Stephen Ahnrud earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from Wofford College. Before entering commercial real estate, he dedicated three years to Metro Atlanta Project, a non-profit organization based in Atlanta that re-roofed homes for families who could not afford necessary repairs. Working out of Northside Methodist Church, Ahnrud and his team raised funds, sourced building materials and completed roofing work on approximately 15 houses each year. The hands-on volunteer experience taught him the meaning of hard work, the importance of paying it forward and to “think like a raindrop.”

As Partner & Broker In Charge at SVN Palmetto, Ahnrud navigates current industry challenges including the recent government shutdown that has paused Small Business Administration loans. He focuses on developing creative solutions for clients who cannot wait for federal operations to resume.

Ahnrud applies the principles of humility, unity, initiative and respect to his daily work in commercial real estate. He defines success as “mastering my craft, growing my influence, and leaving things better than I found them.”

Lee Allen opened JLL’s Charleston office in 2014 and has since built it into a cornerstone of the firm’s South Carolina operations. Leading a team of 24 professionals, Allen oversees brokerage, property management and project management services for clients across the region.

A Sewanee – The University of the South graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Allen learned early lessons in resilience from his first job selling books door to door during college. The experience taught him to embrace rejection and stay focused on the next opportunity, principles that continue to guide his approach to business.

Allen defines success by the positive impact he leaves on deals, teams and communities. “At the end of the day, the relationships you build and the integrity you bring to the work are what really matter,” he said.

Beyond his professional work, Allen serves as a trustee at Chesapeake Academy and supports organizations including the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center. He and his wife Bess have four children.

Chandler Ayers has established himself as a leading figure in commercial real estate across the Carolinas, specializing in acquisitions and dispositions. A Clemson University graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, Ayers began his career in 2017 and has since brokered more than $144 million in real estate transactions.

As a real estate broker at Reedy Property Group since December 2022, Ayers continues building on his impressive track record. He previously served as a real estate broker with NAI Earle Furman in Greenville from October 2017 to December 2022.

Recognized as a top-producing broker in his office for 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, Ayers has built a reputation for excellence in investment property transactions. His expertise focuses on flex, industrial and multi-tenant retail assets. Throughout his career, he has successfully brokered more than 340 real estate transactions involving over 1,000 investment properties, demonstrating his dedication and deep expertise in the commercial real estate sector.

Randall Bentley has specialized in commercial real estate industrial properties in the Upstate South Carolina market for more than 35 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina.

Bentley has completed more than 3,500 assignments spanning development projects, acquisitions, dispositions and leasing assignments. His client roster includes Illinois Tool Works, Iron Mountain, Verizon, Hubbell Lighting, S-L Distribution, Rockwell Medical, Berliner Sielfabrick and Lennox International, among others.

He earned his Certified Commercial Investment Member designation in 1994 and his Society of Industrial & Office Realtors designation in 1995. Bentley served as past president of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties South Carolina Chapter and former chairman of the Greenville County Planning Commission.

In 2024, GSA Publications named him one of Greenville’s 50 Most Influential People. He has supported Homes of Hope, Habitat for Humanity and United Way, and chaired the building committee at Advent United Methodist Church from 2016 to 2020.

Carlyle Blakeney brings more than 35 years of commercial real estate expertise to his role, specializing in the leasing and brokerage of land parcels, medical facilities, industrial properties, retail locations, office spaces and 1031 tax-deferred exchanges. As co-founder and owner of Medical Development Associates, he has extensive experience developing medical facilities across the Southeast region, including the Hollings Cancer Center in Mount Pleasant and numerous other Charleston-area developments.

Blakeney previously co-founded and served as principal in a commercial real estate brokerage firm for 20 years. His approach emphasizes actively listening to clients’ needs and identifying the challenges facing their business, allowing him to provide advocacy for their best interests and success.

For his contributions to South Carolina, Blakeney received the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian recognition, and was named a South Carolina Ambassador for Economic Development. He serves on the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation board and received the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Presidential award for his service.

Greg Bonifield leads Woodfield Development, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. Since completing its first project in Raleigh, North Carolina, the firm has delivered 76 communities totaling more than 21,000 apartment homes across major markets including Raleigh, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Charleston, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Austin, Dallas and Nashville.

