When Elea’s grandparents fled war-torn Greece for a better life in America as entrepreneurs, she witnessed what it takes to be successful – integrity, determination, and grit. She still attributes her success today to these skills, as they represent a large part of her brand and identity. “My grandparents sacrificed everything to create a better future for me,” she explains. “Real estate allows me to make a real impact on others, while carrying on their legacy.”
Despite those initial challenges, Elea’s family found their home base in Dayton, OH, and created a home life much like that of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. With a large family and her dad being a semi-professional Greek musician, there were always parties and dances happening at her house. She still tries to travel to Greece every few years to stay in touch with her roots.
Elea has now grown her own roots in the Columbus area, having recently purchased and renovated her first home. She enjoys long walks with her bernedoodle, Charlie, around the area to admire the old, early 1900’s architecture. While she’s lived in Columbus for eight or nine years now, this is the place that made Columbus home for her – which is a feeling she tries to replicate for her clients with every sale. “The transfer of real estate is an extremely important matter and must be handled with skill and care. My real estate business strategy has been built on being the most skilled agent in the room,” says Elea.
When asked what sets her apart from other real estate professionals, she describes her unique entry into the industry and the individuals that fostered her knowledge and experiences. Prior to receiving her license in 2019, she worked as an intern for her current team, Millennium Group. Here, she was able to shadow the top agents in the industry before working as a co-listing agent with one of her biggest inspirations and former Top Professional Under 40 winner, Rachel Alley. Rachel brought Elea along on over 80 listing appointments where she was able to assist in 67 seller transactions. This ELEA KARRAS expedited her growth and allowed her to learn how to do real estate right away, without having to reinvent the wheel.
Elea has many inspirations that fuel her drive for success in the industry, but her competitive side is also a result of being a collegiate athlete who grew up on the basketball court. In such a demanding role, she sometimes finds it difficult to balance her work and personal life but has recently found an outlet in coaching high school basketball. While so much change has occurred in the last few years with her career taking off and moving to a new city, she explains that basketball has been her constant. “When I’m in the basketball gym, I feel like my old self and that this is who I am and who I’m supposed to be. It’s a really calming feeling to be there,” she says.
In the future, Elea is excited to help train, coach, and mentor other agents in the Central Ohio area and beyond, as the training she received so early in her career is something she holds close to her heart. Her advice for young professionals in the field? “Make sure you’re keeping an eye out for new opportunities and new doors to open, even if it’s not exactly what you’re imagining. If it feels right, dive right in and it will probably lead you somewhere better than you could have even planned."
