Member Spotlight: Andrella Pusha

Realtor® Andrella Pusha is a Charleston native who works as a Commercial Associate with Carolina One Real Estate. She is a Retired Chief Petty Officer who was one of the first black women to graduate from the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program. Andrella worked as a Nuclear Engineer for 20 years and was among the first women to be assigned to a nuclear-powered ship. Nuclear Engineers are responsible for generating clean water and making electricity, or as Andrella explains, “We brought the ship alive”.

Andrella shares that “The Navy was the best leadership course I could have taken. When I came in, there were the old guys that were about to retire, with the old mindset and mentality, the baby boomers, and later the millennials. Having to learn how to adapt and manage people across all of those age gaps, religious beliefs, morals and sometime lack of, colors; it’s probably the and biggest and best leadership course I could have asked for”.

Even before she achieved the rank of Chief, Andrella started a mentoring program for females, growing the group from 50 to more than a thousand in just three years. “I didn’t do it alone” she said, “I was able to employ my peers as well as supervisors and those below me. There is this thing called, leading from the middle. I learned to divorce titles.  You don’t have to be a leader by title, to be a leader by stature. Which is why when I became a Realtor®, I felt comfortable mentoring new agents. I understood leadership can happen at any level, and it shouldn’t be only from the person at the top”.

A few years before retirement someone asked what she wanted to be when she “grew up”. The question was asked jokingly, but the intent was to get her thinking about the transition to civilian life. She spent a year traveling and explored various business opportunities. “As a little girl, my grandmother, who was a successful businesswoman in the area, built and renovated houses. I understood, that generational wealth could be created via real estate. I started to look at how to create something that wouldn’t die when I die. What one generation doesn’t learn to keep or maintain; the next generation will lose. Which is why, I leaned into the idea of building something my children couldn’t squander” she said.

Pusha initially entered real estate as an investor in 2015 and earned her license in 2020.  She found inspiration in leaders of business and real estate. People that worked to break barriers like Montez Martin, her grandmother Rosabel Moultrie Logan and grandfather Henry Smith, who was monumental in the startup phase of many of the small black owned businesses in the area, and was known affectionately in the community as the “Black Mayor of Charleston”.

Andrella says her biggest challenge transitioning from the Navy to civilian life was resetting her mindset from, W2 employee to business owner. She put her head down and worked hard, but when she transitioned from residential to commercial real estate, there was no road map. She made the decision to pursue the commercial field after completing a SWOT analysis of her life and business. Once Pusha realized that while she was making the numbers, she wasn’t working in her passion, she knew she had to make the change.

In her second year as a CTAR Director, Andrella would like to see new agents better understand what the Associations provide for them and pursue more education—she believes that making good deals and good choices stem from education.

In addition to her leadership role at CTAR, she is also a first-year board member at the South Carolina Association of Realtors® (SCR) and the Hazel Global Foundation. In addition to being a Realtor®, she is a private banker, author, speaker, and in pursuit of RE Broker License. Her certifications and designations include: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Short Sales and Foreclosure Specialist (SFR), Military Relocation Professional (MRP), At Home with Diversity (AHWD), and Committed to Excellence (C2EX). She is a graduate of the CTAR Leadership Academy (2023) and the Civic Leaders Academy (2023) and was recognized as a 2023 Black Excellence honoree.

Remembering that we are in the business of building relationships and solving problems, being mindful of when and how to pivot, understanding current conditions, using foresight, and taking action is how to win in any market.

Veterans Spotlight: Nia Swinton-Jenkins

Nia Swinton-Jenkins is a Realtor® with Carolina One Real Estate, proud veteran, a wife and mother of two. Nia grew up in Mt. Pleasant, SC with her parents and three brothers. She is a graduate of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina where she earned a degree in Bio-Medical and Scientific Communication and later, a Masters in Public Health and Code Policy.  She had a successful career in Clinical Research until she transitioned into real estate.

At 29 years old, Nia commissioned as an officer in the US Army. She completed basic training in Fort Jackson before graduating from Federal Officer Candidacy School in Fort Benning. She is currently a First Lieutenant promotable to Captain with 10 years of service. As a Medical Services Officer in the National Guard, she advises the Commander on how to plan for medical service missions and is responsible for ensuring they have everything required for deployment.

