About True North

Boutique by choice. Rooted in downtown Hickory by design.

True North Realty is a locally owned brokerage headquartered in the heart of downtown Hickory. We built True North because the people buying and selling homes in our community deserve the marketing firepower of a national luxury firm — delivered with the care, craft, and accountability of neighbors who actually live here.

Recognition · Membership · Reach
Inman — Future Leaders in Real Estate, Verified Winner
REALTOR® — National Association of Realtors
C2EX — REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence
At Home With Diversity® certification
NC REALTORS®
The NCREA — National Commercial Real Estate Advisor
Canopy MLS
REALTOR® MLS
The Chamber of Catawba County
RateMyAgent — Price Expert
RateMyAgent — Trusted Agent
YouTube — Living in NC channel
Meet True North

A look inside our brokerage.

Our Name

Why "True North"?

True North is more than our name—it is the standard that guides everything we do.

Just as a compass provides direction, we bring clarity, confidence, and steady leadership to every real estate journey. We founded True North Realty with a commitment to rise above industry expectations and create an experience defined by integrity, precision, exceptional service, and genuine care.

For us, success is not simply measured by a transaction closing. It is measured by the trust placed in us, the people we protect, and the lasting impact of the decisions we help them make. No matter how complex the path may become, we remain focused on what matters most: doing what is right, advocating fiercely, and getting it right for the family in front of us.

True North Realty compass sign
True North Realty storefront in downtown Hickory
Our Storefront

1 N Center Street, Suite 240 — downtown Hickory.

What Makes Us Different

Boutique & locally owned

Independent, founder-led, and proudly headquartered downtown. Every client is paired with one hand-selected agent — trained and held to the highest True North standards for service, accountability, and results. No call center. No junior hand-off.

Decades of experience

Our brokers bring decades of combined experience negotiating across price points and product types — from first homes and farmland to lakefront estates and luxury new construction. Skill honed at every level, refined at the top.

Nationwide reach, personally vetted

Our agents hold licenses across NC, SC, and all the way to California, and we've built a national referral network of the best-of-the-best agents in every major market — hand-picked by us, not assigned by a franchise. Wherever life takes you next, you're in trusted hands.

Meet the Founders

Adriano & Katie Lamboglia

Beyond real estate, Katie and Adriano are a married couple who share a deep commitment to faith, family, and the community they are proud to call home. Together, they are raising their family in the Hickory area while building True North Realty into a company that reflects what matters most to them: serving people well, creating meaningful opportunities for others, and leaving a positive mark on their community.

They love traveling, spending time with family and friends, supporting local businesses, and experiencing everything North Carolina has to offer. They are both highly driven and are almost always dreaming, planning, or creating something new—but their greatest priorities remain their faith, their family, and the relationships they have built along the way.

Adriano and Katie Lamboglia, founders of True North Realty

Katie Lamboglia

Inman Award Recipient
Broker in Charge
Katie Lamboglia, Owner and Broker-in-Charge
Inman 2026 Future Leaders — Verified Winner

Katie Lamboglia has devoted nearly two decades to serving clients, developing real estate professionals, and raising the standard of service throughout the Catawba Valley. Licensed since 2006, Katie has built her career through nearly every type of market—giving her the experience, perspective, and practical knowledge needed to guide both clients and agents through complex transactions with confidence.

Before founding True North Realty, Katie served in a senior leadership role with a large real estate firm of nearly 100 agents. That experience helped shape her hands-on approach to brokerage leadership and gave her an in-depth understanding of compliance, contract strategy, risk management, agent development, marketing, and the day-to-day systems required to operate a successful real estate company.

Katie also holds a degree in Computer Programming & Internet Marketing, allowing her to combine traditional real estate expertise with a sophisticated understanding of digital marketing, technology, branding, and consumer behavior. Under her leadership, True North Realty has become known for its innovative property marketing, strong relocation presence, professional media, agent training, and highly personalized approach to client service.

Her professional credentials and affiliations include AHWD, C2EX, NCREA, and CREIPS. She was named one of Hickory Young Professionals’ 2022 Top 10 Under 40, recognized as an Inman 2026 Future Leaders Award recipient, and selected to serve on the Canopy REALTOR® Association Grievance Committee for 2026–2027.

As Broker in Charge and Owner of True North Realty, Katie remains actively involved in every level of the company—from contract guidance and transaction strategy to marketing innovation, agent mentorship, business development, and client care. Her passion for leading through service, elevating those around her, and investing deeply in the growth of others is the heartbeat of the brokerage. She leads with integrity, genuine care, and high expectations, working alongside her team while remaining a fierce and steadfast advocate for the clients and agents who place their trust in her.

