The Holden Agency, North-Central Ohio based real estate agency headquartered in downtown Mansfield, recently celebrated five years in business.The Holden Agency (THA) was founded in 2013 by CEO/Broker Jerry Holden, a longtime Richland County resident who has been at the forefront of commercial and residential real estate in Ohio since 2005. As a local resident, Holden said it was clear to him that north central Ohio lacked what the market was demanding in a more fast-paced, modern, up-to-date business model, which he set out to address with the formation of The Holden Agency.THA was built upon the foundation of four key principles: innovation, partnership, vision, and integrity. Holden’s goal was to build an agency that provided clients with a redefined real estate experience, where clients have an entire team working on their behalf rather than the industry standard of competing agents.“It was amazing to me that, all throughout the country, there was basically just a bunch of individual agents working for themselves and not collaborating as a team. Most seem to lack the understanding that they will provide their clients with better service and be more successful when they work together as a unit,” Holden said.With that in mind, Holden set out to foster a team atmosphere where agents would trust, share, and collaborate with one another, creating a win-win situation for both clients and agents.Holden is no stranger to operating in an environment driven by team success. Before real estate, he enjoyed a career as a pitcher in minor league baseball, where many of THA’s same goals apply.“I have been involved in sports all my life. No matter what accolades I received, I know I couldn’t have succeeded without my teammates on the field with me,” he stated. “When everyone involved contributes, each person succeeds. We operate under this same business model as an agency.”The success of THA’s model is evident in the agency’s rapid growth. In just five years, THA has grown exponentially to a team of 34 agents serving clients throughout the state of Ohio.“I think our key principles, as well as the hard work and dedication of our team are why clients have enjoyed working with us and we have been able to expand so quickly,” Holden said. “This agency is nothing without the incredibly skilled agents that we have on our team, and all of wonderful clients throughout Ohio who continue to provide us with referrals and repeat business.”One of the longest-tenured members of THA is agent Hollie Brenner. Brenner joined the agency upon its inception in 2013 and has since taken on additional roles as a coach for other agents within the company.“I think I speak for the others on our team when I say we look forward to coming into the office every day. We can all sit down at the same table and give and take advice from one another,” Hollie said. “We have built strong relationships with each other and help each other out whenever we can, which allows us to really put the client first.”In an effort to continually meet the growing demands of the market, Holden has also expanded into other service offerings, providing clients with a “one-stop-shop” experience. In August of this year, THA Mortgage, a partner entity of The Holden Agency, was launched. The company strives to provide a quality, convenient lending experience to home buyers while also providing significant cost savings to customers.“There’s no reason for borrowers to have to spend $7,000 on closing costs when borrowing money to purchase a home,” Holden stated. “We’re happy to give customers the opportunity to save a significant amount of money and get off to a great start on their new home.”The industry-disrupting, non-competing approach of The Holden Agency has caught the attention of some of the largest media outlets in the industry. The agency has been highlighted on numerous occasions in RIS Media’s Real Estate Magazine. Globally-recognized Inman News has also published several features on THA including “My big break: 7 top producers on the moment that changed it all” and “Should in-house agents compete? This indie broker says 'no'” by Gill South.In addition, the agency has also been honored with several awards and nominations. In 2017, Inman News recognized The Holden Agency as one of the nation’s 32 finalists for the prestigious Innovator of the Year award. On a local level, Holden was named the 2016 Entrepreneurial Spirit Award Winner by the Richland Community Development Group (RCDG), as well as a member of Richland County’s 2016 “10 Under 40” along with THA agent Jessica Gribben.As an agency, THA was honored as a nominee for the 2016 Small Business of the Year award from the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce.Holden recognizes that the success, growth, and accomplishments his company has achieved are all attributed to the communities that THA operates within.“We are so fortunate to be involved in so many great communities throughout the area. We try to be invested in every chamber in the cities that we serve. It has been a pleasure to give back where we can and take part in so many great events that benefit groups in our local communities.”As Holden looks forward to what the next five years hold, he makes it clear that he and his team have no plans on slowing down, and that there will always be room to improve.“Over the next five years, I see us working on getting even better. One thing that we focus on each day is improvement. I’m a true believer that you can raise their skill level every day, no matter what profession you are in. We plan to continually expand to new areas throughout the state of Ohio, remaining focused in the local communities that were involved in, and taking care of our customers that have been gracious to us.”