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 transactions 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's Award

2020 Hilton Head Area Realtors President 

2022 RPAC Platinum R and President's Circle Realtor (ONLY ONE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA)