About Kara
Meet Kara Girod
She/Her/They/Them
Portland real estate broker. Former professional dancer. GiGi's Playhouse Portland volunteer. Mom of two.
A Real Estate Partner for Every Chapter
Before Kara Girod sold her first home, she had already spent years performing on stages across Portland and San Francisco. Trained in classical ballet from age three, she earned a dance degree from Loyola Marymount University and built a performing career that included BodyVox, ODC, Lex Dones, and BV2. She opened her own co-op movement studio in 2010, then discovered salsa through Gemini Salsa, began touring internationally with a salsa cabaret, and eventually competed at the World Latin Dance Cup.
She came to real estate in 2012 after teaching yoga and dance across the Portland area, and brought the same instinct that made her a good teacher to her work as a broker. She has been part of more than 500 transactions over her career, both as a transaction coordinator and as a licensed broker. Today she runs Girod Real Estate LLC under the MORE Realty umbrella, holds certifications across all of her specialties, and keeps learning on purpose.
A mom of two, a GiGi's Playhouse Portland volunteer, and a person who has called this region home for years, Kara works with all kinds of families: first-time buyers who have been told no before, multigenerational households making space for everyone, LGBTQ+ families, immigrant families, and people navigating the complicated life transitions that sometimes bring real estate into the picture.
Based in Beaverton and affiliated with MORE Realty, Kara works across Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas Counties, and regularly crosses the Columbia River to serve buyers in Clark County, Washington.
Credentials & Certifications
- Oregon Licensed Real Estate Broker
- Zillow Premier Agent (5.0 stars)
- ADU Specialist
- Multigenerational Housing Specialist
- Listing Specialist Designation (LSD)
- Investment Properties Specialist
- First-Time Homebuyer Specialist
- Situational Transition Real Estate (Probate & Divorce)
- Build-to-Rent & Master-Planned Communities
- 55+ / Senior Downsizing Specialist
The Story Behind the Agent
Kara started dancing before she started school. Classical ballet from age three, a dance degree from Loyola Marymount University, and a professional performing career that took her across stages in Portland and San Francisco. She danced with BodyVox, ODC, Lex Dones, and BV2. She taught yoga and dance across the Portland area while building a performance career, then opened her own co-op movement studio in 2010. When she discovered salsa through Gemini Salsa, the path took another turn: international touring with a salsa cabaret, eventually qualifying and competing at the World Latin Dance Cup. She shifted her focus to teaching and choreographing around 2015.
She still dances. Real estate and dance coexist in her life now, alongside being a mom of two and volunteering regularly with GiGi's Playhouse Portland, a free achievement center for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Her time with GiGi's has deepened her awareness of what accessible, welcoming, and accommodating housing can mean for families who navigate the world a little differently. That awareness shows up in how she approaches transactions involving multigenerational households, adaptive living spaces, and clients who have been made to feel like too much trouble by agents who were not paying attention.
Portland has been home for years, and that rootedness is part of who she is as an agent. She works with families from every corner of the city and every corner of the world. LGBTQ+ couples buying their first home together. Immigrant families navigating a complicated and sometimes discouraging process. Multigenerational households trying to find space for everyone. People going through divorce, loss, or transitions that do not fit neatly into a form. The common thread is that she shows up the same way for all of them: present, patient, and genuinely invested.
What Sets Kara Apart
These are not talking points. They are what clients describe after working with Kara through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.
Honest and transparent in every financial dealing, from the first showing to the final signature.
Deeply versed in hyper-local Portland market data and trends across every neighborhood she serves.
Quick to answer calls, texts, and emails because timely communication wins and loses deals.
Sensitive to the emotional weight of buying, selling, or transitioning. Real estate is never just financial.
Meticulous with contracts, deadlines, and disclosures so nothing falls through the cracks.
Clear, proactive, and jargon-free. You will always know exactly where your transaction stands.
Relentless in pursuing the right deal for her clients and defending their interests at every turn.
Skilled at troubleshooting unexpected inspection findings, appraisal gaps, and financing surprises.
Backed by a robust local network of lenders, inspectors, contractors, attorneys, and fellow agents.
Approachable and warm without feeling scripted. Clients consistently describe her as a trusted friend.
Integrity-driven in every situation, especially the ones where the easy path would compromise a client.
Insightful with data, decisive in fast-moving situations, and consistently accurate in pricing strategy.
Always learning, always asking the next question. Keeps studying the market and the profession so clients benefit from what she just figured out.
Problems in real estate are rarely solved the same way twice. Kara brings fresh thinking to deals that feel stuck.
The habits she built in years of training keep her focused and consistent through even the most demanding transactions.
There is no type of client she works with best. Families of every shape and background have found her approachable from the first call.
Portland is not a backdrop for Kara. It is home. She knows the neighborhoods because she has lived in and alongside them for years.
Real estate is serious business and also a life transition. Kara believes those do not have to be joyless.
Every recommendation she makes comes from deliberate thought, not habit. She chooses her partners and advisors with care.
She does not go neutral when her clients need someone in their corner. She knows how to push without burning bridges.
Holds certifications across her specialties and keeps building on them. Not for the credential count, but because the industry changes.
She has worked through the stressful transactions and keeps her composure. Clients feel steadier because she is steady.
She genuinely loves real estate. After more than a decade, that is not a given in any profession, and clients notice it.
She works with LGBTQ+ families, immigrant families, multigenerational households, and people of every background, actively and intentionally.
Helping someone find their place in this city still matters to her in a real way. That feeling comes through.
She looks after her clients after closing too. The relationship does not end at the signing table.
Fully engaged in your transaction. Not managing you from a distance. With you through the whole thing.
A performer by background and temperament, she brings energy to the work that is hard to manufacture and easy to feel.
She will tell you things you might not want to hear, recommend against a deal when the numbers do not work, and hold firm when a negotiation gets uncomfortable.
16 Verified Reviews on Zillow
Kara holds a perfect 5.0-star rating as a Zillow Premier Agent. Every review is verified by Zillow and reflects a real client who worked with her through a transaction. Read them yourself.
Read Reviews on Zillow“Kara and I met by complete accident and I will be forever thankful we did. As a first-time homebuyer she made me feel like I made a friend who was going to hold my hand through the entire process.”
“Kara is the person you want in your corner. She has deep knowledge of the Portland area markets and real estate processes, always at the ready with the right information at the right moment.”
“Kara is not just a great agent, but an exceptional one. I have worked with many agents and she stands in a category of her own. She made this entire process feel manageable and even exciting.”
Ready to Get Started?
Let's Find Your Next Home
Whether you are buying, selling, or just exploring, Kara is ready to put her 11 years of Portland market expertise to work for you.