Anna Karapetyan: “Armenia needs more knowledge investments than financial ones”

From Armenia to Russia, then to the United States, with the unbeatable hope to return. Anna Karapetyan is the founder of Anna Kara Loans, Inc., one of the most renowned real estate agencies in the United States, which is included in the list of three leading agencies in Glendale. Her journey was full of difficulties that Anna never regretted. She is confident, that every difficulty, every unforeseen obstacle, is only a challenge and not a cause for despair.

“I was 9 when my family had to leave Armenia. In the 90’s, life was very hard, and my parents made a sophisticated decision. My mother went to to USA, and I went to Russia – to my grandparents. My father and my brother stayed in Armenia. Only two and a half years later, we were able to move to my mother’s place USA who had already made some progress in the United States, “says Anna

After graduating from school, she had decided to become a lawyer. The decision did not come true. The September 11 terrorist act violated all the programs of Anna and left no higher education.

Shortly afterwards, Anna appeared in the real estate market. She immediately realized that this is what she wants to do. Almost 2.5 years after Anna founded her own business. “Many people have wrong ideas about real estate business, agents. The case is, of course, very complicated, but also very creative. You need to have a personal approach to each of the customers, know them, imagine their thoughts, desires, dreams.

Anna refused from her own flourishing business 12 years ago, after marriage. Husband has never made such a demand, but on the contrary, he encouraged all the initiatives of the woman, but Anna wanted to enjoy the family and the birth of her first daughter. Anna sold the business, but she retained the copyright of Anna Kara Loans, Inc. After that she worked for several years with art, led the art gallery, worked with famous US artists, traveled and then realized that he wanted to work again.

During her stay in the US, Anna was helping poor people living in Armenia, especially children in orphanages. So the mother taught her to share with those who needed it. Shortly afterwards, Anna realized that by passing clothes or money from time to time, people’s problems were not exacerbated, and a solid solution was needed. Anna developed a program with her friend, which would be a long-term support for the children of the orphanage.

In a short time we decided to work out a program for the children of Vanadzor orphanage. We rented apartments for the alumni, and we also hired a social worker who would support these children. We talked to them, we found out who would like to get involved and what profession to get.

Later, Anna realized that instead of renting an apartment, she could have her own building which would be a permanent shelter for orphanage graduates who needed it. During their subsequent visits to Armenia they tried to make this idea real.

Anna was in Armenia again during the revolution. In the past three months Anna is in Armenia for the third time for two important projects. She hopes that the new Armenian authorities will share their conviction that Armenia needs new approaches.