Long-established East Coast brokerage opens first office in Summerville

The Charleston real estate market is changing, with leading brokerage Long & Foster Real Estate opening its first office in the Lowcountry this year. Founded in 1968, Long & Foster operates along the East Coast, now from the South Carolina beaches to the New Jersey shore. More than 9,000 agents call Long & Foster their home, and the company’s agents helped over 77,000 people buy or sell a home in 2021 alone.

Long & Foster has over 200 offices along the East Coast, and this is the company’s first location in South Carolina. Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate, explained the company recognized an opportunity to both grow its business and support the steady housing and vacation market in the Charleston area.  

“For more than 50 years, Long & Foster has been home to the best-trained, best-equipped agents and leaders in the industry, and I’m confident that our new Charleston area office will become the go-to resource when consumers are looking to make confident, well-informed buying and selling decisions,” said Foster. “Additionally, having a leader like Lonnie Plaster, who’s lived in the area for over a decade and worked with our team for even longer, provides us with a unique understanding of the local market and the needs of its residents.”

Plaster will lead Long & Foster’s expansion in South Carolina as its Senior Vice President and Regional Manager. He also currently oversees Long & Foster’s Agent Services Group, which provides marketing and transaction management support services to its real estate agents. Plaster previously oversaw the competitive Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland, regions. He has been a Charleston area resident since 2007, splitting his time between the D.C. metro area and Charleston, and he’s excited to deepen his southern roots while growing Long & Foster’s team in Charleston.

Under Plaster’s direction, Long & Foster is hard at work establishing the company’s brand and leading status in the market. Several agents and teams have already joined the firm, and Plaster and Foster are optimistic for the growth potential the market offers.

“In addition to being a recognizable brand that’s well-known for its integrity and innovation, Long & Foster has innumerable benefits for both real estate agents and consumers,” Plaster said. “For Realtors looking to grow their careers, we provide tremendous training and mentoring programs, plus invaluable marketing and technology tools to simplify the day-to-day business. For consumers, the company’s all-inclusive approach—bringing together everything from mortgage and title to insurance and moving and even inspection and vacation rentals—simplifies the complex real estate process, plus saves you time and money.”

Long & Foster Real Estate is part of The Long & Foster Companies, which also includes Prosperity Home Mortgage, Mid-States Title, Long & Foster Insurance, Long & Foster Vacation Rentals, HomeServices Property Management, Tailored Move, Insight Home Inspections and Urban Pace. These businesses encompass the company’s integrated approach to real estate, which ensures consumers who work with Long & Foster agents have access to all the services needed to buy, sell, rent, own and invest in real estate. This model is highly sought-after among consumers, and while many real estate brokerages have desires to deliver a similar model, Long & Foster has already achieved it.   

In addition, Long & Foster is part of the Berkshire Hathaway affiliate HomeServices of America network. It is one of over 50 companies owned by HomeServices, which provides its agents connections to real estate professionals around the country and world. Additionally, Long & Foster is a member of Forbes Global Properties, and it is a founding member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and its luxury division, Luxury Portfolio International.  

To learn more about Long & Foster, visit LongandFoster.com. To join the team or find out more about life as an agent at Long & Foster, contact Plaster at Lonnie.Plaster@Longandfoster.com.