South Carolina Real Estate School
Hello, my name is Stacey Starnes and I am the owner of the Real Estate School for
Success. I am also a practicing and top producing real estate agent! I decided to
start this school after getting my real estate license. I realized that there was
a gap in real estate licensing in South Carolina and I wanted to fill it. Like with
all education it is important where you go to get that education. Some high school
students spend months visiting college campuses and reviewing collegiate rankings
before choosing their school. As we all know education can make all the difference.
After completing my first licensing course, I realized that I needed something more.
After buying books and listening to every piece of advice I could get, I slowly
started being successful. This is why I named the school The Real Estate School
for Success. But it shouldn’t be this hard, Right? Of course not, if
you have a curriculum and resources ready for agents it should be easy and it is.
At the Real Estate School for Success we provide you with everything you will need
to be successful in real estate. We have our own in-house marketing company,
Marketing for Agents. I work closely with them to ensure that you get the
right marketing and start selling real estate as soon as possible. Show me the money,
right? I get asked a lot, what makes you different? I always say three things: we care for our
students, we want you to succeed and we practice real estate everyday. A lot of
our competitors only teach. I bring my experiences, and trust me I learn something
everyday, into my curriculum. But you will not just gain from my experiences but
from our experienced instructors as well. We have a wide range of experienced instructors
that have performed every type of real estate imaginable from commercial to investment
to residential and property management. I also developed the success course. The
success course is a two day course that is jam packed with great information. During
this course you will write a business plan and develop a marketing strategy to get
you organized. Then we will cover different tactics of negotiation and prospecting
management. This course will get you motivated, excited, and give you the confidence
you need to sell. I can’t wait to meet you and I hope to see you in our classroom.
Remember that Success Starts Here!
We are an approved education provider of real estate courses in the State
of South Carolina. The South Carolina Real Estate Commission has reviewed
and approved every courses that is taught at the South Carolina Real Estate School
for Success. We take pride in creating an educational environment that is
both informative and entertaining. We place special emphasis on providing
students with the skills necessary to pass all related exams and succeed in their
South Carolina real estate careers. We take pride in recruiting only the best
real estate professionals to teach our real estate courses.
What Makes Us Different? ("There is nothing like Experience")
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn
in no other way
We take pride is the fact that our teachers are true real estate professional that
practice real estate. Our teachers are experienced in many different areas
of real estate including commercial, investment, and residential real estate sales.
As the Saying goes, "
There is nothing like Experience"
and our teachers will gladly share their experience with you. This is why
our slogan is "
Success Starts Here" because we will not only get you prepared
to take your real estate exams but we will prepare you for your SUCCESSFUL real
estate career.
The Real Estate School for Success is independently owned and operated with a mission
to provide superior training for real estate professionals. The Real Estate School
for Success does not have exclusive partnerships nor will we endorse or promote
any Real Estate Brokerage Companies.
The Real Estate School for Success will provide training for any and all Real Estate
Brokerage Companies that share our goals and objectives. The Real Estate School
for Success will gladly provide exclusive training for any Real Estate Brokerage
Company in need of superior real estate training. Additionally, we also provide
specific training for any real estate brokerage companies and their agents. This
training can be provided on site or here at the school. In an effort to educate
and inform potential real estate agents of licensing/education requirements, this
school will host "career nights". Occasionally, we will invite different Real Estate
Brokerage Companies to participate in the career nights. This invitation will be
extended for the sole purpose of allowing potential students the opportunity to
ask questions of the different brokerage companies but does not serve as any endorsement.
Our Instructors

Frankie Griffin

Hugh Ryall

John Kneece

Penny Benton

David Patterson
Frankie Griffin (Head Instructor)

