Real estate agents: we'll find the perfect place for you!

Jen Hubble became a real estate agent in Greenville, South Carolina, because she believed that a good life starts with a good home, and now her phone regularly rang with clients from other states who believed they could find both qualities in her city. Many of them were supporters of conservative views from deeply blue states like New York, Washington, and California, dissatisfied with the politics there. Could Ms. Hubble, herself a conservative, help them find neighborhoods with like-minded individuals? Her answer was always clear: "You will love it here."

Ms. Hubbell is the leading agent in South Carolina for Conservative Move.

a Texas-headquartered company that helps conservatives move into solid red seats. And with South Carolina surpassing Florida last year as the fastest-growing state in the country, it's very busy.

The influx of newcomers fueled a years-long real estate boom across South Carolina.

Where Republicans have controlled the governor's mansion and the legislature for more than two decades. Real estate agents, such as Ms. Hubbell, say that many of their clients are religious conservatives whose reasons for moving include opposition to policies such as access to abortion, support for transgender rights, and mandatory vaccinations during the pandemic.

Paul Shabot, founder and president of Conservative Move

A person who works with about 500 agents across the country said that when he started his company in 2017, not many people wanted to move to South Carolina. However, over the past two years, it has joined Texas and Florida among the top three states where the company's clients are buying homes, Mr. Shabot said. About 5,000 people from its client base have expressed interest in moving to South Carolina in the near future.

• Most of the company's South Carolina clients chose to buy a home in Greenville County
• which is located in a deeply conservative and Christian region known as Upstate. The county had the second largest population growth in the state from 2020 to 2022, second only to Horry County, which includes Myrtle Beach, and has more expensive homes.

Ms. Hubbell, as well as half a dozen real estate agents

Those who do not work with Conservative Move, but whose experiences were similar to hers, spoke about the ease of selling the appeal of Greenville.

Greenville is large enough for Broadway shows and rooftop bars.

but people often see their neighbors downtown, where a pedestrian bridge gives an overhead view of the Reedy River Falls. Agents also often point out the lack of hostels in town.

• Perhaps the most important thing is that property taxes are low.
• At home, houses are usually cheaper than in the West or New England. The average house price is around $360,000.

Real estate agents will also note that there are hundreds of churches in Greenville, mostly Christian. It is also home to the famous Bob Jones Evangelical University.

Some agents use a Goldilocks-like strategy

When selling to clients about the state: they say Texas is too hot; Florida is too expensive; there are too many blue cities in Tennessee. But South Carolina?

“This is perfect,” Ms. Hubbell recently told the customer.

Last year, about 15,500 residents of New York, 15,000 residents of California, and 36,000 residents of North Carolina moved to this state.

where the population exceeds 5.3 million people. There is no data revealing these demographic details by party, but few believe that the growth will significantly impact the political landscape of the state. The same cannot be said for Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina, where young, liberal-minded individuals are moving into some of their cities, said Mark Owens, a political science professor at the Citadel College in Charleston.

The tide of conservatives in South Carolina underscores the fact that even many of those who move

They recognize it as an unfortunate reality in polarized America, where people choose to part ways with neighbors they disagree with. Several newcomers who moved to the Greenville area said it was a difficult decision, but they were tired of feeling lonely and even ostracized.

Yana Gannam, a recent client of Mrs. Hubbell, said

She moved to Greenville from Livermore, California, because she wanted to make friends who wouldn't criticize her for voting Republican or for her views on unions. "It was very much like, 'Oh, you have to do this, you have to do that,'" Ms. Gannam said about her life in Livermore.

Politics, of course, is not the only reason for moving to South Carolina.

Weather plays a role, and jobs have become a big attraction, including the growing electric car industry.

Governor Henry McMaster

He praises the economic growth of the state in recent years and attacks several unions in the state for posing a threat to him. According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, in 2023, the state saw capital investments exceeding $9 billion, the second-largest amount in its history, which translates to approximately 14,000 jobs.

Nevertheless, Pamela Harrison, another real estate agent in the Upstate region, said

The equation for most of her clients is simple: "They like the climate, they liked the politics, and they are trying to leave their blue states."

Brad Lyles, an agent working in Spartanburg, about 30 miles east of Greenville, said

What he and his colleagues refer to as the wave of relocating Republicans is called the "great migration."

Several agents mentioned that many clients with conservative views in Greenville have been looking for plots of land slightly off the grid, avoiding apartment complexes and purchasing homes with large yards for vegetable gardens, chickens, or other livestock, as they strive for independence and self-sufficiency.