Though Casey Aboulafia’s family roots began in northern California, she considers herself a lucky DC area native.  The daughter of an Air Force pilot and a Montessori school teacher, her family moved to the greater metro area when she was just six months old. Then, “after undergraduate studies at William and Mary and stints in Guadalajara, Mexico and Bogota, Colombia, I completed grad school at George Washington University, and I haven’t lived outside the city ever since!” she explains. 

Though her formal education in international health and development and epidemiology first sent her professional life in a different direction, her love and knowledge of real estate was ingrained from an early age. “My father, his siblings, parents and grandparents were all real estate investors in California, so I have a true family history - I've read the real estate section of the Washington Post since I was ten. I grew up with the concept that one should own real estate as a real means of wealth building.” Casey reminisces,  “I also know that one has to be careful - my grandfather’s parents lost everything in the Great Depression.”  

Casey has been an agent for 20 years and is one of the managing partners of the #2 Compass team in the DMV - Your P&rtners at Compass. “I love my job, because every client is a new experience - I meet really interesting and fun people, most of whom I would never get to meet in my everyday life. Real estate is a wealth builder, and I love helping people make smart choices with the biggest asset they’re likely to ever own.”

Though Casey left the international development life behind, she is an explorer and traveler in her own city and has loved witnessing the incredible changes across the region. She makes it a point to explore new developments, restaurants and neighborhoods. “Our area’s transformation is an aspect of my job that I find truly exciting,” Casey continues. “Whether in my own Cleveland Park neighborhood or in even faster-changing neighborhoods, this city has really become an exciting international playground, and I love it. It’s a very different city than when I was growing up, and it still has its own flavor.” 

Twenty-five years ago, Casey met her husband, Richard, at a friend’s party, and they have been together ever since. Originally from the New York area, Richard manages an aerospace consulting firm, working on both commercial and military aviation. “We moved to Cleveland Park about 15 years ago from Logan Circle when we knew we were going to have kids,” Casey explains.

 The couple has two children, son Simon (14) who loves baseball, and daughter Wren (12) who is a keen swimmer. The family loves the walkability of Cleveland Park, and Casey and Richard encourage their love of international cultures with their children: the family has traveled far and wide together, and their all-time favorite family trip was to Korea and Japan.

“I’m also a relatively fluent Spanish speaker, and I have a passion for Latin music - I love to dance!” Casey concludes, “so when there’s a party at my house and it’s getting late, when the music comes on I’ll be out on the dance floor!”