Karen Polanco

Karen Denise Polanco is a distinguished real estate leader and hospitality professional, born and raised in El Paso, Texas.
Before entering real estate, Karen built a 17-year career in the hospitality industry, serving in key roles in sales, marketing, and operations. She worked 10 years with Marriott Hotels, three years each with Hilton and Wyndham Hotels, and helped open three boutique hotels from the ground up. Her hospitality career also includes serving as General Manager for several properties, including Residence Inn El Paso, Cibola Vista Resort in Peoria, Arizona, Homewood Suites El Paso, and Oak Tree Inn in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Karen earned her real estate license in Texas in 2011 and has worked with respected firms such as Century 21 The Edge, Majestic Realtors, Bella Homes, and Keller Williams. She is currently with Home Pros Real Estate Group, where she has led Team Haus—a team of four agents specializing in full-service real estate solutions. Her experience includes working with buyers, sellers, commercial clients, rentals, builders, and nonprofit organizations.
Licensed in New Mexico since 2016, Karen is also affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway Enchanted Lands, where she sells in Ruidoso and Southern New Mexico.
She proudly serves as the listing agent for DEAL 2 DEAL Custom Homes in El Paso.
Karen has discovered an incredible way to leverage her time and talent by collaborating with like-minded Realtors and affiliates across El Paso and New Mexico. At the heart of her success is her amazing assistant, Mitzie, who has stood by her through thick and thin—including during the unimaginable loss of Karen’s daughter in 2023. During that time, Mitzie helped hold Karen’s business together when she couldn’t, proving to be not only a colleague, but a true friend and cornerstone of strength.
Karen is a recognized leader and advocate in the real estate community. From 2019 to 2023, she served on the Board of Directors for the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors (GEPAR), where she played a key role in initiatives supporting Realtor success and protecting property rights. In 2022, she served as the TREPAC Chair, leading critical fundraising efforts and has been a major investor for over five years. Her dedication and exceptional performance were recognized when she was named Salesperson of the Year for 2024 by GEPAR.
Her leadership extends statewide through the Women’s Council of Realtors. She served as the 2023 President of the El Paso Del Norte network, became the Texas State District Vice President in 2024, and was elected to serve as the 2025 Texas State Treasurer.
Karen’s mission is to blend her hospitality background with real estate, creating a service-first business model grounded in marketing, consistent follow-up, strong business knowledge, and exceptional client care. Her core values continue to fuel her success and inspire those around her.
Her guiding principles are simple but powerful: to navigate, assist, and care for her clients' purpose and goals. Karen doesn’t just want to be remembered as someone who helped buy or sell a home—she wants to be remembered as a friend who made the journey meaningful.
Above all, Karen is the proud mother of Aiden, who will be a senior at Franklin High School, and Kaitlyn, her guardian angel who continues to bless her with amazing opportunities that consistently come her way. She believes deeply in work-life-family balance and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Isaac Barcena, since 2018. Karen brings heart, integrity, and purpose to everything she does.