Working as a residential Realtor in the Greater Chattanooga area has given multi-million dollar producer Holly Harwell the freedom to do something that’s important to her: be involved in her community. Since catching the volunteer bug in her teens, she’s sat on various boards, chaired many committees and labored to support her church and other causes about which she feels passionate.
In recognition of Harwell’s contributions, the American Lung Association in Tennessee has selected her as one of its 10 Women of Distinction for 2013. The association will honor her at the 28th Annual Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, April 30, at the Chattanooga Convention Center Ballroom.
Harwell says the award is an honor. “The Lung Association’s recognition of professional women in Chattanooga who are giving back to the community is a wonderful thing. Many great women have been recognized before me, so I’m honored,” she says.
Harwell’s volunteer resume is impressive. She’s currently serving as chair-elect of the Memorial Foundation Board, a position she’ll hold until 2014, when she’ll become the chair. In addition, Harwell is serving as the immediate past president of the North Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. As president, she spearheaded efforts to push new development in the area, including the section of Cherokee Boulevard near the tunnel. She’s also serving as immediate past president of Friends of the Festival, a role she calls “fun.”
“It’s a music festival! It’s not as serious as other things I’ve done, but it’s a great thing for our city,” she says.
Harwell is also a past member of the Junior League of Chattanooga, a past board member of the American Heart Association, and a past board chair of Hosanna Community and the Arts and Education Council.
Besides serving on boards, Harwell has worked in the trenches, especially at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the place of worship she attends. She’s served on the church’s Vestry, functioned as the Senior Warden of the Vestry, and co-chaired the Major Gifts division for the church’s 2012 capital campaign. “I enjoy my church family, and love serving there,” Harwell says.
While Harwell has given generously of her time and resources, she realizes her volunteer efforts in turn benefit her business. “It gives me a chance to get out there and promote myself. Both things serve each other well,” she says.
Unexpected path
As a North Chattanooga resident, Harwell focuses her real estate work primarily on the downtown area. And as a successful residential Realtor, people are surprised when she says she didn’t get into the business to list and sell homes. “I wanted to do rehabs. I had no intention of listing and selling,” she says.
However, once Harwell obtained her real estate license and calculated how much it would cost to repair and then sell homes, she balked. “If my husband and I weren’t willing to do a lot of the work ourselves, then we were going to have to pay a lot of money to contractors. So, as I put the numbers together, I realized it wasn’t for me,” Harwell says.
Harwell didn’t let her license gather dust. Instead, she decided to become an agent. After wetting her feet at a small outfit, she landed under the tutelage of seasoned broker Pamela Duffy at Fletcher Bright’s Hixson office. When Duffy moved to Keller Williams to help the nationally known company open a branch in the same area, Harwell went with her. She loved the work.
“This is the best career I could have. I’m my own boss, I like being in public meeting new people, and I enjoy guiding homebuyers through the process of making what will probably be the biggest investment of their lives,” she says. “I don’t think of this as a job.”
Before real estate
Harwell grew up on Lookout Mountain, graduated from Girls Preparatory School, and then earned a marketing degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following school, she worked primarily in sales and marketing at several companies, served as finance chairman for Congressman Zach Wamp’s re-election campaign in 1996, and did the same for Bob Corker’s successful mayoral campaign in 2001.
When an environmental company for which Harwell was working folded, she held a blank slate. Harwell credits her husband, attorney Marc Harwell, for nudging her down the path that led to real estate.
“I didn’t want to work for another company or go back to the eight to five grind. Losing my job gave me an opportunity to think about what I really wanted to do. He said, ‘You’re motivated. Find something to do on your own,’” she says.
So she did.
After KW
Now Harwell is facing another change. After surviving the real estate slump and experiencing one of her best years in 2012, she stepped back to figure out where she wanted to be. Although Harwell has only good things to say about Keller Williams, she realized she was ready to move in different direction: Real Estate Partners, with Darlene Brown as her broker.
“I prefer working at smaller homegrown firms,” she says. “And I’ve always respected Darlene, and how she started her own company.”
Harwell’s first day at Real Estate Partners coincides with the publication of his article on February 1. She could not be more excited.
“Change is a way to re-energize yourself. And starting with a new company gives you an opportunity to jumpstart your career, to put yourself out there and let everyone know where you are. I hope to have another great year,” she says.
With the real estate market improving and Harwell keyed up to perform, she’s poised to establish herself as not just a Woman of Distinction but also a Realtor of distinction focused on serving her clients and community with equal fervor. v