COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY

Kara brings a unique business perspective to real estate, borne of a decade of experience negotiating high-stakes contracts with clients around the world. After graduating with a degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University, she spent her early career working as a global commodities manager for notable companies including IBM, Flextronics, and GlaxoSmithKline. “All of my experiences have led me to where I am today,” she says. “I learned a lot as an engineer, first by having the discipline to get through my studies at Purdue, and then by learning how to run systems and processes. It has allowed me to look at our business and find ways to make it more efficient. Working in global negotiations, I learned to work with different personalities and nationalities, to understand their values and bring people together to a common ground.”

As broker/owner of Key Associates, Kara continues to originate transactions while overseeing the dayto-day management of her company. “I’ve stayed in production because it’s what I love. It also allows me to help guide agents in terms of what I see happening in the market. I think when brokers stop getting out there with clients, they lose touch.”

Kara highlights the advantages of working with a local boutique over a big-box real estate company. “I think I can watch the market, listen and adapt to what agents and clients need faster than a big franchise. Companies that are working across the nation or the world can’t change on a dime and give agents the support they need in their market.”

She is particularly passionate about introducing young professionals to real estate and helping them develop lucrative careers. Kara’s many videos on YouTube attract young talent and clientele to her brand. “It’s important to my brokerage to be out there first and center. The younger generation is attracted to the brokerage because they see that what I’m doing is something they believe in and understand. While a lot of the basics in real estate never go away, there are new ways of approaching the business with technology and social media that make us more efficient and able to communicate with the next generation. We have a whole online onboarding and training system, and I’m also here to help train in person. Real estate is a way for young people to stay in the town where they grew up and make good money to support a family.”

The people-focused culture at Key Associates makes it a place where people love to work. Kara comments, “People want to come and stay here because we have a culture of caring and teamwork.

Agents are not isolated in their own individual worlds, as is so often the case in real estate. I don’t want it siloed at all, so we do a lot of activities that bring people together to prevent that.”

Kara leads her team by example with service rooted in market knowledge, commitment to excellence and the determination to get things done. In fact, Kara stands behind every transaction by not locking clients into a contract. Reputation is everything in a small town, and she and her team are known for upholding the highest ethical standards. “There’s something to be said about taking care of the people in your home town. I still have friends I grew up with and know three generations of their families.”

Recent sellers describe Kara as “super energetic and organized,” “down to earth,” and “always professional and concerned about our well being during our transaction.”