Urb & Burb Realty - The Art and Science of Finding HomePrincipal & Managing Broker
Jan. 2014Evanston, ILKarla Thomas is the co-founder and Managing Broker Urb & Burb Realty. An entrepreneur at her core, Karla started her first business at the age of 12. Buying anything from candy to clothing wholesale, she would re-sell it at her school for a “hefty” profit compared to her then allowance. The entrepreneurial bug took hold, so between high school and college she launch over 15 money making ventures to pay her way through undergrad. “Real Estate to me is not a job; it’s a passion….an obsession. In the last 11 years, I have gone from being an investor, to landlord, to property manager, to broker, to developer and now Managing Broker of my own firm” It was not a straight path to her true calling: Real Estate Brokerage and Renovation. She gained a BS in Engineering with an emphasis in Materials, which plays a foundational role in both the mechanics of any renovation and the design. She then went on to get a MBA at Kellogg School of Business Management, Northwestern University which provides the financial foundation of the market analysis she is so well known for by both her real estate and renovation clients. While working simultaneously in the corporate sector as a Director of Continuous Improvement and a Real Estate Investor coach, Agent and Developer for over 14 years, Karla decided to put some of her executive management skills to opening her own Lifestyle and Neighborhood Real Estate Brokerage. “When you love what you do, it comes naturally and you take great joy in helping others through the process! I have found my bliss in finding families a home to continue their life’s journey in and giving old spaces new life!”