The real estate business is one of those professions where people often try to get in and make a “quick buck.” In good times, some people are able to actually do that. Unfortunately, that “quick buck” often comes at the expense of the customer. However, during economic downturns like the one we have experienced over the last couple of years, that ability quickly evaporates. The people left standing during the down times are positioned for growth and expansion as the economic cycle rebounds. These survivors are usually leaders and people who have built their businesses on solid foundations with an emphasis on the needs of the customer.

Carla Palmer-Allen is one of these survivors. With over twenty years in the real estate business, she has established herself as a real leader. In 2011, she will begin her tenure as President of the 1,500+ member Jackson Association of Realtors and begin her 11th year as the owner of her own real estate brokerage company, CPA Realty, LLC. Allen grew up in the Georgetown community of Jackson. Her family had a dry cleaning business, and from an early age, she helped out after school as the cashier. Allen knew she did not want to continue in the family business, so she pursued a career in office administration with Deposit Guaranty National Bank. After working there for a number of years, she needed to earn some extra income so she started working part time in real estate. She quickly knew she had found her calling in life and left her banking career to become a full time real estate agent. She began with Universal Homes and Properties in 1990, and then joined Remax of North Jackson in 1994 where she remained until 2000 when she started her own company.