Frankie is a real estate broker that specializes in training real estate agents
to become successful entrepreneurs in all aspects of the real estate industry.Frankie has successfully started and
managed a real estate brokerage company as well as practiced real estate for several
years.The experience acquired over
the years, ranging from starting a real estate company, to investment properties,
to representing buyers and sellers in the sale/purchase of a home, is conveyed to
the students of the Real Estate School for Success.
Frankie not only teaches the license law, he supports the instruction with
real world experiences that you will not forget.
The level of instruction along with practical experiences from Frankie, will
help students not only learn, but retain the information required of successful
real estate agents.
Frankie holds the following designations and honors:
Retired Army Officer with 22 years
Broker-in-Charge of his own company, Palmetto Success Team, Inc
(E-PRO) E-Pro Internet Professional
(CRS) Certified Residential Specialist
ABR Accredited Buyers Representative
Instructor at the Real Estate School for Success
Education
Frankie graduated from high school in 1983 and received a BS Degree in Business
Administration from
. Throughout his real estate career
he's continued his education, taking many special focus classes on marketing and
selling. Frankie has written and teaches a highly coveted Success Course for business
men and women.
Greater
Association of REALTORS
Association of REALTORS
National
Association of REALTORS
Consolidated
Multiple Listing Service
Greater
Columbia Home Builder Association
West-Metro
Chamber of Commerce
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
J. Hugh Ryall brings to his classes the benefit of a wide variety of work experience over his professional life. His expertise and knowledge have come not only in the classroom, but much more from "being out in the trenches", doing the deals, fighting the battles in real life. This first hand experience gives his teaching a much higher degree of relevance and applicability than mere theory. Hugh was honored by the South Carolina Association of Realtors in 1998 by being elected the "Outstanding Educator of the Year," and was nominated for the National Association of Realtors Educator of the Year. Hugh was honored as one of the first twelve Realtors to be inducted in the Real Estate Buyer Agent Hall of Fame. Hugh holds the Distinguished Real Estate Instructor designation, a position only held by 105 people internationally.
His business acumen was developed over the years in positions as:
Owner of an import-export company dealing in chemicals and consumer goods;
Owner of a manufacturing firm supplying the automotive industry in Detroit;
Vice-president Merchandise Manager of a chain of department stores in Michigan;
General Manager of a mini-conglomerate which owned two furniture manufacturing facilities, as well as nationwide distribution and marketing outlets;
Owner of a real estate development company;
Owner of a traditional real estate firm;
Owner of a real estate firm which specialized in marketing new construction for national construction firms;
Co-owner of Earth Available Realty, Inc. the premier full-service real estate agency specializing in Buyer Representation in the Midlands of South Carolina;
Co-owner of Hugh Ryall Seminars, presenters of exceptional education programs to real
estate agents, companies and boards. Approved to provide REBAC designation classes,
the Consumer Certified Real Estate Consultant designation, and the Senior Housing
Specialist designation.
A lifetime member of his local Boards Circle of Excellence Club, Hugh Ryall has spent an increasing amount of time in the last few years training agents to succeed. He has taught extensively at the national, state and local levels. His Buyer Agency,Sales and Marketing class has consistently been one of the top-rated classes
Named by Agency Law Quarterly as one of the TOP 50 AGENCY INSTRUCTORS in the country, Ryall served as President of the Palmetto Real Estate Educators Association for 1995-96. He has served as the National Marketing Committee Chairman for the Real Estate Educators Association, and was also the National Education Chairman for the National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents for 1995--1996. He was one of the featured speakers at the 1995 Real Estate Educators Association National Convention, the 1996 NAEBA National Convention and presented at NAR’s National Conference. He has served on the Board of Directors of REEA, and was the Program Chairman for the 1997 REEA National Conference. With all of this, he continues to work actively as an Exclusive Buyers’ Agent. In October of 1995 Ryall was one of seven Exclusive Buyers' Agents from all over the country invited to Chicago by the National Association of Realtors to help establish the knowledge and criteria required to properly work as a Buyers' Agent. Nationally recognized both as a teacher and as a practicing agent, he knows not only the theories, he knows what truly works in the marketplace and why! You see, Hugh is on the streets daily.
has practiced and taught property management for over thirty years.
Students in the property management course will be treated to extraordinary insight
into the management field. Fred is determined to have all students pass the
state exam, but more importantly, be successful in the property management field.
Penny is the Broker-In-Charge at the Columbia Northeast office of Coldwell Banker United Realtors. As an agent, Penny specialized Penny specialized in working with buyers and sellers at all levels of purchasing single family residences.
She is always working to
provide exceptional service and to create lasting relationships with all that she
worked with. In her teaching, she strides to mold exceptional real estate agents
with her knowledge and work experience from many years in the real estate industry.
Personal
Penny holds the following designations and honors:
Real Estate Broker License
GRI - Graduate of Realtor Institute
ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative
CSP – Certified New Home Site Professional
National Member of Silver Society
Penny is a lifelong resident of Lexington County and is a confirmed member of St.
Albans Episcopal Church. She has been in the real estate business for over
12 years. She began her real estate career with Coldwell Banker Tom Jenkins
Realty and then went to work with RE/MAX Real Estate Services who she continues
to work with presently.
Education
Penny graduated from high school in 1976 and received
a BA degree from Columbia College in Business Advertising and Public Relations.
Throughout her real estate career she has focused on taking many classes in marketing
and selling in which to further her real estate knowledge and career.
Professional Affiliations
Greater Columbia Association of REALTORS
South Carolina Association of REALTORS
National Association of REALTORS
Consolidated Multiple Listing Service
Todd Feaster
Specialization
Todd Feaster has been employed in the Real Estate Appraisal field since June of 1991, with extensive experience in both Fee and Mass appraisal work. Todd has written narrative type appraisal reports on residential and commercial properties for presentation at the Lexington County Board of Assessment Appeals, the South Carolina Administrative Law Court, and the South Carolina Circuit Court. He has also offered testimony as an Expert Witness in cases involving many types of Valuation disputes. Todd has been teaching Real Estate Appraisal Courses since October of 1999.
Professional Affiliations
South Carolina Association of Assessing Officials, 1991-Present
South Carolina Professional Appraisers Coalition, Charter Member
International Association of Assessing Officials, 1996-Present
John Kneece
Lifetime Personal Trainer for Success
John works as a real estate broker in the Orangeburg, Bamberg, and Calhoun County markets. Over nineteen years marketing and selling more than 900 homes, John brings a lot of field experience to the table. John decided from the very beginning of his real estate career that to compete in the market and to deliver first class effective service to his clients, he would attend every educational opportunity possible. This meant doing the basics and seeking new methods and systems to integrate into a serious work ethic.
John loves to see new agents learn from the beginning the right way to do things. He believes that if you do your best and take care of your clients that you will never want for anything very long.
Personal
John has earned the following designations.
(GRI) Graduate Realtor Institute
(ABR) Accredited Buyers Representative
(e-Pro) Internet Marketing Professional
John has attended classroom studies under the direction of: Floyd Wickman, Bill Barrett, Dianna Brouthers and numerous nationally recognized instructors certified by NAR and SCAR.
Education
John attended high school in Columbia, SC and is a 1970 graduate of Columbia High School. John has attended classes at USC, Midland’s Technical College, OC Technical College, and BKU in Miami, Florida.
Prior to becoming a career real estate agent, John was in the food-service business. As general manager and owner of three fast-food restaurants for twenty-one years, John acquired skills and knowledge in the areas of marketing, accounting, training, and motivation which have transcended his daily efforts to assist his real estate clients.
John’s goal and reason for being involved in the training of new agents and some not-so-new agents is to contribute to the overall betterment of people who wish to succeed in real estate and by doing so to improve the profession and the public image of individual real estate practitioners.
Professional Affiliations
- South Carolina Association of REALTORS
- National Association of REALTORS
- Southern Midlands Association of Realtors
- Real Estate Buyers Agent Council
David Patterson

