Today we’d like to introduce you to David & Dale Cross.
Hi David & Dale , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our journey into real estate really started long before we ever sold a home. Between the two of us, we bring over 50 years of combined experience across real estate, mortgage, and finance, so we’ve always been around the business in one way or another. But more than that, we’ve always been drawn to helping people make big life decisions—especially ones that shape their future.
As a husband-and-wife team, we built what is now The David Dale Team at eXp Realty with a very simple idea: real estate isn’t just about buying or selling a house—it’s about designing the life you want to live. That belief really took shape when we planted our roots here in the Lowcountry. We fell in love with the lifestyle—being on the water, the sense of community, the pace of life—and we realized that most people moving here weren’t just looking for a property… they were looking for a completely different way of living.
So we leaned into that. We built our business around being real estate lifestyle advisors, not just agents—helping clients understand not only the market, but how different communities, amenities, and environments align with the life they’re trying to create. Over time, that evolved into a more elevated, concierge-style approach—working with relocating families, retirees, and luxury buyers, guiding them through everything from community selection to off-market opportunities and long-term planning.
More recently, we’ve expanded that vision through our media platform, including our podcast Real Talk Hilton Head, where we highlight the people, businesses, and experiences that make this area so special. That’s allowed us to connect with clients on a deeper level and give them a true insider perspective before they ever make a move. Today, we’re proud to be known not just as top agents in the area, but as trusted guides—helping people navigate one of the biggest transitions of their lives with clarity, confidence, and a sense of excitement about what’s next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—and honestly, we embrace the challenges full of faith, hope and determination. We’ve been in this business long enough to experience just about every type of market cycle you can imagine. We lived through the crash of 2008, where deals fell apart overnight and uncertainty was everywhere. We’ve navigated rising and falling interest rate environments, shifts in buyer confidence, global events, and even something no one could have predicted—COVID—where the entire way we do business had to change almost instantly.
Each of those moments came with real challenges. There were times when transactions slowed down, when clients were fearful or unsure, and when we had to make tough decisions about how to adapt and move forward.
But beyond the market itself, one of the biggest challenges has been keeping up with—and staying ahead of—massive technological changes. The rise of online search, social media, video marketing, AI, and digital platforms has completely transformed how people buy and sell real estate. What worked five years ago doesn’t necessarily work today.
We’ve had to constantly evolve—learning new systems, embracing new tools, and sometimes completely reinventing how we connect with clients. At the same time, balancing a growing business with family life, raising our kids, and building something together as a husband-and-wife team has required a lot of communication, trust, and patience.
But looking back, those challenges are exactly what shaped us. They forced us to become more adaptable, more creative, and more focused on what actually matters—serving people at a high level, no matter what the market is doing. And they’ve given us a level of perspective and experience that we’re able to pass on to our clients today.
So no—it hasn’t been smooth. But it’s been incredibly meaningful, and every challenge has made us better at what we do.
We’ve been impressed with The David Dale Team powered by eXp Realty, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At our core, we believe real estate is about more than property—it’s about lifestyle, transition, and designing the next chapter of your life. We lead The David Dale Team at eXp Realty, where we specialize in helping buyers and sellers across Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and the surrounding Lowcountry navigate those transitions with clarity and confidence.
Over time, we’ve become especially known for working with relocating clients, retirees, and those seeking lifestyle-driven communities—whether that’s a 55+ active adult neighborhood, a golf or waterfront property, or a low-maintenance home that allows them to truly enjoy where they live. What sets us apart is that we don’t approach this as a transaction—we approach it as a guided experience.
We’ve built our brand around being “Real Estate Lifestyle Experts.” That means we go deeper than just showing homes. We help our clients understand how different communities live, how amenities align with their interests, what day-to-day life actually feels like, and how to make a decision that fits both their financial goals and their personal vision.
We also invest heavily in media, storytelling, and education. Through our podcast, Real Talk Hilton Head, and our video marketing, we’re constantly showcasing the lifestyle, local businesses, and community insights that most buyers wouldn’t discover on their own. That allows our clients—especially those coming from out of state—to feel informed and connected before they ever arrive.
From a service standpoint, we’ve created a high-touch, concierge-style experience. Whether it’s preparing a home for sale with strategic marketing, guiding a buyer through community comparisons, or helping someone relocate seamlessly, we focus on removing friction and making the process feel smooth and well-managed.
What we’re most proud of, brand-wise, is the trust we’ve built. We’ve worked hard to become a name that people recognize not just for results, but for how we show up—professional, responsive, honest, and genuinely invested in the people we serve. A large portion of our business comes from referrals and relationships, which tells us we’re doing something right.
At the end of the day, we want your readers to know this: If you’re considering a move—whether it’s across town or across the country—you don’t just need an agent. You need a guide who understands both the market and the lifestyle you’re stepping into. That’s where we come in.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
We’ve never really seen it as luck. When we look back, it feels much more like alignment—being guided, staying open, and walking through the right doors when they present themselves. That said, we’re incredibly aware of how fortunate we’ve been.
Our story alone feels almost too unlikely to script—a boy from Ohio meets a girl from Zimbabwe on a beach one night… and that moment turns into a 27-year love story, a marriage, a family, and a business partnership that’s been aligned from day one. From there, you start to see a pattern.
The right relationships showed up. The right opportunities presented themselves. And somehow, step by step, we found ourselves building a life and business in a place as special as the Lowcountry—what we now call home. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that those moments don’t mean much unless you’re willing to act on them.
There were plenty of seasons that didn’t feel lucky at all—market downturns, uncertainty, big transitions, and moments where we had to take risks without knowing how things would turn out. In those times, it wasn’t luck that carried us—it was faith, persistence, and a belief that we were being led somewhere meaningful.
So yes, we feel incredibly blessed. But more than luck, we believe it’s been about staying aligned with our values, trusting the process, and being intentional about the relationships we build and the way we show up for people. When you do that consistently over time, what others might call “luck” starts to look a lot more like purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DavidDale.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daviddaleteam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDavidDaleTeam
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realtordavidrcross/
- Twitter: @DavidDaleTeam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedaviddaleteam
