Janet Poloni Holland, a Santa Barbara native, attended Marymount High School in Santa Barbara and played piano at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West. Being from the area and owning real estate here for decades, she has seen how the community has evolved over the years and understands the microcosms of the various areas in town.
Janet earned degrees at College of Idaho in Accounting, French and Education. She and her husband, John, owned and operated a successful real estate company, ranked 135th in the nation in 2005, with 330 agents and 10 offices. Janet is a certified mentor for an international lead-generating business, Buffini and Company. She has developed proven strategies for success in the real estate business.
After raising their son, who recently moved away, Janet and John, also at Sotheby’s International Realty, have returned to their roots and now live in Santa Barbara. They enjoy golf, tennis and an occasional trip to snow ski in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Janet has been a very avid volunteer in the Junior League and co-chaired many fund-raising gala events. She received the Paul Harris Award from Rotary. She speaks conversational French and Spanish.
Janet feels that Santa Barbara has very unique properties, with no two alike, and that this makes the market a very challenging one when buying or selling a home. She knows that the process is very time consuming and access to homes is limited, and clients need an agent with time and patience to guide them through the process.
John Holland is a respected industry leader, having grown up in the business. His vast experience includes many aspects of real estate from personal residential sales to 1031 exchanges, complex commercial transactions and owning his own company.
The company John built over 20 years, Holland Realty, became an industry leader, achieving over one billion dollars in sales for 2005 with 10 offices and 330 agents.
John was approached about merging and selling his company and took the opportunity to become part of the nation’s 35th largest residential real estate brokerage. Through the transition, John became CEO of Corporate Development for the new company and worked on mergers and acquisitions. After the successful transition of selling his company, John decided it was time to trade corporate life to return to his home in Santa Barbara.
John feels that his passion in marketing, designing and implementing professional sales programs greatly contributes to his success. Over the years, John was personally hired to be the director of sales and marketing for over 100 communities, many of which were for high-end luxury homes. He has a unique talent in designing sales offices and enhancing land plans with lakes, ponds, monuments and professional landscaping. His marketing ability is also witnessed in new large urban condominium developments, where he has designed floor plans and staged units.
John has worked with many advertising agencies, graphic artists, photographers and internet providers, designing several on-line sales programs. He has won recognition for his annual Holland Spring Home Festival, with 40 homes per year continuing for 20 years, and his intimate high-end luxury home show, Art and Architecture, featuring well-known artists that brought high-end buyers to the homes.
Now in Santa Barbara, John finds that his newest challenge is to help home sellers in the current economy. John’s newest local program is named Introduce Your Home For Sale in Today’s Market.
John believes continuing education truly helps protect clients today. His many credentials include Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), Certified Short Sale Specialist (CSSS), Certified Buffini and Company Mentor, Member of the Urban Land Institute and Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Economics.
John enjoys giving his time to help his community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors for St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. He was recognized by the Better Business Bureau, receiving the Annual Integrity Award. He was also City Treasurer for his college town, which helped him understand community needs.
John and Janet Holland, both California natives, married in Solvang, California, and now have the time to help clients discover the Santa Barbara lifestyle that they so cherish.