Business Name: J. Ray Realty, LLC

Business Website: www.jrayrealty.com

Business Address: 1009 No. J K Powell Blvd., Whiteville, NC 28472

Phone: (910) 642-8111(O) or (910) 641-2676 (C)

Email: office@jrayrealty.com

When did you open your business?

June 1, 2006

Why Wilmington?

Do not get me wrong, Wilmington is a fabulous place to be. As a UNCW alumni, I enjoyed everything about Wilmington while living there during my college years. But Whiteville and Columbus County is HOME! I chose to come back, to give back to the place I love. It is where I have raised my two beautiful daughters, I have opened two successful businesses, and I have enjoyed relaxing and recreating with friends and loved ones.

What do you like most about the area?  

Whiteville is centrally located to all the surrounding big cities and the NC/SC beaches. And soon enough, it will be a suburb of Wilmington and Leland if those areas continue to grow at the rate they are presently. Just a few minutes from the hustle and bustle and ALL that traffic, Whiteville and Columbus County really has so much to offer in a relaxed, laid back rural setting. However, our biggest asset are our people. All you need to do is come for a visit, eat, shop and I promise you will want to stay and be a part of this community, and hopefully buy a home.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your business?

I enjoy traveling and exploring new places in the great United States of America. I also LOVE to cook and garden and participating in any activity on or near a body of water, especially fishing.

Tell us a client success story.

There has been so many over the years, but when I first started in the business in 2003, Mr. Charlie Langston, (owner of Langston Realty) my BIC and mentor, told me to always make sure everyone was happy before leaving the closing table. He said, “living in a small town, you don’t want to have to run the other way or hide from them if you see them at the grocery store, bank or church.” Well, the way we “do real estate” has definitely changed since that time, but I still try very hard to make sure on closing day, that I’ve done everything within my power to make sure my client is a very satisfied and I can relax and enjoy going to church, the bank and even the dreaded grocery store. This has served me and my clients well over the years.