About

Heather Baker is a true Southerner. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, she moved

to the Low Country in 1999. With her distinctive southern accent she made quite the impression

on locals! “People wanted me to talk all the time just so they could hear my accent,” she laughs.

A couple locals in particular took a shine to Baker. The owners of Markels Gift Shop in Bluffton

jokingly nicknamed her “Sugarbaker” after the star characters in the 1980’s television show,

“Designing Women”. The name stuck, and from then on she was known as Sugarbaker.

Originally working in hotel management, Sugarbaker didn’t envision herself as a realtor. The

realtor who helped her purchase her home here in the Low Country recognized her potential,

saying, “Sugarbaker, you should just DO it.” She thought, “Why not?” and signed up for classes.

While she was still in real estate school, she walked into Centex and told them she completely

understood if they weren’t ready to hire a new agent, but could she work her way up from the

design center? “I was hired on the spot as a real estate agent!” she recalls. While working for

Centex, Sugarbaker managed to open and close out many communities in Beaufort County for

the firm.

In 2004, Sugarbaker decided to go into general brokerage, simply because she wanted more

autonomy over her schedule. She finds that she actually works more hours, but it doesn’t feel

like work when she’s working on her own time. She says that when managing your own

schedule you have to be structured. “Get up every morning, get showered, dressed, and ready

for your day. You have to be able to get into your car and get to a property before anyone else.

It will do you no good to lounge around every day in your pajamas!” she says.

Sugarbaker has seen success, but she’s also lived with adversity. Her husband, Larry Baker,

was wounded in combat during Operation Desert Storm. He was paralyzed in 1990 and was

told he would never walk again, yet he persevered and is proud to say he now runs marathons!

While others might have despaired, in true Sugarbaker fashion the couple focused their energy

toward doing good for others. The Bakers donate all of their free time to Disabled American

Veterans, and are proud that their chapter was awarded the 2021-2022 South Carolina Chapter

of the Year. Larry is on the executive committee, and Heather enjoys organizing one of the main

fundraisers, an oyster roast that raises money to purchase vehicles for the organization to

transport veterans to doctor’s appointments and other events.

Sugarbaker doesn’t let anything hold her back. Her strong, friendly personality will win anyone

over, and her authenticity is a large part of her success. She’s sold over 900 homes in the Low

Country, and has earned awards and accolades time and again over her 19 years in the real

estate industry. Sugarbaker has resided in Jasper County for 13 years, and is thrilled that others

are getting to know the beauty of the area beyond “just a stop to purchase fireworks''! If you

strike up a conversation with her, you’re sure to be entertained! You might learn about her pet

duck, Aflac, or her 9-foot alligator, Becky, named after her first broker and mentor.

As a matter of fact, human Becky calls periodically to check in on alligator Becky! Despite her success,

Heather is humble. The greatest advice she ever received was from her parents who said, “Your

goal should always be ...not to be better than anyone else but a better version of yourself each

new day.” Sugarbaker lives by those words and our community benefits from her kindness and

devotion to making the world a better place.

2018 Hilton Head Area Realtor of the Year

2020 Hilton Head Area Realtors Above and Beyond President Award

2020 Hilton Head Area Realtors President

2022 RPAC Platinum R and President Circle Realtor (Only one in South Carolina)