Karla’s Story
Transaction Coordinator
“I grew up in a city where you could see another country from your front step.”
That was Tijuana in the nineties. Back then, crossing was easy. You showed a card and walked. An afternoon in San Diego was a normal Saturday, not a trip.
I walked to school on hillsides where people had buried old tires in the dirt to make steps. The buses went by and kicked up dust that landed all over my school shoes, and I spent the whole walk trying to keep my uniform clean. Even as a kid I wanted things clean, in order, and structured. That is still how I handle every file that crosses my desk.
I went into a PhD program and studied biology. I loved how it worked. You ask a question, you test it, you solve it. But something was missing. I did not just want to study systems. I wanted to work inside a system that helps people.
One Saturday afternoon it all changed. I was sick. I dragged myself out of the house just to get medicine, and the woman behind the counter asked if I was okay. Earlier that day I had helped an elderly man with a speech impairment finish a transaction he had been stuck on for ten years. Ten years. I watched the weight come off him in real time.
That was the moment. I left the PhD program and never looked back. And that is why I work with Travell and The Concierge Agency — I wanted to be somewhere that cares how it turns out for the person, not somewhere chasing a sale. That was more than ten years ago, and I am still here.
Once I understood what we were really doing, everything clicked. I was not pushing paper. I was standing next to people during one of the biggest moments of their lives.
Most of my work is on the selling side. A sale has a hundred moving parts and any one of them can derail the whole thing. My job is to make sure none of them do. I have also walked hundreds of buyers through their first purchase, and I have been there for people during the rough stretches.
The science never went to waste. I am a systems person. When a file gets chaotic, I can see the structure underneath it and sort it out.
There are two things I will not compromise. Honesty and accountability. Honesty and expectations are everything. If you are honest from day one and you make the expectations clear, then it is on you to deliver — and you can put all your energy into doing exactly that.
On the hard days, a message comes in from an agent or a client telling me the purchase finally came together and a dream became real. Knowing I had a hand in that makes all of it worth it.
With Gratitude,
Karla Pliego
Transaction Coordinator | More Than 10 Years With The Concierge Agency
About Travell
Travell Eiland is a Broker Associate and REALTOR® with The Concierge Agency at Samson Properties, and an Emmy award-winning former TV news anchor and investigative journalist. He is a Certified Real Estate Negotiator and Certified Listing Specialist, known for a structured, story-driven approach to complex selling and buying situations across Prince George’s County, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
Meet TravellAbout Me
I decided to be a news anchor when I was seven years old. It was the night before Thanksgiving. I remember the smell of sweet potato pies baking, as I sat on the living room floor watching the Charlie Brown Special. A news reporter interrupted to announce that the mayor had died. That day, my teacher had given us an assignment. We had to write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I was fascinated by the news coverage, and I knew I wanted to be a TV news anchor. It was what I worked for ever since.
After college, I landed my first TV News job. Over 16 years, I was continuously promoted to new positions. It allowed me to travel the country and the world learning and meeting new people. But I had another childhood dream… I wanted to sell houses. When my parents purchased our first home, I witnessed how homeownership changed our lives for the better. So about 10 years ago, I figured I could help people through TV News and help people through real estate. While working my full-time news job, I went to real estate school and got my license. I wanted to renovate houses.
I found my first rehab project while working on a news story. The homeowners had unknowingly rented the place to a suspected murderer who had a standoff with the SWAT team. The house was destroyed in the process. The family didn’t have insurance or the money to fix it up. I spent the day interviewing them, standing outside the property, staring at the wreckage. As I laid in bed that night, I was disturbed. My heart said help them but my boss at the news station told me I couldn’t. I bought the house anyway, leaving the family with enough money to start again. I realized I was just as passionate about real estate as I was about the news. Both careers allowed me to have a positive impact on people.
When I took a step back from news, I began to change. The weight of the negative news cycle had lifted. I read uplifting books and watched things that made me laugh. I made a conscious decision to practice gratitude each day and each day my list of things to be grateful for kept growing. I felt free. Giving up my dream career, gave me more than I could have ever imagined. I began to connect with myself, family, friends, and others on a deeper level.
After several months away from the news business, I was at a fork in the road. In the end, I decided to build my dream in the DMV. To serve others through real estate. I moved here alone. No friends. No family. I was stepping out on faith; believing that with hard work and a positive outlook, anything is possible. I have been a REALTOR® for a long time. My favorite part of the job is handling the complicated details so my clients can relax as their real estate dreams come true.
Whether you are buying or selling a home, it is a complicated process. There are a lot of moving parts and steps along the way. I have spent my life educating others through real estate and my long career as a TV news anchor and reporter. Making sure you know exactly what is going on and what your options are is important to me. That is why I will be there to coach you throughout the process because I want you to make the best decision to fit your lifestyle. My goal is to be your lifelong real estate advisor and friend.
With Gratitude,
What My Clients Are Saying
K. Douglas
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