We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bobby Shealy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bobby, appreciate you joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

There were two Items I really would like to address. First, I am a real estate agent with 22 years of experience in the Charleston, South Carolina Market. Secondly, I wrote a cookbook which hit retail shelves in October 2021 and the two careers synergize one another. Proceeds from the sale of each book goes to Pet Helpers Adoption Center in Charleston, SC. My hero is my father. He instilled a work ethic and values that have been the force behind me my entire life. He possessed great self-discipline and became very successful in school textbook sales. He also instilled in me to dress appropriately for each occasion and if I was 15 minutes early to an appointment to consider myself late! All through my professional life I have reflected on his success, drive, and determination to guide me through my endeavors. I strove to be number one in the state in the Real Estate Franchise I am affiliated with, and I achieved that goal twice in the last 4 years. I wanted to write a cookbook and positioned myself to be connected to the right people and the book was published and has become very successful. I always strive for another success to be ahead of me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I am an 11th Generation Charlestonian with ties to Charleston back to 1680. The qualified me to be a member of The Society of First Families of South Carolina 1670 to 1700.

 I should let you know that I am retired State Government. I was able to retire at age 44 from the state of South Carolina with a full benefit package that covers me the rest of my life. This is another whole story! But set the wheels in motion for my real estate career. I knew I was going to have to start a second career by retiring so young from the first. I started selling real estate part time the last 3 years I worked in State Government so that I would have a client base when I retired. My real estate career was launched in 2000 and for the next 22 years I strove to be the best I could and make sure I surrounded myself with the right people and still do. Birds of a feather! I soon became a member of the Charleston Top Producers Club and started receiving many local awards and was named a Realtor of Distinction numerous times over the years as well as being named the Best Realtor in Charleston. I won the 2018 and 2019 ERA Franchise Sapphire Award which is the highest distinction in luxury real estate for ERA Realty in the nation. I was also named the Top Residential Sales Agent in the ERA Wilder Franchise statewide which consisted of 8 offices in 2019 and 2021. I think what sets me apart from others is that I have learned how to make things happen. Take advantage of an opportunity and use it to my advantage. My dad says we make our own luck. I give great attention to my client’s needs and am a great communicator as well as a negotiator. I feel it’s important to find some type of common interests with your clients to provide a more relaxed, trusted setting. I see no roadblocks in meeting my client’s needs and have had to be very creative many times to bring a deal to closing. Many of my clients have become close personal friends as well. You must be who you are and genuine and make clients feel at ease.

Friends suggested I write a cookbook as I love to cook and entertain. Again, this is a situation where I made my own luck. I was invited to a cocktail party by a close friend and that day I showed houses. I was exhausted and did not want to go to the party. “Something” kept telling me I needed to go so I made myself. When I walked in, I saw the Grand Dame of Southern Cooking, the great Nathalie Dupree! For those who don’t know who she is, you should google her. She has written 14 cookbooks, hosted more cooking shows on TV than Julia Child, and has won numerous cooking awards and is internationally known. I knew I had to make my luck. I approached her and asked if I could talk to her briefly about writing a cookbook. She gave me her email and asked me to contact her, and she would love to have me to her home in Charleston to discuss how to write a cookbook! I was absolutely shocked at her generosity and graciousness. I met with her, and we visited for about 2 hours one day. She then recommended I sit on a course that was being taught by two friends of hers, Cynthia Graubart and Virginia Willis. Both huge names and very well known in the culinary scene as chefs and successful cookbook authors as well as James Beard Award winners. During that class they announced they were starting a consulting business. I hired them to consult with during the writing of my cookbook. They then later became my publicists. The title of the cookbook is, A Taste of Living in Charleston, Lowcountry Dishes Anyone Can Cook! The book has been hugely successful and landed me several newspaper stories and TV appearances on a Local Talk Show as well as numerous invitations for book signings and guest appearances for events. One of which tickets were sold for $100 each to attend to meet me and eat a 4-course meal from my book. Williams Sonoma has also hosted me for a book signing with more in the future as well as an open-ended invitation for future events. Now let’s go back to the beginning. If I had not gone to that cocktail party, I would not have met Nathalie Dupree. If I had not met her, I would not have met Cynthia Graubart and Virginia Willis and I would not be doing this interview right now. By reaching out to Nathalie Dupree I made my own luck! The cookbook has been dubbed an “Evergreen” meaning it will be selling for years to come.

The exciting part of this is real estate and cooking are my passions. I now have two careers that synergize each other towards more success. Real Estate fuels cookbook sales and Cookbook appearances have landed me real estate deals.

Think outside the box and take note of what opportunities that may be waiting for you if you just look towards the future and recognize how they can benefit you.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I have always felt that if you didn’t have a good name, you didn’t have anything. I have always told my clients that I “shoot straight from the hip”. I tell them what I think, not what I think they want to hear. I never wanted any other agents or past clients to have a reason to say anything negative about me. I treat my clients with respect and listen to them and they soon realize they can trust me and count on me. You must be genuine and that will carry across to your clients. I have always done what was best for my clients and people appreciate and respect that. If there was an issue or confusion over something in the contract that might cost the client money, I would pay for it and move on. Also, being prompt is at the top of my list. Whether that is being on time to an appointment or being great and considerate with communication. It’s much better to over communicate. People know they can count on you and that you are reliable and dependable.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social Media has made me money year after year. I use Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram currently. As much as many people don’t want to use it, you must stay on top of the latest marketing trends. I have several thousand followers between my accounts. This has led to numerous real estate deals and cookbook sales. I make it a point to be aware. I feel it’s so important that now that I have somewhat of a following, I have hired a marketing firm to also post on social media for both my real estate career and cookbook sales. They know what works and what doesn’t, and it will soon more than pay for itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: bobbyshealy.com and bobbyshealyrealestate.com
• Instagram: atasteoflivingincharleston
• Facebook: Bobby Shealy ( which is my personal page) and two Business pages, A Taste of Living In Charleston and Bobby Shealy- ERA Wilder Realty
• Linkedin: bobbyshealy
• Youtube: A Taste of Living In Charleston

Image Credits
Pam Hennet cookbook photography