Tariq “TK” Khwaja
LPO Manager
Evolve Bank & Trust
LPO Manager Tariq “TK” Khwaja has wed music and mortgages to create a beautiful tune that has become the soundtrack of his life. While he never envisioned that his career as a mortgage banker, now LPO Manager, would one day take precedence over his entertainment pursuits, that is exactly what happened as he increasingly dedicated attention to serving his community and enriching the lives of its residents. “I live here, I work here and I play here,” he says when talking about the city of Chicago. Describing it as “a true melting pot that’s one of the cleanest, most friendly cities on the planet,” Khwaja is a firm believer that each person should pursue what he loves when it comes to making a living. “That way you won’t ever really feel like you’re at work.”
Born into a long line of entrepreneurs, Khwaja’s professional experiences have always been service- oriented. The last 14 years have honed his ability to work with myriad clients to help them secure financing to purchase a place they can call home. As he puts it, “We have a real opportunity to give families retirement security thanks to the real estate assets that we help them acquire. That makes me feel good – knowing that I’m doing the right thing and helping out people across Chicago, across America.”
His 100 percent referral-based business speaks to his stellar reputation and strong work ethic that finds him available every hour of every day. Michigan Avenue Magazine featured him in “The List” for 2014, and he has earned honor as a Five Star Professional, for which only the top 3 percent of originators qualify. Despite those accolades, Khwaja takes the greatest pride in helping others, which is the best achievement he believes he will ever accomplish.
“I often think about how I can help people anticipate what they can’t when it comes to buying a home, and I strategize how to overcome obstacles so that I can show them how they can best attain their goals,” Khwaja offers. His former music career now a secondary passion to his lending profession, he continues to organize and participate in charity events, concerts and networking opportunities every chance he gets. “To be a man of the people means that you must first be one of the people,” he explains. “That’s an easy role to play here in Chicago because I love this city and want to help others who love it, too, lead happy and productive lives.”