We recently connected with Kayla Klinge and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

A lot of people think that real estate agents are overpaid and don’t deserve to get their full commission. I agree that not ALL agents deserve it, because some really don’t make the extra effort for their clients, they’re bad communicators, and some even have a bad attitude. However, there are some really incredible real estate agents out there that 100% deserve their full commission! I believe that I’m in that category.

For example. I had a client that was moving from to China to NYC. She was also in a wheelchair. When looking at apartments, I made sure to walk through the entire building and apartment to make sure every doorway/hallway would fit her mobilized wheelchair. Did she ask me to do this? No, but there was no way I was going to let my client move countries/continents and then not be able to move around her apartment. I am always putting my clients needs before my own.

Now would all real estate agents do that? No, of course not. But some of us do go the extra mile for our clients because we enjoy helping people! Not all of us are awful people!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

If you want to know the truth, it was my senior year in college and in the fall I realized I had ZERO idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I started to panic but then decided to go into real estate and enjoy the rest of senior year. My dad has been selling real estate in San Diego, CA – where I’m from – for 40 years now. Once I graduated the University of Oregon, I moved back home and got into real estate. Fast forward 5 years later, I then had a desire to live in a new city. I wanted to trade the beach for a big city life and I was back and forth between Chicago and NYC. Eventually, I chose NYC because I had more friends there and like any silly 20-something year old, there might have been a guy involved that convinced me NYC was a great idea! And no, we don’t speak anymore LOL.

Being in NYC real estate, I have transacted in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. A lot of people think that they can do a real estate transaction on their own when in reality, it’s not that easy. Around 75% of NYC real estate are co-ops and this type of real estate is no joke! When selling/purchasing a co-op, it requires a ton of communication, attention to detail, and patience. There are multiple parties involved and it’s my job to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to and doing so in a timely matter. It requires me to be in constant communication for months at a time. Not only am I overlooking real estate related items, I will also be checking in with attorneys and bankers making sure they are completing their tasks as well. Not only am I trying to complete basic paperwork, but I am also trying to balance multiple personalities and wanting everyone to have a smooth and easy experience.

A lot of colleagues or other brokers sitting on the opposite side of a deal will do the bare minimum. I will never forget when a broker looked me in the eye and said “Don’t you hate it when people call? I ONLY do email. I won’t respond to people’s calls or texts.” I’ve had other agents not show up to the closing and this one agent even called me asking if I could deal with her commission check! What agent (or even person) doesn’t want to pick up their own paycheck?! People are selfish and lazy. Who you hires matters and you WILL get what you pay for!

One thing I’m most proud of is that I don’t push my clients or put them on a timeline. I had a boss who was extremely aggressive/pushy who always pushed her clients in making a decision. I learned I did NOT want to be anything like that. I had these buyers who really wanted to be in Manhattan, but they were stretching their budget and it didn’t make sense to spend all your money on your first home (in my opinion). After some time, I brainstormed with them and suggested looking in Brooklyn and Queens and getting more bang for their buck. They are now in Astoria and absolutely LOVE their new apartment – which is so much more spacious than Manhattan!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I moved to NYC and decided to continue my real estate career, I knew I had to join a team so I could learn the ropes and understand the business since NYC and CA are VERY different. I was on one team for 1 year and then decided to join another team that serviced more luxury NYC real estate. This team was larger and have been in the top 1% NYC real estate teams for several years now. I learned so much from this team, which I’m so grateful for. However, Covid-19 happened and the world changed. A few months went by and I realized I was becoming extremely unhappy on this team. I was so nervous to take the leap of faith and go out as a solo agent, but eventually I finally pushed myself to do it and I’ve never been happier! It was so nerve-racking taking a chance on myself. I thought I was going to make so many mistakes and no one would ever want to work with me. Well I did make a bunch of mistakes and still do from time to time because I’m human! But I’ve grown so much being on my own. It has forced me to have difficult conversations with clients directly, rather than hiding behind a team lead. I’ve become so much more confident in my craft and I’m so happy to be the one in charge of my work and my time.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I’ve been receiving great clients through people who also service others – financial advisors, accountants, attorneys, lenders. I’ve recently been working with a high net worth client’s business manager, who has been a great contact. I would love to meet more individual’s business managers or even their executive assistants.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theagencyre.com/agent/kayla-klinge
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylaklinge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylaklingerealestate
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-klinge-04832a47/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kaylaklinge/featured

Image Credits

Jonathan Grassi – https://www.jonathangrassi.com/