Originally from Mount Airy, North Carolina, Ellis has practiced law in Greenville since 2017 and brings more than 26 years of experience in the real estate industry. From 2002 to 2012, he worked as a commercial real estate broker in both North Carolina and South Carolina. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2015.

Following law school, Ellis served as commercial transactions counsel for a national title company in Atlanta, where he was responsible for title underwriting and managing escrow closings for construction financing and development acquisitions. Prior to joining Cothran Properties, he was a Builder Services Attorney with Galbreath Costner, LLC in Greenville, focusing on land and lot transactions for national, regional, and local homebuilders.

As President, Ellis leads the company’s commercial and residential development strategy, overseeing the identification and acquisition of Class A industrial, speculative, and retail real estate assets. He directs single-tenant and multi-tenant projects from acquisition through delivery and leads land acquisition initiatives for Cothran Homes, supporting the development of new residential communities across the Upstate of South Carolina. Ellis works closely with ownership, internal teams, and strategic partners to drive disciplined growth and deliver high-quality projects across the company’s portfolio.

Ellis is married to Meghan Forest, a second-grade teacher at Camperdown Academy, and they have two children, Audrey and Brynn. Outside of work, he enjoys swimming, cycling, and running, and actively trains for local triathlon races.