Karla Thomas

Urb & Burb Realty

21 Years of Experience

(19)

$5M

Total Sales Last Year

Years of Experience

Recent TransactionsTransactions from the last 3 years

$509.3K

Average Price Point

Service Areas

Chicago, IL Des Plaines, IL Evanston, IL Glenview, IL Golf, IL Hoffman Estates, IL Kenilworth, IL Morton Grove, IL Mount Prospect, IL Niles, IL Park Ridge, IL Rolling Meadows, IL Skokie, IL Techny, IL Wilmette, IL Winnetka, IL

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About 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!"

Specialties

Sellers
Buyers
Residential Property

Awards

2025
TOP AGENT
Evanston, IL

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Karla Thomas's Reviews & Ratings

19 Reviews

(5/5)

Note: Reviews may include other agents on their team

What clients say about this agent....

Knowledgeable
Responsive
Professional
Trustworthy
Outstanding
Communicative
Attentive
Great for new buyers

Terencemc63

Review for Member: Karla Thomas

December 30, 2025

Local Knowledge

Process Expertise

Responsiveness

Negotiation skills

ZillowVERIFIED

Working with Karla from Urb & Burb in Evanston was an absolute pleasure. She brought a level of professionalism, warmth, and local expertise. She took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for and guided me through every step of the process with patience and confidence. Thanks to her deep knowledge of the Evanston market, I found the perfect two-bedroom condominium. This is a departure from the 4-bedroom home we currently own in Central PA. Karla was always responsive, proactive, and incredibly organized, making what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth and even enjoyable. What really stood out was how genuinely invested she was in helping me find the right home, not just any home. Her honesty, attention to detail, and advocacy on my behalf made all the difference. I couldnt be happier with my new place, and I'm truly grateful to Karla for making it happen. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell in the area.

Mrizzetto67

Review for Member: Karla Thomas

September 16, 2024

Local Knowledge

Process Expertise

Responsiveness

Negotiation skills

ZillowVERIFIED

Karla did an outstanding job match our needs with properties in the area. She was always responsive, friendly and we felt very comfortable with Karlas knowledge of the market and negotiation skills. Also, we really feel we can trust Karla because shes 100% honest and cares about her customers, making the sale is almost an afterthought.

Mckinneyderoyston

Review for Member: Karla Thomas

August 25, 2024

Local Knowledge

Process Expertise

Responsiveness

Negotiation skills

ZillowVERIFIED

Karla is an experienced realtor and a highly engage community member. She knows her stuff about houses, local neighborhoods, and takes time to get to know her clients needs and wants. We were referred to Karla by several friends, all of who had good experiences with realty services for sales and/or purchases. During our experience buying our home, it became clear how well-respected Karla is by other realtors, by inspectors, by developers, as well as by contractors. This was invaluable to us as we were looking at many different types of properties, including those that required quite a bit of work. At each step of our home buying process, Karla was there with timely insights and a supportive ear. She gave us ways to think about our options, opportunities to clarify our boundaries, and did her best to advocate for us at every term. We truly feel like we lucked out in having Karla as our realtor and we greatly appreciate her professionalism, expertise, and support.

Zuser20170412204705381

Review for Member: Karla Thomas

August 24, 2024

Local Knowledge

Process Expertise

Responsiveness

Negotiation skills

ZillowVERIFIED

Karla did an exceptional job, educating and supporting us as first time buyers. She explained the process, helped us understand why one property was a better value than another. Karla also comes with a deep network of colleagues and connections. She listened to our feedback and desires. Would 10/10 recommend her to anyone.

Clarissa

Review for Member: Karla Thomas

November 21, 2021

Local Knowledge

Process Expertise

Responsiveness

Negotiation skills

ZillowVERIFIED

Karla was amazing throughout our whole home buying process! She was patient as we looked for a house for over 2 years. Karla was very responsive to our messages and flexible with our availability. I mostly appreciated Karla?s honesty about home?s pros and cons. It showed that she cared about the value of our home and wasn?t just trying to close a deal. Thank you Karla! ??