Nia decided to pursue a career in real estate 5 years ago to honor her mother’s memory. She and her mother had planned to go into the business together doing fix and flips—Nia would handle the real estate portion and her mother would stage the properties to sell. Unfortunately, they never got to pursue their partnership, so Nia moved forward with her mother’s spirit by her side. After completing real estate school, she realized she was not only good at selling real estate, but really enjoyed it. She felt her transferable skills were an asset and left her position at the VA hospital to focus full time on real estate.

Nia’s leadership journey with CTAR began when she was invited to join the DE&I taskforce. She attended association events, pursued opportunities to volunteer and participated in the CTAR Leadership Academy. At the same time, she pursued accomplishments on the education front as well—she’s earned the Military Relocation Professional (MRP), At Home with Diversity, and Real Estate Negotiation Expert certifications and designations, with plans to pursue more. This fall, Nia interviewed and was selected join the 2024 Board of Directors.

Outside of the real estate world, Nia actively volunteers at Seacoast church, Palmetto Military Support Group, the Travis Manion Foundation, in the community at Snowden Civic Association, with her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Mocks Corner Chapter and is a board member with an up-and-coming organization Okra Soup Foundation which focuses on the Gullah Geechee culture.

Given her background, Nia focuses much of her transactional work on helping military personnel and medical professionals. A large portion of her transactions are land deals and relocations. She says that the biggest challenge she’s faced is affordable housing, but combats that by being creative, partnering with lenders and educating clients in a way that helps them feel empowered in a competitive market. Sometimes, she tells her clients to wait, if that’s the best option for them, or if they need to build a strong financial foundation before purchasing. She wants her clients to know they have a partner in her—Nia is a Realtor® for life.

Veterans Spotlight: Sarah Coleman Lee

Sarah Coleman-Lee is a Realtor® with Charleston’s Best Home Team Realty ONE Group and a retired Master Sergeant with 22 years of service in the US Air Force. She is a remarkable woman whose journey is characterized by resilience, determination and a passion for making a positive impact. Born and raised in Pritchard, Alabama by her mother, she is the youngest of twelve children. She learned the value of service to the community, hard work and perseverance at an early age.

Following high school, Sarah’s plan was to follow in the footsteps of many of her family members and siblings and join the military. However, she was waitlisted and while she waited, she enrolled in college for two years and pursued her education. While in the Air Force she initially worked in supply but later shifted into the medical field. She sought out additional assignments often to include working Air Vac. She also continued to pursue her educational goals and attended classes wherever she was based, ultimately obtaining a bachelor degree in science and a master’s degree in healthcare management from California College of Health Sciences.

While enlisted, Sarah realized the opportunities available as a real estate investor and invested in fix and flips for passive income. This led to her transition into full time real estate sales upon retirement in 2008. The career transition was challenging, she says. “Starting from scratch, building from scratch and learning from scratch wasn’t easy but I was motivated to push harder by my brokers and by the market, which entered recession shortly after I became licensed” said Sarah. Her personal experience working through the challenges of relocating a family is why she is passionate about her specialty as a Military Relocation Professional (MRP). Sarah also earned her broker license along with the ABR, AHWD, CRS, SRS, PMN and E-PRO designations and is currently working on completing C2EX.

In addition to her educational achievements, Sarah has earned numerous accolades and recognition to include recognition as the 2022 Charleston Realtor® of the Year, following a long list of leadership roles,  including: 2023 Coastal SC Women’s Council of Realtors® network President, 2021 CHS MLS Board President, service on the Appeals Committee and Nominating Committee. As a community advocate, she has been an Ambassador with Dorchester Chamber of Commerce, the Ronald Mc Donald House and the Jenkins Orphanage. She continues to inspire others through her work, reminding us that one person can truly can make a difference.

Sarah says, “Whether it’s today, whether it’s tomorrow, whether it’s in this market, or whether it’s in this season, never give up. It’s not all about the database, or how many transactions I’m going to make, it’s not about the details it takes to put your business together, but it’s about mindset—when you change your perspective the way you see things begins to change.”

Legal Update: Sitzer/Burnett Verdict

On Tuesday, October 31, an initial decision was reached in the Sitzer/Burnett trial held in Missouri Federal Court. A jury issued a verdict against NAR and other corporate defendants finding them liable in an antitrust case related to real estate commissions.

We are constantly monitoring the ongoing legal developments in this and other cases and encourage you to talk to your Broker-in-Charge with any questions.

