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Chris and Tom Fries
Howard Hanna Allen Tate
16 William Pope Drive, Suite 101
Bluffton, SC 29909
Office: (843) 705-3351
Distinctions
About Me
CHRIS FRIES
Chris Fries has over 20 years of experience in real estate sales and is licensed in Georgia and South Carolina. Chris grew up in Ohio, attended Wright State University in Dayton and worked in real estate in Ohio until a company move for her husband took them to Atlanta, Georgia and eventually to South Carolina.
Chris was first introduced to life in the Low Country in 1976 when her fiance’, Tom, brought her home to Sea Pines to meet his parents. Chris and Tom have spent many family vacations with their two children on Hilton Head Island, always considering it their second home and are now thrilled to call this idyllic island their permanent home.
Chris obtained her real estate license in Georgia and in 2008 was the #1 Transaction Agent in the North Georgia office of her former company. She was a Member of the Atlanta Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Her Achievements include the designations of Accredited Relocation Specialist (ARS) and Expert on Bank Owned Property (REO’s) and Chris recently received the Hilton Head Island Ambassador Certification. Chris is a member of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors, the Georgia Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.
Chris’s significant real estate savvy and negotiating skills provides her client’s two critical benefits: optimum value in any economy and expert management of all facets of the buying and selling process.
TOM FRIES
Tom Fries was born in Dayton, Ohio to a family doctor and a proud mother of three active boys. In 1965, after a brief visit to Hilton Head Island, his father William (Bill) Fries built a vacation home in Sea Pines. Encouraged by Charles Fraser and the clear need for health care, his family moved to Hilton Head permanently in late 1965. Tom’s love for the low country and the island experience undeniably shaped his life. His Father “Doctor Bill” was a beloved and founding member of the Island community.
Tom attended Savannah Country Day school, riding the long commute with other Island teenagers in the famous “Green Stretch Checker Limousine.” He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in International Relations/Political Science.
After college, Tom moved back to Dayton and joined the travel and incentive division of the Kroger Company. His first job began with a four-year tour of the world as a trip director, leading large groups of incentive award winners to the finest resorts and cities on earth. After he married Christine and settled down, he rapidly advanced in the company. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing he was instrumental in the growth of that travel business into one of the largest commercial travel companies in the United States, now known as Carlson Wagonlit.
While residing in Dayton, Tom and his family visited Hilton Head as often as possible. In 1983, Tom accepted a relocation opportunity to Dunwoody, Georgia, which made it much easier to visit the Island more often. Tom soon leveraged his experience in reservation call center technology to begin a consulting career bringing solutions to other business sectors. Tom co-founded a technology business that specialized in sales force automation consulting which sold in 1999.
Tom and Christine moved to the North Georgia Mountains to enjoy their love of overnight hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Tom continued to consult and Christine resumed her real estate career specializing in resort community sales. Tom’s consulting included a diverse mix of clientele, including Churchill Downs, Caterpillar Financial, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the U.S. Government. His practice also focused on data mining, infrastructure support and customer experience. Tom has a DOD 2 Secret government clearance. He also holds a certification as a Professional Project Manager.
His consulting business took him to Columbia, South Carolina which in turn, brought Tom and Christine back home to the Hilton Head area in 2017. Tom joined Howard Hanna Allen Tate where Tom and Christine (as Fries Properties) combine his computer marketing and social media skills with Christine’s lifelong real estate expertise.
Tom and Christine reside in Bluffton and enjoy playing golf, cycling, walking on the beach and occasionally getting away in their RV to camp and hike in the mountains. They recently participated in the DragonBoat Beaufort event to raise funds for local cancer patients. Their two grown children live in the Jacksonville Beach area.