“I always put my clients’ needs first,” says Laura McLain, a Charleston-based agent newly affiliated with Carolina One Real Estate. A member of the National Association of Realtors, she offers both a personalized approach to customer service and extensive knowledge of the Lowcountry. After all, she was born and raised in the Charleston area and has been here all her life.

Today, McLain lives with her husband of 30 years and enjoys being with family, including a son and granddaughter. There’s no place in the United States quite like the Holy City, she says. In her opinion, its history, distinctive homes, cultural and culinary amenities, and beautiful coastal views make it special.

McLain handles residential properties throughout the Charleston area and can help with many kinds of transactions. Through her affiliation with Carolina One, she provides a full range of real estate services: home purchases, sales and rentals, as well as mortgages, insurance and property management.

It’s important to her, she says, to try to take the stress and worry out of home buying and selling for her clients. She does this by clarifying their wants and needs up front. Then, to avoid wasting time on wild goose chases, she focuses only on properties that would be suitable.

When not working, McLain enjoys paddleboarding, boating, crabbing and fishing in the Lowcountry. Both she and her husband go to the annual Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) in Charleston and attend a variety of local cultural events, particularly music concerts, when time allows. The couple also travels every year. They visit the island of St. Kitts regularly and recently enjoyed a journey to Cape Town, South Africa.

But all things considered, McLain says she’s just as happy relaxing in her backyard with family and friends.