Compass points clients in right direction for sales

photo Compass Auctions and Real Estate Chief Financial Officer Steven Holt uses tailor-made auction marketing to help clients get the highest possible financial returns for their property. Photo by Emily Crisman

Compass Auctions and Real Estate has the industry tools and experience to point clients in the right direction to get the highest possible financial returns when selling their possessions, says company CFO Steven Holt, who has more than 25 years of experience in the auction business.

"I run across a lot of people who are falling on hard times and need some help, and the auction method of marketing is a great tool for that," he said. "We're all about customer service, and we're here to take care of people."

Holt follows in the footsteps of his father, who started a similar auction and real estate business 35 years ago which his brother continues to operate in Colorado.

"It's a great business - it's exciting, it can be fast-paced and it's always changing," Holt said. "There's nothing as satisfying and fulfilling. You have the opportunity to directly impact somebody's life in a positive way."

He said his new company is unusual in that it deals in both small and large items, meaning if an item has no value in the auction market, Compass utilizes its technological tools to sell even the smallest of possessions nationally and internationally.

Compass is also the only company in the Southeast accredited by the National Association of Senior Move Managers, which involves training specializing in assisting clients such as empty-nesters, widows, widowers and seniors interested in downsizing.

"We can facilitate everything from finding them a new place to live to selling the place they're in and selling their personal property," he said.

Membership in the National Auctioneers Association and Tennessee Auctioneers Association offers Compass clients the benefits of networking capabilities nationwide, which means Holt knows where a particular item holds the most value. Association membership also keeps the company abreast of frequently changing laws, rules and regulations associated with the business.

For the past two decades Holt has traveled the nation extensively, most notably as the lead auctioneer for Harley-Davidson repossessions nationwide. The motorcycle enthusiast also deals in other brands such as Yamaha, Suzuki and Duchati, as well as boats, jet skis, ATVs and anything relating to powersports.

The Holts moved to North Chattanooga in 2007 from Colorado Springs, where Steven Holt first met his wife Paige at an antique auction he was working as she shopped for furniture for her new apartment.

"It was the only time in my auction history I was tongue-tied," said Holt of his first encounter with the Pikeville native, who now serves as president of Compass. He said the couple had come through Chattanooga many times to visit her family, and they felt it would be a good place to raise their children.

The Holts met business partners and Soddy-Daisy residents Jody and Christina Chambers, vice-president of Compass, through their sons who became friends while attending Bright School.

Compass' first job in Chattanooga was an auction to raise funds for the local Extreme Home Makeover, and the company was also behind Bright's annual fundraising auction this year as well as the Chattanooga Medical Association's Denim and Diamonds auction. Currently in the works is a fundraising auction for area victims of the April 27 tornadoes.

In addition to fundraisers, Compass also facilitates real estate and business auctions. One of the company's main strengths is its ability to tailor its services to a specific client.

Compass Auctions and Real Estate is at 901 Cherokee Blvd. and can be reached at 702-6180.

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