If your grandfather founded the oldest and one of the most successful real estate companies in Chattanooga over 85 years ago, Herman Walldorf & Company, Inc., wouldn’t you automatically follow in his footsteps? Well, not necessarily, at least not at first, according to Nathan Walldorf.
After meeting his future wife and love of his life, Eda, while attending Denison University in Ohio, Nathan Walldorf chose a different route. “I met a Venezuelan woman who had a heart for mission work, and so we ended up working with Young Life oversees in Guatemala,” he said. “We were there for about two years and helped start Young Life in inner city Guatemala. It was a great chapter in our life, and a hard chapter. Guatemala is pretty Wild West, but it was neat to get to be a link in the chain of God establishing a ministry in Guatemala.” Nathan returned with Eda to Chattanooga and entered the real estate business.
“We came back six or seven years ago and I got in the family business then, ready to be near family and kids. When I looked at my options, it seemed like sales was a good fit. Folks always need houses, even when the market is down. I really enjoy it.” There was no doubt which real estate company Walldorf would join, and he takes great pride in being a part of the Herman Walldorf & Company, Inc. team. “Even before I got in the business, I always felt that lots of big companies have come and gone in Chattanooga, but Herman Walldorf companies have always stayed. I think part of that is the integrity and the history the company has ... we’ve been in business since 1926. We’re the oldest real estate company in town. My grandfather got licensed first with a bank selling foreclosures during The Depression before starting this company.”
Working with family members can be difficult and trying for some people, to say the least, but Walldorf finds it to be a very positive and gratifying experience. “Really, I’ve just enjoyed it. It’s been a good thing. It’s brought me closer to my dad,” he says. “My dad and I list all our houses together and do our buyers separately.” According to Walldorf, his wife joining the company has definitely been an important part of his success. “It was really a transition when my wife started working with me, but for the good. It’s a lot of fun. She helps me do a lot more than I could do by myself.”
He believes a work environment that emphasizes teamwork is important to all agents, not just family members. “I feel like [our office] is a very safe place to work. It’s not dog-eat-dog in our office. As agents, we all care for each other and are not trying to steal each other’s prospects or anything. We are not about that.” Helping clients find the home of their dreams is one of the most satisfying parts of the business for Walldorf.
“It’s fun to get to know people, especially as you are working with buyers from out of town. I enjoy riding around with folks and getting to know them and their families. I think that’s one of the parts of it that I love the most. You have to be nurturing and help people through the process. Sometimes you have to be tough and stand up for what’s right and what should be done in a transaction. That’s what I feel like my job’s about.” A successful real estate career is no easy accomplishment, and Walldorf believes in a philosophy centered on family values.
“It comes down to the integrity of your work, really working hard, taking care of people the way you would like to be taken care of. A motto I came up with that just seemed to fit my attitude of working with people is ‘Treating you like family.’ It’s really the way I feel like I work with people. I want to take care of them like my own family members.”
For the past several years, Walldorf has been in charge of training new agents and he makes a point of telling them real estate is first and foremost a people business. “You have to get out and get in front of people, especially starting out, and let them know what you are doing.” Walldorf recognizes that continuing to increase one’s knowledge of real estate is not just for rookies.
“I’m always trying to keep myself trained, and being on the [GCAR] board is great because I’m always hearing about the latest things coming down the pipeline I need to know. The Accredited Buyer’s Representative designation, which has been great, has helped me with working with buyers. The e-PRO designation, which is doing real estate on the Internet, has been huge, too, because this year, I think the Internet has made up half of my business.” Even in the busiest of times Walldorf finds time to spend coaching the soccer team on which his sons, 9-year-old Thatcher and 7-year-old Andrew play.
“They are really just treasures, great kids. When I’m not [working] in real estate I’m with them, whether it’s coaching or playing soccer with them. Walldorf is also very involved in his church, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian, where he serves as a Deacon. “Church is a real important part of our life as well as being involved in the community.”