Meet the Team Carolinas Commercial with Sun Coast Partners

The Carolinas Commercial Team with Sun Coast Partners combines industry expertise, local market knowledge, and a strategic marketing and outreach approach to deliver exceptional results in commercial real estate. With a foundation in economic development and real estate marketing, we bring extensive experience in business development, project management, and building relationships with key industry players. Our team excels in helping businesses navigate complex transactions and state and local regulations. Through our professional networks, unique perspective and innovative outreach, we ensure targeted exposure for your property that aligns with your business goals and drives meaningful results.

Our Local Knowledge is a deep understanding of the unique charm, market trends, and growth potential in this coastal region. With our firsthand insight into the area's development and community dynamics, we offer tailored strategies that help you capitalize on the opportunities Southeastern North Carolina has to offer, helping you make informed real estate decisions with confidence.

KELLY STUART

DAVID STUART

KELLY STUART

Kelly Stuart

As the Broker in Charge of the Sun Coast Partners Commercial Sunset Beach office, Kelly leads the Carolinas Commercial Real Estate Team. She started her career in economic development and has worked in project management and business development roles in organizations across North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia, establishing and building relationships with prospects and site selection consultants representing business and industry of all shape and size across the US. Her deep expertise in zoning, permitting, and small business needs, paired with her business partner David’s extensive experience in commercial real estate development, created a powerful partnership. They now manage a portfolio of approximately $60 million in retail and mixed-use properties, including 250,000 square feet of shopping centers, medical facilities, retail, and professional office spaces, as well as residential and hospitality development sites.

DAVID STUART

David Stuart

David Stuart, with a career spanning decades, has made significant contributions to economic development and commercial real estate in North Carolina. Prior to forming the Carolinas Commercial Real Estate Team, David was Vice President of Commercial Brokerage and Leasing for TradeMark Properties Inc., one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the state. He was Founder and President of MAP Systems, Inc., an economic development consulting firm at the forefront of developing cutting-edge websites, dynamic marketing materials, and strategic recruitment and retention programs for business and industry, where Kelly joined him as a lead consultant. Together they provided support services for 28 economic development offices across North Carolina.

Professional Experience and Community Involvement

Kelly is a CCIM Candidate and an active member of various professional organizations, including the North Carolina Economic Developers Association, Cape Fear CREW, and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Kelly served as Past President of the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance of Southeast North Carolina and Past Chair of the South Brunswick Islands Business Development Committee. In 2024, Kelly helped negotiate the sale of a building to the City of Whiteville and Columbus County that served as an incentive during the recruitment process of a company that will provide training and upskilling opportunities for up to 200 employees to pursue long-term careers in information technology in downtown Whiteville. This project was awarded the Economic and Community Enhancement Award at the Cape Fear CREW Awards of Excellence and the Columbus County Economic Development Director was awarded Small Market Deal of the Year by the North Carolina Economic Development Association. She was featured in the January 2022 Wilmington NC Magazine, in the May 2020 NC REALTORS® Insight Magazine for their focus on Women in Commercial Real Estate and was a finalist in the Business category for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal 2020 Women to Watch. Kelly was honored as the 2019 REALTORS® Commercial Alliance of Southeast North Carolina Member of the Year at the same time David was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Commercial Real Estate.

David’s expertise has been sought by state Departments of Commerce, regional development organizations, and over 60 county and private agencies, making him a trusted advisor in the industry. He holds a B.S. in Experimental Statistics and an M.E. in Economics from NC State University and is a Ph.D. candidate in Business at UNC Chapel Hill. He has also served on the Board of Directors for North Carolina’s Southeast Economic Development Partnership, the Calabash Economic Development Committee, and the Brunswick County Commissioners Small Business Committee.

Kelly and David bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and a shared passion for helping their clients navigate the complexities of commercial real estate across Southeastern North Carolina.

Marketing Outreach and Targeted Exposure

Our Team leverages our professional networks and innovative outreach strategies to maximize your property’s visibility with national, state, regional and local real estate, economic development, and site location professionals as well as direct targeted marketing to potential end-users through the following network affiliations and existing relationships:

Premium Listings on LoopNet, the global leader in marketing commercial real estate online
NC Commercial MLS and Commercial Exchange, Catylist’s National Commercial Listings Marketplace
Realtors Commercial Alliance of Southeast North Carolina (RCASENC)
Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Network
International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Cape Fear Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) and CREW Network
North Carolina Economic Developers Association (NCEDA)
Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC)
North Carolina’s Southeast Regional Economic Development Partnership
Brunswick Business & Industry Development (Brunswick BID)
Direct Contact with National & Local Commercial Real Estate Professionals & Site Selection Consulting Firms

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Project Case Study Provalus Location in Columbus County

Kelly Stuart, representing the owners of the former News Reporter building in Whiteville, NC, worked as the Listing Agent for this project. The owners of the property were the second generation to manage the News Reporter printing, publishing and distribution operations out of the building over more than half a century, and remain tied to the community and deeply invested in the continued growth and success of their neighbors. With the property vacant following the sale of the paper and relocation of the business to a smaller building, the owners listed the property for sale. Kelly worked closely with Dr. Gary Lanier, Columbus County Economic Development, to negotiate the sale to the City of Whiteville during the recruitment process of Provalus, an Alabama based company that will provide training and upskilling opportunities for up to 200 employees to pursue long-term careers in information technology in downtown Whiteville. Kelly’s background in economic development enabled her to patiently navigate the many moving parts of this unusual purchase agreement, understanding the economic impact to the community would far exceed the value of the sale of the property. This project is the largest, and potentially most transformative, project announced in the City of Whiteville in decades.