Realtor Tanja Hollowell speaks three languages, but she doesn’t know the meaning of the word “fear.” Consider, for example, her lack of reservations about starting a real estate business in the current economy:
“Everyone said, ‘How can you start a business in this economy?’ I was thinking that while it’s bad for some people, it’s good for the people who were never able to buy a house when prices and interest rates were high,” she says with her native German accent. “Maybe I’m a little bit arrogant, but I knew I could sell homes.”
Hollowell didn’t know the meaning of the phrase “drum up business,” either, but she had no trouble doing it. Upon earning her license and securing a place at Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty, she starting hunting down for-sale-by-owners.
“I talked with everyone who crossed my path. Even if you were mowing your lawn, I’d stop my car and talk with you. Pretty soon, people were calling me, and I was getting referrals. Business picked up pretty quickly,” she says.
Hollowell, who’s clearly not shy, preferred driving through neighborhoods to doing cold calls because her accent put off people over the phone. When she’d meet with potential clients face-to-face, they were less reserved and more open to what she was offering. Given the desperate state of many sellers today, her serious German business demeanor might have been part of the draw.
“We’re more work oriented than people here, which might not be great for your private life, but it’s good for your job,” she says.
Sellers saw in Hollowell an advocate who’d relentlessly pursue a good deal on their behalf. “I don’t give up, even when it’s a short sale. I can be a nuisance to the bank,” she says. Buyers appreciated Hollowell’s patience with them. And both groups of clients could tell she’s passionate about real estate. “I like what I’m doing, and my customers can sense that. They know that means I will get it done,” Hollowell says.
If one thing hurt Hollowell initially, it was her candor when telling a seller what he could expect his house to bring.
“I still miss out on some listings because I’m honest. Sometimes, people go with the agent who promises them everything. But later, when the house doesn’t sell, they come back to me. Some people like to hear, ‘I’ll get you what you want – no problem,’ but I won’t do that. I don’t make promises I can’t keep, and my customers appreciate my honesty,” she says.
Hollowell’s blend of sincerity, zeal and assertiveness worked. In 2011, she sold over a million dollars worth of homes and wound up in the top 20 percent of Coldwell Bankers worldwide. In addition, the owners of the office at which she works, Bill and Peggy Pryor, named her their Rising Star for the year. While she appreciated the recognition, her ultimate reward was the smiles on the faces of her clients. “When it comes to closing, I like to see the happy faces,” she says.
A native of Berlin, Holloway moved to Kentucky five years ago to be with family. In Germany, she’d worked for a bank for 17 years and then owned and operated a business through which she sold real estate advertising. The latter gave her the background she needed to buy, remodel and sell houses in the U.S., although she had to learn a few key differences.
“In Germany, the buyer or the tenant pays the commission. But even though the market is different, real estate is real estate,” she says.
Life in Kentucky didn’t appeal to Hollowell, so she moved to Nashville. When Volkswagen arrived in Chattanooga, she saw a door opening. She’s pleased she made the move.
“There’s a big difference between the people here and the people in Kentucky,” she says.
Hollowell was particularly impressed with Peggy Pryor and Ann Martin at Pryor Realty, who took a personal approach to their interview with her.
“It was not a big interview with 20 other people; I was the only one who was there, which I liked a lot more than being hired by a company that hires everybody. I had a good feeling from the start, and there has not been one day that I have regretted coming here,” she says.
Hollowell has adjusted nicely to life in the U.S., although she’s held on to a few of the things that were a part of her existence in Germany – including her fitness regime. A champion body builder with a number of city, regional and national awards to her credit, she continues to work out today, and appears to have lost none of the muscle tone she had in her twenties, when she was competing. Hollowell still travels to Germany twice a year to judge at body building competitions. “My heart is still with that sport,” she says.
Hollowell’s heart is also with her new community. As her way of giving back to the city she now calls home, she’s taken on a little sister from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga. The 9-year-old girl, Noella, is from Tanzania.
“We both have a big accent. She has an African accent, and I have a German accent. Some of my customers already know her because she sometimes rides with me. On weekends, we’ll have a race to see the ‘For Sale by Owner’ sign first,” Hollowell says.
Noella lives with her father, mother and nine siblings in what Hollowell describes as a “bad neighborhood.” The fact that the girl’s parents don’t speak English further complicates her life. But with Hollowell’s help, she’s making strides and becoming more confident.
“As soon as I get a deal done, my little girl gets $10 out of my paycheck, and she can use it for whatever she wants, which is mainly bubble gum. But she has learned that we have to work, and then we get paid, and then we spend the money,” Hollowell says.
Hollowell has already lived a full life. She was in Berlin when the wall between East and West Germany came down. She crossed water, land and cultural boundaries to begin a life in the U.S. And she started a new career when she arrived. But she’s nowhere near done.
She is, however, reluctant to say what’s next. “I might someday return to Germany, but for now, Chattanooga is home. I like the people here,” she says.
Pryor Realty hit the mark when it named Hollowell its rising star. She’s certainly made a name for herself at the company. But more importantly, Hollowell is a rising star in her community. If Chattanooga is lucky, she’ll never leave.