David is Managing Broker of Patterson
Group (a real estate representation collaborative within Russell &
Jeffcoat REALTORS®, Inc.). Through constant commitment to his clients’
real estate goals, David’s mission is to become one
of the most trusted, best trained, solutions
oriented Real Estate Brokers in South Carolina.
David holds the following designations and honors:
- David has been awarded the
Certificate of Professionalism by the Greater Columbia Association of
REALTORS®.
- Broker with Russell
& Jeffcoat
- Accredited
Sellers Representative
- Certified
Residential Specialist
- Accredited
Buyers Representative
- Instructor at the
Real Estate School for Success
- March 2007 Agent of the Month
for the Russell & Jeffcoat Forest Acres Office
David graduated from Mount
View High School and
received a BS Degree from Queens University. Throughout his real
estate career, David has continued his education. David had taken many
special classes because he is committed to his clients!
Specialization
David has owned and operated two successful businesses for 36 years with the last 4 ½ years being DuBose Home Inspection, Inc. David started his home inspection business with the commitment to give the highest level of customer service with an emphasis on education (both educating his clients and continuing education for himself). This established David as a leader in the industry, and in his 2nd year in business he was invited as 1 of 8 inspectors around the state by the Residential Builders Commission to work on re-writing the State Exam for Home Inspectors. As part of his education, David has been as active member of the South Carolina Association of Home Inspectors (SCAHI) and the South Carolina Chapter of American Society of Home Inspectors (SCASHI). David is now serving his 2nd year as President of SCAHI and his first year as Treasurer of SCASHI.
Personal
ASHI Certified Inspector
SCAHI Certified Inspector
Professional Affiliations
Pres. SC Association of Home Inspectors --- SCAHI
Treasurer of SC chapter of American Society of Home Inspectors SCASHI