Karla Thomas

Karla Thomas is the founder and Managing Broker Urb & Burb Realty. An entrepreneur at her core, Karla started her first business at the age of 12 and the bug took hold and it's been a journey ever since. It was not a straight path to her true calling: Real Estate Brokerage and Residential Renovation Specialist. 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. After 11 years as an agent, Karla decided to put some of her executive management skills to opening her own Lifestyle and Neighborhood Real Estate Brokerage. In her words..."As they say, necessity is the mother of all invention. After adopting our first daughter and starting on the path to adopt our second, my partner and I started the long journey of deciding whether to stay in the city or move to the suburbs. It took many grueling conversations, countless hours of internet research on schools, parks, crime reports by area, but we decided that we were going to move to the Northshore. Even though we were lucky enough to be able to narrow the suburb down to Evanston very quickly, we realized that Evanston itself had at least 5 very distinct neighborhoods in terms of feel, amenities and price point. After navigating all these factors, we happily settled into a home, 2 years after we started this process. Throughout the process, I met and commiserated with many other families who were struggling through the same arduous process. As an efficiency expert in my corporate career (Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt), I knew that there must be an easier path...even if I needed to create it myself. As I worked to formulate the a new real estate brokerage model that focused more on the right community than just the house, I was able to draw on my own experiences. I crafted a process that would allow families to easily access the information they need to make the best decisions and strategically get to know the neighborhoods that meet their hard criteria (price point, commute, school performance, amenities), and their soft criteria (walkability, neighborhood feel). Urb & Burb is a manifestation of all the things I learned in my journey married with a passion for real estate and helping others." "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!"