South Florida is a hub for culture, entertainment, and sports, with many professionals supporting these industries by living or moving to the region. The Florida Coast Magazine team was excited to hear about one lady whose goal is to make newcomers’ transition to the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast a five-star experience. With rumors floating around that this realtor had a ‘star’ value, we were intrigued to find out more. 

Born in the U.S. to a German father and an American mother, Holly moved with her parents and siblings to Munich, Germany at eight years old. She was there until the age of sixteen and returned to the U.S. to experience an American high school and settle back into life stateside. 

She had a tough transition to the U.S. when she returned from Germany. “It was a difficult time, but this has really helped me with my clients now. I really am the ‘Welcome Party’ and go out of my way to make people relocate to the area easily. It’s funny that some of the parents of the families I have helped find a home even have me as the emergency number at their kid’s school.” 

Holly thought her European connection may be a big market in the real estate business and promote her amongst the foreign buyers. She later discovered her greatest strength lay in the sports and entertainment world. 

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, she moved to Atlanta for a job. She was in a bar one night with her friends and the place was packed with baseball players. She didn’t want to hang around them like a fan, so she purposefully stuck herself in a corner, A guy soon approached her and after a short chat, she asked him what he did for a living, and he replied, “I’m an underwater welder.” Holly has an inquisitive mind, and she asked what kind of tools he used. The guy laughed and came clean, he was, in fact, professional baseball player Edward Lee Lucas. Edward graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in sociology and economics, so he was a great fit for Holly’s intellect and a romance soon blossomed. 

At the time, Holly had a career in medical sales, but after marrying Edward and moving around with his baseball career, she knew she would have to adapt her lifestyle. When her husband signed to the Miami Marlins, they decided to make the move to Jupiter, Florida after spending spring training there. Holly reminisces, “we had lived in so many different areas in the U.S. and when we arrived in Jupiter late at night, my husband and I spotted the small sign which read, ‘Welcome to Jupiter.’ We smiled and knew this was a good place for us. We still smile when we see that little sign.”

After becoming pregnant with their first son, Holly realized it was too much to travel around the country. She was having dinner with her husband one night and said, “I don’t know what to do, I’m an expert in anatomic pathology work along with ow to find us new houses in new places.” To which he replied, “try real estate.” Holly soon got her real estate license and worked initially for Keller Williams, where she was lucky to have some great mentors. “To get a real estate license in Florida only takes a couple of weeks, so it’s important to work with people who are going to guide you. I am now like that when I find out someone has just received their license. I like to help people succeed,” she beams. 

Holly noticed that Jupiter was a hotbed for professional athletes, their coaches, and agents. It soon became apparent to her, there wasn’t anyone else she had met in the real estate world who fully understood the baseball life. Holly explains, “Every time we started to look for a home, I had to explain why we needed something for just February and March and not January or April and yes, my husband plays baseball. It was all the questions that came with it. It really way a runaround.” Holly elaborates, “It’s not that baseball wives and players are high maintenance, it’s that we have to move three times though our the year and we are exhausted. During spring training, it’s very difficult to find a rental because it’s high season. With baseball being located in snowbird central—Arizona and Jupiter —the property requirements can be limiting. The MLS is never up to date with these rentals, which is frustrating for people looking for short-term leases.”

Through all the moving with her husband’s baseball career from his playing days to his current major league coaching days, she soon realized she was an expert in finding homes for others in a similar situation to her. She knew exactly what they required, when they required it, and for how long. She also had the added advantage fo being able to deal with sports agents, athlete financial advisors, and management. She knew the system, how they work, and what legal issues had to be addressed. It is also crucial to Holly to help find good investment properties for her clients. So whether they were renting in the season or decided to invest in the local property market, Holly could advise. 

Holly’s enthusiasm for all things property and her obvious passion for wanting to help people makes one want to root for her continued success. She has a wicked sense of humor and even laughs at the fact that a small minority class her as riding on the success of her husband’s career. She giggles and says, “Don’t get me wrong, my husband helped open the door a crack, but I was the one who pushed it wide open and stepped right in.” 

A working mom of two, she is proud and grateful to acknowledge the help from her family and her German au pair, who she adores. “I am always one to state that I do have wonderful people to help me with my children. My husband has a period in the year where he doesn’t travel so he helps me a lot.” She is a woman who has managed to balance family, work and has surrounded herself with great staff, and she is not afraid to recognize this. 

Holly is also very proud that she introduced Compass (a $4.4-billion-dollar American real estate technology company who provides software to real estate agents) to the Palm Beach County area. “I set a meeting with the CEO of Compass, Robert Reffkin, and told him that they were crazy not to be in the Palm Beach area. Let me open Compass here.” He thought about it for a short time and said, ‘I like you and yes we are good, let’s do this.’ One of the things Compass does well is they move fast and they are nimble. I have really embraced and used that knowledge. I used to think we had to have a big operation to make things happen, but that is not the case. If we have someone who wants to sell their house, we can get it live within 12 hours.” 

Holly and her team consists of eight agents, interns, a number of office stage, and an executive assistant. She has now been in real estate for five years, explaining, “The biggest challenge I have had is discovering what kind of leader I am. I make it a point to invest in my team and the local area.” She laughs and states, “I am super vocal about local.” 

Holly and her team specialize in a range of real estate services including residential real estate sales, real estate home buyer representation, home staging services, home renovations, and redesign and property management services. Even though Holly and her team are used to dealing with celebrities, she is quick to point out that they give the same amount of attention to all their clients, giving every one of them a five-star treatment. 

Her reputation as a realtor and property expert in Palm Beach County has even caught the eye of a large television network who is currently in discussions with Holly to star in a show. The idea of fame does not overwhelm Holly because she has been surrounded by it for much of her adult life. She takes it in stride, viewing the prospect of developing her brand and helping ever more people with excitement and enthusiasm.