As Greer continues to grow, the housing market changes with it. GreerNews sat down with Chris Johnson, owner of Raybrook Homes, to talk about how that growth is shaping homebuying and renovations in the Upstate.
Raybrook Homes was founded in Greer in 2021, after Johnson and his family moved into the area from Austin, Texas. The company does large-scale renovation projects and custom new home construction across the Upstate region.
Johnson says that over 100 people a day are moving into the Upstate — a trend he attributes to increased attention to city infrastructure.
“When you start hitting those ‘best places to live’ lists and you start to see the government put money into infrastructure, the people are just going to come,” Johnson said. “Greer, Greenville, [and] the upstate area in general is just a really cool place to live, and as long as that's true, we're going to see a lot of people moving here.”
In Greer specifically, Johnson notes that the city is unusually young, with the average homebuyer being 35 and a half years old. This is well below the national average, which is 56 years old, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
In terms of the makeup of the city, Johnson says that single-family houses are still the dominant form of housing. Around 70% of Greer is single-family homes, with the other 30% being multi-family homes, such as apartments or condos.
“I think you're just seeing the typical metropolitan type development happening in downtown,” Johnson said. “The people that love that vibe will be moving into multi-family [homes]. It's inevitable as Greer grows … the city area is going to become more city-ish, and the country areas are just extended.”
While single-family housing still remains dominant in the area, the market has shifted in other ways. Namely, homeowners are becoming more interested in renovations — something Johnson notes as being a relatively new development.
“We were doing primarily new construction and noticed that as interest rates rose, a lot of people were in a position to renovate, rather than to sell and upgrade,” Johnson said. “So we really started moving into the renovation world as a result of the market.”
Johnson says that many homeowners are opting to stay in their homes and add on space in order to keep the lower interest rates on their mortgage. He mentioned one project he did near Lake Robinson — a 2,300 square foot addition that was roughly the same size as the actual house.
“Anytime you have an addition like that, tying everything together is actually really complicated,” Johnson said. “It was fun to be able to go through that process with that homeowner, who then obviously very much loved the end result.”
Another feature many homeowners and buyers are looking for is recreational outdoor space. Johnson says that fire pits, outdoor barbeque areas and enclosed sunrooms are all high-demand features currently. Indoors, a popular feature are five-piece bathrooms with a freestanding tub and walk-in shower.
As the housing market continues to change and buyer trends shift, businesses like Raybrook Homes have to look to stay ahead of the curve. Johnson, though, says that he maintains his business with a simple philosophy.
“We just make it a point to always do what we say we're gonna do,” Johnson said. “All the time, every time. And if it ends up being wrong, we make it right. I think any business that operates that way, the inevitable of approval in its growth.”
For more information on Raybrook Homes, visit their website.
Follow Breanna Laws on X @GreerByBreanna
