We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Elayne Brunson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Elayne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever experienced an industry-wide U-Turn? Tell us about it?

The real estate laws have dramatically changed in South Carolina so much so that other states may change laws causing a domino effect on the way real estate sales are handled around the country. No more wholesaling real estate in South Carolina. Contracts can no longer be assigned to others in less the home has already been under contract for sale for some time with the buyer making payments. The buyer could then later sell the property that it is under a contract for sale with. If you don’t have access to cash upfront as most wholesalers don’t, they will miss out on the opportunity all together.

The new real estate law in South Carolina doesn’t say specifically wholesaling is illegal but the law makes it clear wholesaling in South Carolina is now illegal. It says a wholesaler must have a real estate license and that a real estate agent is prohibited from wholesaling, and that no double closings are allowed in the state.

At Urban Property Firm we have previouly wholesaled real estate and had an active buyers list. We now have to shut those services down in the state of South Carolina and focus in States where wholesaling is still legal.

Our other areas of business at Urban Property Firm include short term housing rentals, real estate coaching, and mentoring for investors. We teach other investors how they can scale their current inventory as well as expand their real estate portfolios with creative financing. We teach buyers how they can locate off market real estate deals (those not on the MLS) as well as how they can negotiate their own deals based on our experience, we do notprovide these services for the investor we teach them how to be proactive in their own journey.

Dr. Elayne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

About Me?

Hi, I’m Dr. Elayne Brunson an entrepreneur, award-winning real estate investor, and a non-profit president, who has been casted to reality TV. I’m a 3xs national winner of 40 under 40 Young Professionals, and a two-time winner of 20 under 40 awards in the United States. I’ve been casted to the biggest show on entrepreneurship called the Blox on season 12. I have been featured in over a dozen local, national, and international newspapers and or magazines such as Financial Times and Crnobelo discussing real estate investing and entrepreneurship. I’m a mom of 4 who recently divorced but still believes in love and admires those in happy marriages. I have a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Organizational Management from Morris College, an HBCU located in my hometown Sumter SC. I also have an honorary doctorate in Chrisitan Business management from the School of the Great Commission for humanitarian work in the community and business community that I have done.

How I got Started?

My first Entreprenurial experience has been through my cleaning company called Angel Maid. Through my cleaning company I was able to network and work for those in real estate sales and lending. These folks gave me so much work causing me to learn so much about real estate investing
The journey in real estate investing began as a side hustle for me to preserve a life insurance gift I received when my father passed away when I was 26years old. My first business was a cleaning company where I utilized working with Bank foreclosures and real estate investors who flipped homes in sales and rental properties so when I received the money from my father, I already had a leg up with the knowledge I gained working with real estate professionals. At the time I didn’t realize my cleaning company was preparing me for my career in real estate investing. My very first investment property was a single-family home that cost $16,000 at closing. My first commercial property was a 3000 sq ft Main St historic property in the business district for $7,000.00.

Creating the Business
Two things that occurred that made me consider real estate as a business. 1. The amount and type of properties I began to acquire. 2. My income was increasing with less monthly work after property was occupied by the tenant. Now the business model is shifting to include new services such as call for speakers, mentorship around real estate investing, and consulting on maximizing real estate investment profits or acquiring more properties. Although I am not an attorney or CPA the experience I have investing and working with others may lead to a potential increase in income if you mirror some of the steps taken. I discuss these methods everyday with clients.

The Problems I Solve
America is becoming a renter nation as a whole. Black homeownership is currently lower than it was in the 1960s so while my clients are diverse, I love getting minorities involved in investing to help offset the financial wealth gap in South Carolina.

What Sets Me Apart
In the beginning of folks career, they like to get laser focused and quiet as they work on their projects. I’m so different I love sharing knowledge, I’ve gone to great lengths to document my journey through e-books, blogs, magazine interviews, community events, and other media opportunities. I didn’t have much assistance early on in my journey and I had to overcome many obstacles as a result. Having a coach could have saved me valuable years on the front end of investing. Regardless now my annual income falls in the top 10% of the US household and for that I am grateful. I want to encourage others that they can to. 100 Families for 2025 is the goal.

