Allie Beth Allman & Associates | Vice President and Realtor
by Kristin Todd
What do you get when you pair an experienced trial attorney with high-dollar residential properties? A successful real estate agent. Add in three kids, a husband and community volunteer time, and meet Karla Trusler.
After earning business and law degrees from Baylor, Trusler practiced as a criminal defense attorney for almost a decade. However, she had previously obtained a real estate license while attending Baylor to prepare herself for “potential future involvement in my family’s real estate dealings.”
The real estate license proved useful later when Trusler made the career change from attorney to real estate agent, as she and her husband decided to start a family. Originally from the Park Cities area in Dallas where she now lives and works, Trusler made a smooth transition.
“Being in a familiar territory in real estate is helpful from two aspects: one is the obvious geographic and neighborhood knowledge; the other is that it makes for a much easier transition because of the broad referral base of family and friends,” she said.
Her business and legal background certainly give her an edge when it comes to truly understanding what it means to represent buyers and sellers in every aspect of a real estate transaction. “For most people, their home is the most expensive single asset or investment they will ever purchase,” she said. “For that reason, as well as the fact that it is your ‘home,’ it can also be a very emotional transaction. It’s important for an agent to be able to walk the line between ‘It’s an investment’ and ‘It’s my home,’ and help the client keep both in perspective.”
Trusler also keeps transactions in perspective by investing time and developing personal connections with her clients. In fact, she has rarely worked with a client that has not become a friend. “While working with my clients on a professional level, the emotional aspects of buying a home foster a personal relationship,” she said. “By the end of the transaction, I end up knowing their children, their friends and even their pets!”