Our Team
At Abbott Klar, we’re a pretty different bunch from your average realtors. Not one of us grew up thinking we’d be real estate agents. Instead, wildly diverse career paths and life experiences led each of us to enter real estate as a profession.
We all love real estate for its flexibility, its challenges, and more than anything
we love that rush we get knowing our work is actively improving the lives of our clients.
Shemaya Klar
If they gave out prizes for most developed mental map of Metro DC, Shemaya would give DC cab drivers a real run for their money. A longtime DC resident and realtor, he knows every nook, cranny, neighborhood, alley and traffic circle of the Capital City area. Shemaya has been the realtor of choice for hundreds of individuals and families across the area since 2002. More than closing a sale, he loves the adrenaline rush of helping a client improve their financial picture, whether it means buying a property with him, or just as important, knowing when to pass on an opportunity. He’s proud that every client he’s worked with walks away with a mini-PhD in real estate. Shemaya is Certified as an Associate Broker with Prudential PenFedand a Graduate of the REALTOR Institute. He has lived and studied abroad in Korea, Japan, and Israel and currently resides in the Brookland neighborhood of DC with his wife, daughter, and shaggy dog.
Socially acceptable addictions: Biking, welding, and motorcycles
Professional Affiliations: Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and the Washington, DC Association of Realtors (DCAR)
Life Motto in Six Words: So Many Interests, So Little Time.
Essential Music: Springsteen, Johnny Cash
A Perfect Sunday: Fishing on the Potomac with my daughter
Best Trip Ever: Yellowstone National Park on a motorcycle with my brother and father-in-law
What I really love about working in real estate is: People. I thrive on working with people.
My best moment in real estate: Helping a family save their home from foreclosure after a 2 year fight. Sometimes the little guy wins!
My wish for my clients is: Happiness.
Jake Abbott
Jake first arrived in DC as an Americorps Volunteer charged with helping refugees settle into new lives. Something meaningful clicked in Jake during those days. He witnessed firsthand the transformative power of finding a home. A few years later when a friend started a real estate investment and development firm and needed help, Jake jumped at the opportunity to get into real estate. A firm believer in do what you love, love what you do, Jake is delighted to still be loving his real estate career 8 years later. He has a reputation for extraordinary customer service and is our go-to broker on matters concerning construction and house restoration. Jake is licensed in DC, MD, and VA. He lives in the Brookland neighborhood of NE DC, an area he loves for its small town vibe.
Socially Acceptable Addictions: Coffee, biking and renovations
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Professional Affiliations: Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Washington, DC Association of Realtors (DCAR)
Volunteer Efforts: Greater Brookland Garden Club board member, Mary House board member, St. Anthony School
Languages: Spanish
Life Motto In Six Words: Go For It. Make It Happen.
Best Trip Ever: Vietnam
Previous Careers: Corporate fundraiser for NCLR and AARP Foundation. Prior to that worked for Mary House - nonprofit transitional housing program in DC (via Americorps)
My best moment in real estate: helping a 1st generation American purchase a home after having worked in construction their entire life and saving up.
My wish for my clients is: That they’re happy with their purchase, or choice not to purchase. I want them to feel informed and knowledgeable about the market and the choices they have.
Colleen Dailey
Although Colleen is a recent convert to real estate, she sees it as just another chapter in a rewarding career focused on helping people advance economically through smart investing. Prior to joining Abbott Klar, Colleen worked in the field of community economic development for thirteen years. As a nonprofit director, she created and managed several financial education programs to help District of Columbia residents purchase homes, start small businesses, and invest in higher education and job training. Colleen also worked to strengthen consumer financial protection laws in the District and to eliminate policies that discourage low-income families from saving and investing. Colleen moved to Washington, DC in 1998 from Colorado. Although her plan was to stay a couple of years and then return to her beloved Rockies, she found too many reasons to stay. Colleen and her husband bought their first home in 2008 in the Brookland neighborhood of DC, where they still reside with their two children. When the mountains beckon, she satisfies her outdoorsy urges by biking in Rock Creek Park and climbing sky-high Metro escalators.
Hometown: Warren, Ohio
Socially Acceptable Addictions: inhaling fresh mountain air and Trader Joe's shrimp goyza
Professional Affiliations: Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and the Washington, DC Association of Realtors (DCAR)
Volunteer Work: currently serving as vice chair of the Latino Economic Development Center's board of directors
Languages: Un poco de español
Essential Music: Latin & Classic Jazz
Life Motto In Six Words: Be Yourself. Live More. Laugh More.
Best Trip Ever: Favorites include traveling across the US in my invincible 1988 VW Jetta; traveling across Central America by school bus; exploring Istanbul on foot; spending a couple of days with Bedouins in the desert of Jordan; and my first trip to Morocco to meet my in-laws.
What I really love about working in real estate is: meeting people of diverse backgrounds who come to DC from every corner of the world; helping clients to find and buy a house that's a perfect match to their lifestyle and goals
My wish for my clients is: to be able to relax, enjoy the process, and be 100% satisfied at the end of the search or sale
Sharon Myers Jordan
Some people are natural born teachers, they have a special knack for patiently showing others the way and delighting in their success. Sharon Jordan is one of those people. She's been a professional ice skating coach most of her life and still teaches at the Cabin John Ice Rink. The enthusiasm and wisdom she displays on the ice, bubbles over into her real estate career. Sharon is a resourceful and experienced agent who puts her clients above all else. Licensed to work in MD, DC and VA, Sharon is that rarest of breeds in our transient town, a DC native. Her expertise spills over the District's boundaries into all the adjacent counties in Virginia and Maryland. Sharon lives in Montgomery County in a home she shares with her 96 year-young mother and her beloved menagerie including Cocker Spaniels Obie and Copper, her mixed miniature schnauzer-terrier Baby Girl, and her regal, short-haired cat, Kitty.
Hometown: Washington, DC
Professional Affiliations: Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Washington, DC Association of Realtors (DCAR)
Sports Obsessions: Mitey Mites Hockey Program, season ticket holder for the Washington Nationals Baseball Team, (been a major fan since they were the Senators playing at Griffith Stadium!)
Previous Careers: Ice Skating Coach, Owner of The Country Cupboard Guesthouse and Restaurant, (a European style B&B in Coastal Maine)
Best Trips Ever: Living in Germany for 6 months, taking my parents on a Caribbean cruise for their 25th anniversary, visiting Bethlehem, PA to do genealogy research on my European ancestors, driving coastal California from San Diego to North of San Francisco, and traveling to see my nieces and nephew in TX and NC
Life Motto In Six Words: Be Honest, Be Kind, Listen & Respect.
Hidden Talent: If I told you, it wouldn't be hidden any more!
What I really love about working in real estate is: I am given the privilege of working with people as their lives change and they chart a new course for a residence, sharing information, coaching clients, seeing great results
Ellen Czaplewski
Experience:
- Residential interior design
- Commercial space planning and program planning (US Agency for International Development)
- Product development and marketing (American Institute of Architects)
Affiliations:
- Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS)
- Greater Capitol Area Association of Realtors
- National Association of Realtors
- Washington DC Association of Realtors
Education:
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.S., Interior Design
- Kansas State University, M.S., Interior Design
- Cornell University, Ph.D. candidate in program planning and development
Ellen is an arts and nature enthusiast and a recent convert to yoga. She enjoys meeting new people and sharing them with family and friends.