What am I most proud of?
I’m most proud of myself for following my dreams, standing up for myself, creating a beautiful family, and becoming a successful entrepreneur. I’m most proud of the work I do for my community to include serve on the board of directors at Liberty Steam Charter School, the work I’ve contributed to the arts society, lastly civil rights advocacy to inclusion for black owned businesses through the Sumter Black Chamber of Commerce.

What I want people to know?
I want people to know it’s not how much you have and it’s not about how much money you make. To succeed at real estate investing it’s what you do with your money to acquire real estate investments. I’m working on redeveloping a historical municipal power plant. When you engage in new investments it’s good to have a mentor along the way.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are over a dozen books that I have read that have contributed to my success and have molded me into having an Entreprenurial mindset. Three books that I recommend to an entrepreneur at any stage of their career includes Think Big by President Donald Trump, The Negro in Business by Booker T. Washington, and If You’re Not First Your Last by Grant Cordone.

The Negro in Business
As a non-profit founder and entrepreneur, the Sumter Black Chamber of Commerce, The Negro in Business serves as a roadmap to successfully organizing an African American business association or business association period as the National Negro Business League predates the US Chamber of Commerce. Reading this book gives me advice on how to efficiently and professionally operate a profitable business while overcoming obstacles and hurdles. Booker T. Washington not only told you what he accomplished he gave a detailed time stamp with a roadmap of details that allow you not to have to reinvent the wheel.

Think Big
This book means so much to me for so many reasons. Let me begin with the most personal reasons. I was so inspired to learn that like me, President Trump was ridiculed and clowned for his first business district real estate purchase which is now known as the Trump Towers located Downtown Manhattan, one of the most expensive real estate locations in New York Today. I hope that eventually the block of real estate that I own in my small-town business district becomes the most expensive as I too was ridiculed and humiliated behind the Aquisition. President Trump inspires you to think bigger than what’s around you, to think outside of the box and to fill area voids through your real estate. as well as other business deals.

If You’re Not First Your Last
As a real estate investor I’ve watched hours of Grant Cordone videos, I’ve read multiple books that he has written and followed him on social media. Uncle G is my digital mentor, we’ve never met in person, but I listen to him religiously and often take his advice and yield positive results. If you’re not first your last is exactly as it sounds. What I’ve learned small town investing is to include the amenities and life luxuries, I’ve experienced while living in Palm Beach Florida for over a decade as well as what I’ve learned traveling from coast to coast, in my real estate developments and renovations or remodels. When I incorporate these principles, I become the first in the small town to do so which comes with leverage.

I highly recommend that you read during your entrepreneurial journey on a regular, it keeps your creative energy going and can save you time by learning from the issues industry experts share. There are so many authors that I read but I usually choose the best sellers out of each business topic I want to dive deeper into.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Industry U Turns can force you to have to pivot in business. Thats exactly what’s happened to me in the state of South Carolina when drastic changes were made this year surrounding wholesaling real estate. For years while I shop around for off market real estate deals for my company to acquire, I would wholesale deals that we could create but were unable to actually afford to acquire ourselves. We would sell those leads to larger buyers however assigning contracts to others prior to the closing day is now basically illegal in South Carolina. In May 2024 Governer Henry McMaster signed House Bill (H4754) into law which states that a wholesaler must have a real estate license which some may think sounds fair right? The new law further states that licensed real estate agents cannot wholesale real estate. The new law states that to sell a property without a real estate agent and list it you must have owned the property and have made 3 mortgage payments before you can list it for resale without a real estate agent, This makes me have to create a new strategic plan on the properties that I may negotiate deals on but not necessarily have the capital to acquire alone. We are having to explore several partnership opportunities to acquire some properties when we may have previously participated in the property’s sale to another company for a reasonable amount. Thankfully this law is not the same in other states that we do business in.

Contact Info:

• Website: urbanpropertyfirm.com
• Instagram: ceo_princessofrealty
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceoprincessofrealty
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elayne-brunson-bs-dr-h-c-66601b202
• Other: Catch Me On Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/urbanrehabsnetwork?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3B5pLNtSb1ebjXG2MPRBH7QzxU7rmwmpQspd3j1SsLUXA93xsug9G3PpI_aem_Af_YCAWDZdaSbwQ1DcaoEYlbMA_AIANh6ecRwsqwG9UC86sCBxjHdOMl6wqZSGv5H858Q1NpdWVSzFamiRnDCYeu