Running Her Own Race: Veronica Kamara’s Ascent in Commercial Real Estate

A Core Memory That Sparked a Real Estate Career

Veronica Kamara’s family of seven was squeezed into a two-bedroom condo, but when her dad became a partner at his law firm and her mom’s business took off, they finally started looking for a new home. The residential broker made an impression on the 9-year-old. “I just thought the broker was so cool,” said Kamara, who has just been named an ICSC 4 Under 40 honoree. “That moment became such a core memory for me.” She loved the idea of matching people with the right spaces and the fact that a physical structure could change someone’s life.

Since starting at KLNB in Tysons, Virginia, in 2012, Kamara has executed more than 500 leasing and sales transactions, and she became the firm’s first partner who is a person of color — both feats that surely would have impressed her 9-year-old self.

From Division 1 Athlete to Deal Strategist

Kamara’s rise was driven by strategy, resilience and a competitive engine honed during her years as a Division 1 track and cross-country athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in politics, philosophy and economics. “Athletes make good brokers because you learn to recover quickly,” she said. “You reset. You adjust. Every time you line up, you bring a new strategy.”

Right out of college, Kamara took a job at CoStar, covering the Raleigh-Durham market. “It’s a really good first job,” she said. “CoStar is basically the MLS of our business.” Her days were spent calling owners, tracking contacts, verifying listings. Still, “the athlete in me wanted more control,” she said. “I wanted to work really hard, fall on my face if I had to and not have someone dictate how much — or how little — I could make.” So in her off-hours, she researched every top brokerage in Washington, D.C., searching their online staff listings for women and emailing each one: “I work at CoStar, and given your success in a male-dominated industry, I’d love to grab lunch or coffee.” She told C+CT: “Every single one said yes.” One introduction led to another until that 2012 introduction to KLNB.

Persistence, Creativity and the Early Deals That Shaped Her Career

One of her earliest assignments for the brokerage company was finding locations for standalone Wells Fargo ATMs. “ATMs outside branches were basically unheard of,” she said. “It was often shot down, but the client really wanted it and I became so invested.” She gathered developer feedback, built marketing materials to address their concerns and watched the momentum shift. Ultimately, KLNB placed at least 15 or 20 ATMs in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area from 2013 to 2017, she said. “It’s not leasing an existing space,” she noted. “You’re leasing a spot on a sidewalk or a parking lot. We had to get creative with locations, and it meant navigating permits, approvals, almost a little ground lease every time.” That experience taught her the persistence that she still emphasizes today. “Even if something seems small to the other side, you stay focused on your client’s goal. You keep going.”

Scaling a Client Roster and a Reputation

At KLNB, Kamara’s work and reputation both scaled quickly. She grew her client roster from three to more than 50. She has leased ground-up developments like the Wegmans-anchored Hilltop Village Center and a Wegmans-anchored project in Kingstowne, Virginia. She’s now leasing Market at Austin Ridge in Stafford, Virginia, where tenants include Aldi, Sheetz and Texas Roadhouse.

The assignments she loves most are the ones that bring her in early, when they’re still in the sketch stage. “I like seeing a vision and a dream become very real,” she explained. “You’re in a long partnership with the developer, helping orient the project, telling them what retailers want, weighing in on categories, even on underwriting and architecture.”

Trust, Results and a Reputation for Integrity

Industry colleagues say her edge is her instinct for people, the way she builds trust. “Veronica ... had no connections to commercial real estate when beginning her career,” said KLNB director of operations Tiffany Conaway. “She builds meaningful connections, crafts thoughtful merchandising strategies and secures competitive deal structures.” Rappaport director of leasing and brokerage Thomas Bolen III echoed that: “Veronica is one of the most ethical and well-versed brokers I know. Her humility is encouraging.”

Her results speak just as strongly, including CoStar Power Broker awards for Washington, D.C., retail in 2021 and 2022, but Kamara insists her success is simple: “You stay persistent, you do the work and you always, always show up for your clients.”

Leadership Beyond the Deal: ICSC and Industry Advocacy

That work ethic is part of what drew her to ICSC volunteerism. “I knew about ICSC from Day 1,” she said. She served on the ICSC Mid-Atlantic Next Generation Committee and is currently the Government Relations chair for Virginia. She has seen how the industry is shaped at the policy level. “Real estate and politics go hand in hand,” she says. “ICSC is on the front lines.”

The ICSC 4 Under 40 honor has been humbling. “I know I have sponsors and mentors I don’t even know about, people who’ve vouched for me,” she said. “This is a really exciting phase where I can take a step back and learn and grow from these amazing leaders.”

Opening Doors for the Next Generation

Even as she steps into new rooms, she’s focused on opening doors for others, including her daughters and other young girls. She has self-published three children’s books: “Princess CEO,” “A Princess CEO Workbook” and “What Makes Me a Unicorn?” The idea originated while she was shopping for toys during pregnancy. “The girls aisle had home goods: kitchen sets, brooms. The boys aisle had superheroes and careers,” she said. Rather than eliminating the princess narrative altogether, she wanted to expand it. Now, those titles form the foundation of the Princess Nation platform to help girls dream big and see career possibilities early. More titles like “Dr. Princess” and “President Princess” are on the way, along with other products including curricula, affirmations and hands-on educational activities. Asked if there will be a “Princess Real Estate Broker,” she revealed: “I’m actually working on that one right now.”