There’s a moment every Isle of Palms local knows well.
You crest the IOP Connector and suddenly, there it is: the ocean stretching across the horizon, signaling that you’ve officially made it back to our little slice of paradise. As you descend toward the island, another familiar sight sits proudly at the corner of Palm Boulevard — the white Island Realty building.
You’ve probably passed it a thousand times. But the story behind that building — and the family behind the business — is woven deeply into the story of Isle of Palms itself.
Island Realty’s roots reach all the way back to the 1950s, when legendary island developer J.C. Long was building homes and shaping much of the Isle of Palms we recognize today. The business eventually became Island Realty, and in 1977, Alexander D. “Don” Stone Jr. purchased the company and began what would become a multigenerational family legacy.
His son, Alexander “Sandy” Stone III, joined Island Realty in 1978 — not behind a big executive desk, but as a maintenance man. While working, he earned his real estate and broker licenses and eventually helped grow Island Realty from a small “mom-and-pop” operation into one of the island’s most established businesses.
And if you’ve lived on Isle of Palms for any length of time, there’s a good chance you know Sandy — or at least recognize that famous mustache.
Sandy’s connection to the island has always extended well beyond Island Realty. Over the years, he has served on Isle of Palms City Council and held leadership positions within local and state real estate organizations. But perhaps more telling is how his own sons remember growing up here: A quick trip to the grocery store was rarely quick because Sandy seemingly knew everyone and always stopped to talk.
That deep sense of community continues with the next generation. Today, Sandy and Peggy Stone’s son, Alex Stone, serves as CEO of Island Realty, carrying the family business forward while remaining firmly rooted in the island it has served for decades.
Like his father, Alex’s involvement extends well beyond the walls of Island Realty. In 2025, he served as president of the Isle of Palms Chamber of Commerce, helping champion the island’s local businesses and strengthen connections throughout the community. Today, he continues that service as the chamber’s past president — another chapter in a family legacy that has always been about much more than business.
And Island Realty today is far more than a place to book a beach house.
Island Realty offers vacation rental management, long-term rentals, corporate rentals, HOA and regime management, property monitoring through Isle Watch It, housekeeping through Isle Clean It and maintenance services through Isle Fix It. For vacationers, its portfolio spans Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes and Sullivan’s Island — from cozy condos to spectacular oceanfront homes.
Island Realty has watched Isle of Palms change tremendously over the decades. Through it all, that familiar white building has remained a fitting welcome to the island: local, family-run and unmistakably IOP.
Sometimes the businesses we pass every day have the best stories hiding inside.
Learn more at IslandRealty.com.