Whether she is representing a client through an important sale, helping a family relocate to North Carolina, mentoring an agent through a challenging transaction, or developing the next advancement for the brokerage, Katie brings a rare combination of experience, creativity, professionalism, and heart to everything she does.

Adriano Lamboglia

U.S. Marine Veteran
Sales Manager
Adriano Lamboglia, Owner, Sales Manager and Broker

Adriano Lamboglia is a United States Marine Corps veteran, experienced real estate broker, and Sales Manager at True North Realty. Licensed in both North Carolina and California, Adriano brings more than 13 years of real estate experience, along with an extensive background in sales leadership, negotiation, team development, and performance coaching.

Known for his disciplined and results-oriented approach, Adriano plays an integral role in developing True North Realty’s agents, strengthening their sales and communication skills, and helping them confidently navigate an ever-changing market. His leadership style is direct, practical, and grounded in accountability—qualities that help agents turn knowledge into consistent action and better outcomes for their clients.

As a Luxury Specialist, Adriano also understands the elevated expectations, discretion, and attention to detail required when representing distinctive properties and discerning clients. His firsthand experience relocating from California to North Carolina gives him an especially valuable perspective when working with relocation buyers. He understands that moving across the country is about much more than finding a home; it is about finding the right community, lifestyle, and sense of belonging.

Adriano’s steady leadership, strong negotiation skills, and commitment to excellence make him a trusted resource for clients, agents, and the entire True North Realty team.

Guiding Principles

The True North standard.

Client-centric leadership

The foundation of every successful transaction is putting the client first. Our agents are equipped with the training, tools, and mentorship to navigate even the most complex deals — and the mindset to keep service ahead of self-interest.

Service goals over sales goals

We measure ourselves on how well we serve, not how loudly we sell. When client needs stay ahead of commission, the sales take care of themselves — and the referrals never stop.

One client, one hand-picked agent

You're paired with a single assigned agent — hand-selected, trained, and held to the highest True North standards for accountability and results. From first conversation to keys in hand, every text and every weekend gets answered.

Family united in service

We're more than a team — we're a family of brokers who genuinely like each other, back each other up, and hold each other to a higher standard on your behalf.

Our Marketing

Boutique attention. Broadcast-level reach.

Every home deserves to be marketed with intention—not simply entered into the MLS and left to compete for attention. At True North Realty, we market properties at every price point with the same creativity, precision, and elevated presentation typically reserved for a firm's most prestigious flagship estates.

Our comprehensive approach may include cinematic listing films, professional photography, aerial drone imagery, twilight photography, immersive Matterport 3D tours, detailed floor plans, targeted social media advertising, strategic Google campaigns, luxury real estate portal syndication, and ongoing digital and media partnerships. Each element is thoughtfully designed to showcase what makes your property distinctive, create an emotional connection with prospective buyers, and give them the confidence to take the next step.

Our reach extends well beyond the local market. Through an established relocation presence, powerful digital platforms, and targeted campaigns, we place our listings in front of buyers throughout the Carolinas, the Charlotte and Atlanta metropolitan areas, the Northeast, Florida, and other key feeder markets across the country. We do not simply wait for buyers to discover your home—we actively position it where the right buyers are already looking.

That is the advantage of True North Realty: the personal attention, agility, and accountability of a boutique brokerage in downtown Hickory, supported by sophisticated marketing capabilities and national exposure. Your home is never treated like another address in a crowded inventory. It is given a strategy, a story, and the level of visibility it deserves.

True North Realty downtown storefront
Downtown Hickory
Interactive street-facing listing display
  • Cinematic listing video, drone & twilight photography
  • Immersive Matterport 3D tours on every qualifying listing
  • Syndication to 750+ real-estate websites worldwide
  • Paid social, Google, and luxury portal placement
  • Weekly performance reporting on every listing
  • Downtown Hickory storefront with an interactive street-facing listing display
  • In-house video/podcast studio for listing and lifestyle content
  • Out-of-market buyer targeting from Charlotte, Atlanta, the Northeast & Florida
Step Inside · 3D Tour

Walk through our office from anywhere.

Explore every corner of our downtown Hickory headquarters in a fully interactive 3D Matterport tour — the same immersive technology we use to showcase our luxury listings.

Hours
Mon–Fri 9–5
Sat & Sun by appointment
True North Realty entry doors

How we work.

One client, one hand-picked agent — trained and held to the highest True North standards from the first conversation to the keys in your hand. Buyers get a curated tour list, not a firehose of MLS spam. Sellers get a real launch plan, not a sign in the yard. Every text, every weekend, gets answered. That's the True North standard.