Bonifield earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Before founding Woodfield, he served as Mid-Atlantic Vice President at Summit Properties from 1998 to 2005, working alongside his future founding partners. Earlier in his career, Bonifield was president of a private multi-family management company in Texas.

Under his leadership, Woodfield recently expanded into Arizona and Nevada and ranked number 21 on the National Multifamily Housing Council’s 2025 list of the Top 25 Developers in the U.S.

Bonifield serves on the executive committee of the Harbour Club and previously chaired the Board of Directors for SEALKIDS, Inc.

Mario Brown leads Affordable Upstate, a four-person real estate firm focused on preserving affordable housing across South Carolina. Brown earned degrees in English and Political Science from Gardner-Webb University before entering the commercial real estate sector.

As CEO, Brown confronts Greenville’s acute housing shortage, where an estimated 20,000 additional low-cost units are needed to meet demand. Rising construction costs, financing challenges and the conversion of naturally occurring affordable properties to luxury developments threaten workforce housing availability. Brown’s approach emphasizes mission-driven preservation strategies and public-private collaboration to maintain housing that supports inclusive economic growth.

Brown’s father shaped his leadership philosophy early on. “He told me, ‘Never get so focused on success that you forget about significance,’” Brown said. That principle guides his definition of success, which centers on stabilizing lives rather than accumulating properties.

Brown’s work ethic traces back to his first job at McDonald’s, where he learned the importance of consistency and treating people with respect. In his limited spare time, Brown enjoys gardening.

J. Edward Buxton spent 12 years at General Engineering Laboratories Inc., focusing on coastal zone property development complexities in South Carolina. In 2003, Buxton joined Palmetto Commercial Properties, specializing in sales and leasing of office, retail, industrial, multifamily, land and investment properties.

Buxton earned the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation in 2009 and received CoStar Powerbroker recognition in 2011, 2012 and 2014. In 2015, he and two business partners purchased Palmetto Commercial Properties, where he now serves as managing member and broker-in-charge, overseeing 17 agents.

The Charleston native earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of South Carolina. His recent industry recognitions include Charleston Trident Association of Realtors Commercial Realtor of the Year for 2018 and the National Association of Realtors Omega Tau Rho recognition in 2019.

Beyond real estate, Buxton coached high school football for 15 years, achieving five state championships. He and his wife are active in their church and have three children.

Brent Case, CCIM, CRE earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and International Affairs from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business in 1992. He began his career as a Relationship Manager with Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, where he served as a liaison between Brand Management and consumers, processing consumer reactions to product initiatives.

Case transitioned to commercial real estate and earned his CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) designation in January 1996. He served as South Carolina Chapter CCIM President in 2002 and has since received numerous industry recognitions, including Commercial Realtor of the Year in 2002, Number One Sales Professional by State for Coldwell Banker Commercial multiple times and the CoStar PowerBroker designation in 2016. Most recently, he was inducted as a member of The Counselors of Real Estate in March 2025.

As President and Broker in Charge of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic, Case leads a team of 29 employees. “The best advice I’ve ever received is simple but powerful: treat people the way you want to be treated, and always do the right thing, even when no one is watching,” Case said.

John Orr leads Carolina Retail Experts as president, guiding the 10-employee firm through $48.3 million in 2024 transaction volume while addressing South Carolina’s challenge of adapting infrastructure and municipal frameworks to meet rapid population growth and evolving retail tenant needs.

A Georgia College and State University graduate, Orr serves as chair of CCIM Institute’s Governance Committee and completed two three-year terms on its board of directors. He served as South Carolina Chapter president in 2019.

“Leave the Ladder Down,” he says, advising next-generation business leaders to lead with grit, invest in people and culture, and lift others along the way.

His first job as a dairy farm hand taught him accountability and consistency, learning that hard work cannot be faked through early mornings and late nights.

Orr serves on the Coastal Carolina University Grant Center for Real Estate and Economics Advisory Board and holds memberships in International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute and Commercial Real Estate Women.

As a teenager, he competed in rodeo as a heel roper, trusting his partner while roping steers’ back legs.

He defines success through consistent, unglamorous work — the calls, site walks and tough conversations handled with integrity when no one’s watching.