A Bit About Me
I’m Clay Ritter, a North Carolina Realtor and Broker specializing in land, farms, rural properties, and country living throughout the Sampson and Duplin County area.
My journey has taken me through some pretty incredible places and experiences—but through it all, I’ve learned that success is ultimately about people, relationships, hard work, and keeping your word.
I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and after high school joined the United States Navy, where I entered the Aviation Electronics advanced program. During my time in the Navy, I received exceptional technical training, worked on some amazing aircraft, spent time on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, and had the opportunity to visit countries around the world. Those experiences taught me discipline, attention to detail, teamwork, and how to perform under pressure.
After my military service, I returned to Raleigh and began a career with Nortel Networks. Over the next 18 years, I worked in a variety of roles involving new product introduction, project management, sales, customer relationships, and business development. That experience gave me a strong foundation in understanding complex transactions, solving problems, managing details, and helping people accomplish their goals.
In 1988, I married my best friend and partner for life, Tammy Ritter, who is also a North Carolina real estate broker. Together, we have raised four children and built a life centered around family, faith, community, and serving others.
In 2001, our family moved to Wilmington, where I became the lead pastor of a local church while Tammy began building her real estate career. My years in ministry deepened my passion for people and reinforced something I had learned throughout my career: people want to work with someone they can trust.
In 2018, I stepped away from full-time pastoral ministry, obtained my North Carolina real estate license, and joined Tammy in building Hope Street Realty. Today, I’m especially passionate about helping buyers and sellers navigate the opportunities that come with land and rural real estate.
In 2026, my wife and I relocated to the Sampson County area and built our “forever home”. That experience taught us the in’s & outs of purchasing land and building a home in the area.
Whether you're looking for a small tract of land, a working farm, a country homestead, recreational property, or you're ready to sell land you've owned for generations, I bring a combination of real estate knowledge, business experience, sales expertise, marketing ability, and genuine personal service to every transaction.