Our goal is to support you and your business through a changing industry landscape. CTAR and CHS Regional MLS will work collaboratively to provide resources, support, knowledge and tools to keep your business running smoothly.

Stay tuned for more updates.

2024 Gold Cards are Back!

The Gold Card provides free CE courses January – December and are available to members who have paid their annual Realtor® dues.

Gold Card Benefits
You can knock out 2 renewal cycle requirements for $150 instead of paying the member price of $520 for 32 CE hours.  For the June 2024 renewal cycle obtain your 16 hours of education (January-June).  Then use the Gold Card again July-December for another 16 hours of education to complete your next renewal cycle!

You will also receive discounts on some designation and certification courses and enjoy a $150 discount on Broker A & B licensing course combo (some restrictions apply).

Not sure when your license expires? Look it up with the LLR, here.

Click here to purchase your 2024 Gold Card

Please note:  Gold Cards are electronically based (you will not receive a physical card) and are not activated for use until January. You MUST pay online to qualify for the dues billing pre-sale. 

NAR Course: Bias Override Training

Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing
December 14 | 1-4pm with instructor Arthur Takeall
CEE3889 | 3 hours of elective credit towards requirements for LLR and CTAR
Members: $50 | Non-Members: $70 | 2023 Gold Card Free

Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing helps real estate professionals interrupt stereotypical thinking so they can avoid fair housing pitfalls and provide equal professional service to every customer or client. Participants will examine the history of bias in real estate, learn about the mind science of identity, study how implicit bias can result in fair housing violations, and engage in interactive exercises to enhance communication skills and business relationships with clients of all backgrounds.

Learning Objectives
• Describe the history of bias and discrimination in real estate to understand how neighborhoods became segregated and appreciate the challenges many consumers still face because of their identities.

• Explain how implicit bias may result in violations of Fair Housing laws and industry ethics.

• Identify interventions to prevent implicit bias, identity anxiety, and stereotype threat from influencing behavior so that consumers are treated with equal concern, respect, and fairness.

• Increase personal motivation to confront these phenomena in their business and community.

2023 Realtor Voter Guides are Here!

As a service to all Realtor® members, a volunteer group of your Realtor® peers takes the time each election season to interview the candidates running for office. If you’d like to participate in our candidate screening committee, please email Josh Dix. This committee is open to all Realtor® members.

These voter guides identify candidates who are pro-business, pro-public property rights and whose values closely align with Realtor® interests. As an individual, who you vote for is YOUR business, but as Realtors® who we support impacts all of OUR business. Our number one consideration in recommending one candidate over another is the candidate’s stance on key Realtor® Issues – private property rights, highest and best use of land and of course, fair housing.

This voter guide is intended to help you identify those candidates who will be supportive of Realtor® issues and support your business. View below, or download a PDF here.

If you have questions about the 2022 Voter Guide, the candidate screening process or how selections are made, please contact Josh Dix.

Diversity Spotlight: Joel Torres

Joel Torres is a Honduran-American that grew up in West Los Angeles. The youngest of five siblings, Torres’ parents migrated from Honduras to Puerto Rico before settling in the United States. He graduated from Los Angeles Technical College with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts.  Shortly after graduating, Joel visited his brother and his wife in Charleston and decided to relocate in 2009.

When he landed in Charleston, he was determined to find success here. He would work 3 to 5 jobs at a time, clocking more than 70 hours a week as a restaurant server, a water safety instructor and lifeguard trainer for the City of Charleston, and in a sales role at a friend’s company. The long hours started to wear on him and his sister encouraged him to look into real estate. He was hesitant, but preparing to purchase his own home gave him the push he needed take the course.

As a newly minted Realtor®, he joined a team and starting really learning the trade. Just three years into his real estate career, Joel earned his broker license and began looking for a brokerage that would encourage and support his professional growth. His commitment for ongoing education was fueled by an understanding that having a wide range of knowledge would help him provide the best possible service to his clients.

Joel identifies with the specific needs of the Hispanic community and has leaned into supporting those who want to become homeowners. He has earned his At Home With Diversity (AHWD) designation as well as his Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Real Estate Negotiations Expert (RENE) and most recently completed the Historical Properties Specialist, C2EX and the NAR Fairhaven training.

