Member Focus: The Halls

Husband and wife Micah and Tatiana feel right at home working together. Since starting their own real estate team, The Hall Collective, in 2022, they’ve built a reputation for their intentional and hands-on approach with clients. They also love being hands-on with their passion projects, like renovating their historic craftsman home in Chattanooga. We recently chatted with them about their journey to becoming real estate agents and members of Common House’s bustling community of entrepreneurs. 

What is your background? 

Micah: My passion for houses, renovations, and home projects started at an early age. Growing up in Chattanooga, in the historic neighborhood of St. Elmo, weekends were spent helping my dad renovate our family home. After graduating from Covenant College, I did a variety of things, working as a barista, a truck driver, and for a non-profit. But when Tati and I got married, I returned to my roots and started doing carpentry, renovating houses, and working with investors to source houses for renovations. And after seeing how much Tatiana enjoyed real estate, I decided to get licensed as well.

Tatiana: I was born and raised in Managua, Nicaragua. Initially, I lived in the U.S. from the ages of 6 to 7 years old, while my dad completed one of his Master’s Degrees. Afterwards, we moved back to Nicaragua, where and I studied architecture in college. Micah and I got married in 2014 after dating long distance and currently share a craftsman fixer upper close to downtown Chattanooga with our two doggos, Diesel and Whiskey. My hobbies and passions include photography, video editing, and interior design.

What are you doing currently? 

We got our start in real estate on a bigger team a few years back, and through that experience we gained incredible training and expertise. In the summer of 2022, we decided to create our own team with eXp Realty called The Hall Collective and it’s been nothing short of amazing. We’ve able to provide clients with a more tailored and boutique-like service and we focus on three categories: real estate, design, and lifestyle. We share tips for buyers, sellers, and investors by providing a behind-the-scenes look at our process and advice on our house renovation projects, as well as personal investments. We also enjoy sharing snippets of our personal lives as we work on renovating our historic home; and we love highlighting what our city has to offer.

How did you get into that world of work?

Through a lot of hard work and sacrifice. We didn’t start with much when we first got married, and we faced a few challenges ranging from immigration, health issues, and not being able to see family and friends for extended periods of time. So we took jobs that were a step in the right direction to get us where we are today. Tatiana wanted to work in real estate from the beginning, but we needed to have a more steady income, so she secured a corporate job at an insurance company downtown. At the beginning of our marriage, I worked as a carpenter doing trim work and furniture, home renovations and then worked with investors looking for off-market properties. Eventually, Tatiana was able to take the leap and get her real estate license. She joined a top performing team where she received a lot of training and mentorship, and a little while later I got my real estate license as well and joined the team. It was quite the journey but all those experiences prepared us to be successful with our own team.

What excites you about what you’re doing currently?

Micah: I grew up with educators and decided early on that I didn’t want to be a teacher in the traditional sense. But I’ve discovered that I love teaching in other capacities. I get the most excited about educating our clients on the home buying/selling process and the current economic landscape.

Tatiana: Real estate is a relationship business and I really enjoy getting to know people and learning what motivates and drives them. Our clients come to us for expert advice and as a person who loves to problem solve, I take the time to ask many questions and come up with creative solutions for them. It brings me joy to help people reach their goals and learn more about my field in the process. I know that owning and investing in real estate creates generational wealth, provides safe and comfortable spaces, and brings people together. What’s not to love about it? Another aspect that I absolutely love and am excited about is house design. We add our flare and style to our investment properties, as well as design, source fixtures/finishes, and advise our investors and homeowners on their home renos and decor.  

How did you find CH?

Tatiana took a tour while working for our previous brokerage while it was in the building phase and it continued to be on our radar. We love the aesthetics of the building and the social media presence and vibes. Having attended several events, social gatherings, and knowing a lot of people who are members, it was a no brainer when it came to picking out a workplace. 

What do you enjoy most about CH?

We love connecting with other like-minded entrepreneurs and working in various spaces of CH. The staff is always very nice and we’ve gotten to know them and feel right at home every time we’re working or bringing in our friends and clients. The design and aesthetics of the space are exquisite! We like the pops of color, warmth, and intentional design that each area offers. The location is perfect for our needs –– close to our home, restaurants, dog parks, local shops –– which allows for a convenient work and play balance. 

Have you made any cool connections at the House (friends, networking, etc)?

Yes, we’ve met other fellow real estate agents, investors, small businesses owners and entrepreneurs, friends and have attended fun events. CH brings people of all backgrounds together and love being part of this community!