Last Updated on October 30, 2024
Real estate leaders expand coverage to South Carolina’s Low Country region
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, in partnership with Allen Tate Realtors®, has acquired The Alliance Group Realty, a real estate firm with offices in Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, S.C., serving Beaufort and Jasper counties and surrounding areas.
This announcement marks Howard Hanna | Allen Tate’s entry into the South Carolina Low Country region and the growth of a homegrown business as The Alliance Group Realty joins a family of the nation’s top independent real estate brokers.
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the #1 family-owned and operated independent broker in the country. The full-service real estate company has more than 500 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices across 13 states, including Allen Tate Realtors in the Carolinas.
Allen Tate is the Carolinas’ leading real estate company, with 16,665 closed transactions and $7.5 billion in closed sales volume in 2023. The 67-year-old company operates more than 70 local real estate offices spanning the Charlotte, Triad, Research Triangle, High Country, Highlands/Cashiers and Asheville/Mountain regions of North Carolina and the Upstate and Low Country regions of South Carolina.
The Alliance Group Realty was founded in 2011 by Bob Clarkson, as a new start-up unaffiliated brokerage. The company has grown to more than 70 agents and employees and is ranked among the top brokerages in the Hilton Head – Bluffton area. In 2023, the company closed 260 transactions totaling $140 million in sales.
The company operates offices in Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. The Hilton Head Island office opened in 2011, and moved to its current location at 23D Shelter Cove Lane in 2020. The Bluffton Office, located at 45 Calhoun Street in the Old Town area, opened in 2016.
“The Alliance Group Realty name reflects a group of individuals who are aligned in terms of ethics, integrity and overall character. From the beginning, our company has been focused on providing the tools, facilities and support that our agents need to deliver excellence to clients in today’s complex market. So it was very important for us to join a company that shared these same values and goals,” said Bob Clarkson, founder and owner, The Alliance Group Realty.
“I’ve watched Howard Hanna and Allen Tate grow and expand throughout the Carolinas for many years. They’re a rock-solid, proven success story, with great people and excellent systems. I’m also a big fan of independent brokerages because they understand how our business works, at the street level. The network connections, marketing opportunities and overall synergy is the next logical step for our Realtors,” Clarkson said.
The Alliance Realty Group will now use the tagline A Howard Hanna Tate Company as part of its name and logo. Clients will also have access to Howard Hanna and Allen Tate Essential Services, including mortgage, insurance and title.
Clarkson will continue with the company as area manager and broker in charge. Shaun McTernan will serve as sales manager, and Lynn Anesi will continue in her role as director of operations.
A career professional, Clarkson has worked in real estate for more than 45 years. He has held positions including residential and commercial real estate sales, office manager, senior director at a national real estate franchise, consultant and speaker.
Clarkson and his wife, Rochelle, reside in Bluffton. She is a former ballerina and Disney performer and currently owns and operates Alliance Dance Academy in Bluffton.
“We are proud to welcome The Alliance Group Realty to the Howard Hanna Family of Companies,” said Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna IV, president, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.
“Bob and his team have grown their business to become one of the most successful independent real estate firms in the Low Country. This is a company that shares our values and commitment to excellence. We are pleased that The Alliance Group Realty has chosen to partner with Howard Hanna | Allen Tate in this beautiful, growing area, and we look forward to many opportunities,” said Gary Scott, president, Allen Tate Companies.
“We are excited to announce Howard Hanna | Allen Tate’s expansion to the coastal region of South Carolina. This further solidifies our market position in the Carolinas and the Southeast,” Hanna said. “This also marks Howard Hanna’s second acquisition this week, following the acquisition of Big Hill Realty in Dayton, Ohio.”
To contact an agent with The Alliance Realty Group, call 843-785-5200 or visit www.thealliancegrouprealty.com.
Allen Tate is the Carolinas’ largest real estate company based on closed sales volume, with more than 70 offices and 1,800 Realtors in the Charlotte, Triad, Triangle, High Country, Highland/Cashiers and Asheville/Mountain regions of North Carolina and the Upstate and Low Country regions of South Carolina. Allen Tate is a partner of Howard Hanna Real Estate, the largest privately held real estate broker in the United States. The full-service real estate company has 500 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices and more than 15,000 sales associates and staff across 13 states. For more information, visit www.allentate.com and www.howardhanna.com.