Earlier this year, Joel graduated from the CTAR Leadership Academy and was nominated for a seat on the 2024 CTAR Board of Directors for a 3-year term that he will begin in January. He currently serves on the CTAR Global Business Chapter board and is engaged with several committees.

Real estate is not an easy business and it can have some steep learning curves—Joel says that his biggest challenge has been learning to manage his emotions when the trajectory of a deal changes and how to be the glue that holds the deal together by strategically managing challenges.

Joel has been blessed with many positive influences as he’s grown his career and says that each person he has had the opportunity to work with has brought value to different areas of his growing career. He credits his first broker with teaching him what it meant to be a good steward to clients and customers and to understand the contracts. Working with a team taught him to manage processes and understand the business aspect of real estate, how to be assertive delivering valid opinions and to set boundaries to get respect. His current Broker has invested in his growth and development as a leader.

Joel’s words to live by are: “Be kind, spread good energy, positivity and love”

Diversity Profile: The RIO Group

Luis and Stefani Rae Rosario of the RIO Group are a husband-and-wife team with RE/MAX Cornerstone Realty. They launched their real estate careers in 2019 after relocating to Summerville, South Carolina from Pennsylvania and this bilingual Puerto Rican team has quickly become a force in the Charleston real estate market.

Luis is one of 6 boys in his family, and was born and raised in Puerto Rico and New York City. He attended Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Queens, NY and worked as an aircraft technician, repairing 747 commercial airliners. Then Luis was a Regional Director for Dunkin Donuts for 13 years. He also served as a youth minister and played the guitar at church. Stefani was born and raised in Manhattan, New York with her three sisters. Prior to becoming a Realtor®, she was a homemaker and stay at home mom to their children. The couple met during church service in the Bronx and have been married for 21 years.

The Rosarios attribute their shift into real estate to Michael and Belinda Fox, inspired them to take the leap into real estate when Luis wanted to move on from the corporate world. Luis had an impressive first year, closing 35 deals from March to December 2019 and his success encouraged Stefani to in June 2020. Their son works in an administrative role for their team, but they hope that he will move to a sales role in the future!

The RIO Group has recruited 11 people into real estate during their short time in the industry. When they bring new agents on board, they advise them to become a student of the craft—attend every education session possible, study the top producers and learn everything they can. They affectionately compared learning the craft to learning a new language. You must be immersed in it every day.

The Rosarios are bilingual, which has helped them support clients who do not speak English or English as their first language. To them, it is important that non-English speaking clients are treated fairly and given the same high level of service as anyone else. They are hopeful the recently released Spanish translated contracts from SCR will improve the level of service to ALL their clients.

The Rosarios joined the CTAR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee in 2022. They were instrumental in the development of the DEI strategic plan for 2023-25 and have also served on the DEI Public Policy taskforce. Their passion for the community is best displayed in their volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and they are focusing on ways to help combat the housing crisis and actively seek out ways to support affordable housing efforts.

Luis credits their success to the knowledge he gained with more than a decade of corporate experience—treat everyone right, always give a smile, invest in your business, invest in your people and most importantly, to stay humble. Their motto is “If you care about the people, the money will come”.

Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) Certification

RENE: Real Estate Negotiation Expert 2-Day NAR Certification Course
September 26 + 27 | 9am-5:30pm | Instructor: Brian Woods
CEE3174 | 8 Elective Hours (LLR & CTAR)

The modern real estate professional needs a toolbox full of non-traditional skills to thrive in a changing real estate landscape, and developing specialized skills is one option to consider. This 2 day course explores negotiation strategies, techniques and provides resources that improve outcomes for all parties, resulting in smoother transactions and enhanced satisfaction from clients and customers.

Learning Concepts

  • Recognize when and how to negotiate
  • Master and apply the principles of persuasion
  • Effectively negotiate with anyone involved in the transaction
  • Adjust your communication style to achieve optimum results
  • Successfully negotiate in person, digitally, or on the phone

RENE Certification Requirements

1. Complete the 2-day RENE certification course.

2. Be a member in good standing of the National Association of Realtors®️.

3. Submit a non-refundable one-time credentialing fee of $159. There are no
recurring annual dues or membership fees.

The RENE is a permanent achievement that requires no additional payments to
maintain it.

** Bonus – This course will earn you 8 elective hours (CEE3174) and is also
an Elective for ABR, CRB & SRS designations.

Member / Non-Member Rate: $249
Gold Card Rate: $219

Register for this course

Additional information