Meet a Zango Agent - Holly Komorowski, Home.byholly

A home is so much more than the walls, a roof and the floors. There are the stories held within those walls, the history weaved through the joinings, the lifestyle it creates, and the promise of what living there could bring.

It’s these aspects that fascinated Holly Komorowski enough to draw her into a career in real estate back in 2010. A former primary school teacher, Holly was inspired to try something new when returning to work after raising her six children.

“I was trying to buy a home in the inner north about 11 years ago when the market in Canberra was strong, and I spent a whole year going to open homes and auctions and always being the under bidder and missing out,” says Holly.

“Even though it was stressful being a buyer, I found I really loved it. I’d always been interested in real estate and what the house was going for down the road and what it was worth. So I decided that was a direction I wanted to go in.”

She started her career in real estate in 2010, and then launched boutique agency Home by Holly in August 2016, which has grown into one of Canberra’s leading agencies.

The Home By Holly team is well-known for unique and engaging marketing campaigns that draw out the personal story of the home, sometimes even integrating local businesses and the community as part of the rich narrative. 

“I like to represent homes in a way that is personal and meaningful, and to really focus on stories,” says Holly. 

“We’re always thinking creatively and not just doing the cookie cutter approach, but thinking outside the square a little bit in a way that finds meaning for the buyer.”

Holly is one of the leading agents in the inner north, particularly Ainslie, Braddon, Turner, Campbell and Reid, and says she’s drawn to the area’s diversity and rich history.

“It’s an area that just keeps evolving and growing, and the layers keep peeling back. I'm just continually discovering and learning more about what makes this particular part of Canberra such a strong, connected community,” she says. 

“There are people who have been there forever, and the landscape has changed so dramatically around them, yet I feel like the ideals and the soul of the inner north haven't.”

Highly organised, energetic, and motivated, Holly’s dealings with clients go far beyond the regular transaction.

“For me, it’s all about a sense of home and what home means to people,” says Holly.

“It's about getting into that next level of how you help someone find a home. The home is not just bricks and mortar. It's the place where they’ll live because their kids are going to play in the local footy club, or go to the local school. These are the sorts of considerations they're making and I find it rewarding when we can help people in that holistic sense.”

Where would we usually find you outside of work?

Running around the Lake in the mornings just as the sun comes up and it’s getting light - it’s the most beautiful time of day. Or in winter, walking up Mt Ainslie when it’s -4 outside and it’s foggy and there’s just a little bit of light. Then you get to the top of the mountain and the fog is completely blanketed over the city and you can just see the top of Black Mountain tower on top of all the fog. They're the sort of things I love that make Canberra so beautiful.

Top home must-haves?

I think it’s important to look at the light immersion and how that connects between the living spaces and outside, particularly the gardens. I think that adds just a whole other level to a home. Then of course the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and you spend a lot of time in there. It doesn't even have to be a new kitchen, but you want it to be really centralised in the home and connect the family and all the people that are living there together.

TALK TO HOLLY KOMOROWSKI?