We had the good fortune of connecting with Alisha Giles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alisha, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was at a point that I was very tired of working for other people and feeling like I was not making much progress financially. I wanted a job that I could feel proud of and something that would allow me to hit my financial goals. After many nights of binge watching HGTV, I landed on Real Estate. I never started out as very career – driven, so it was almost weird to have something that I could be passionate about (Real Estate). My business started out with my husband and I wanting to flip homes.. but once I realized a Realtor would be involved regardless, I figured I might as well get my license and skip the middle man! I could be the one providing the value. I got my license & began the journey of being a Realtor while I worked my 9-5.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am so passionate about Real Estate. It makes the MOST people rich!! It’s honestly crazy that we don’t learn more about it in school. And I don’t even mean this from the Realtor side — I see it everyday with how well my clients make out just from buying and selling property.

What sets me apart from others is the fact that I am an investor myself. I’m not one of those Textbook real estate agents. I’m very hands on and my own investments deals have brought me a lot of knowledge that I share with my clients.

I am most proud of the flips that I do with my husband. They are a true labor of love. It’s so incredible to watch something (a house) go from dilapidated to beautiful again. I truly feel excited when we get to go through the process together and breathe new life into a home that a family will get to live in.

I got to where I am today from hard work. I think a lot of people glamorize real estate and forget that most people in this industry fail! Even when I was still working full time, I would come home in the evenings and work on my business. At one point in time, I would even use my lunch breaks to meet with clients and show homes. It was not easy AT ALL. I had to be really dedicated in a season that felt like I was not being rewarded. When you first start out, no one trusts you to help them buy or sell a home. You truly have to Build — brick by brick. But I did not give up!

A lesson that I’ve learned along the way is to not ride the highs too high and the lows too low. Real estate is such a roller coaster. You will legit drive yourself crazy if you ride every wave that comes. I’ve learned to be more neutral all around- when things are going good or bad.

I want the world to know that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Hard work beats luck every single time. My mom is from Jamaica and she grew up very differently than I did. With way less resources. Watching her come to America, get her citizenship and start a business has truly taught me that anything is possible – you just have to work for it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting we would absolutely eat dinner at Halls!! It’s the best steakhouse in the city. Then we would head to the new rooftop bar that is opening at the Moxy hotel for drinks.

We would definitely do a few walks on the Riverwalk to get some steps in and have lunch at my favorite taco spot, cantina.

We would absolutely have to have a dinner at Coa — it’s amazing and the ambiance is to die for. As you can see, Columbia sc is a foodie city. If it was a Thursday, I would suggest heading over to Barcode for a good time.

Another dinner spot would be Concept — probably on a Friday night so we could listen to some good music and dance.

On Saturday we would do soda city market to get some local eats and enjoy Main st

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband deserves recognition in my story. He is the reason I moved to Columbia, SC — which truly helped shape where I am today. I would never have had the courage to be an entrepreneur without him. After seeing him start his business in 2016, I admired him SO much. It also made me really envious of working from home! (Haha)

During the pandemic, he gave me the confidence to quit my full time job and go all in with real estate. It was his support emotionally and financially that allowed me to be where I am today.

Website: https://Www.realestatelisha.com

Instagram: Alishagiles_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alishajrichardson?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: TikTok:
Alishagiles_

Image Credits
Jasmine at JLavii Photography @jlaviiphotography on ig

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSouthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.