hartness because of the strong comparative analysis—namely beautiful architecture in a walkable community with resort-style amenities, time-saving convenience, and a 180-acre nature preserve with ponds, streams, and 15 miles of Community Trails. That competitive set can’t be duplicated anywhere in the Upstate, and it puts Hartness in a league of its own.”

What’s the best part of your job?
“I get to serve my clients and learn what makes their lives better. And the very best part of my job is seeing the joy in their eyes when they secure a property and realize they’re about to start their new life here. That’s a tremendous privilege.”

What’s the First Thing You Tell People About Hartness?
“A client of mine wisely said that real estate is not about location, location, and location as most people believe. Instead, great real estate is actually about location, timing, and concept. Hartness has hit the mark with all three, and those critical elements have produced a one-of-a-kind community whose value most people understand from the first moment they visit.”