We were lucky to catch up with Rudy Lira Kusuma recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, RUDY thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building a team – did you hire quickly, how’d you recruit the first few team members? Any interesting lessons?

When I first got my real estate license in 2007, it was just me—no team, no assistants, just a lot of determination and a passion for helping people in challenging situations. The timing was significant because the real estate market was in turmoil, with many distressed homeowners in need of specialized assistance. I quickly found a niche in helping these homeowners navigate their options, which led to a rapidly growing client base.

By 2008, the workload had become overwhelming. I was spending so much time on paperwork and administrative tasks that I realized I needed help if I was going to continue to grow and serve my clients effectively. That’s when I decided to hire my first assistant.

Hiring that first assistant was a pivotal moment for me. It allowed me to focus on what I did best—serving my clients—while my assistant handled the administrative side of the business. But the process wasn’t without its challenges. I posted the job on Craigslist, but I made a lot of mistakes in those early days. For example, I initially focused on finding someone with the most experience, thinking that would automatically translate into success. I quickly learned that experience alone wasn’t enough. What I really needed was someone who fit the role I had in mind and who was aligned with my vision for the business.

This realization led me to develop a more structured approach to hiring. I created standard operating procedures, clear job descriptions, and key performance indicators for every role. I also broke down the traditional real estate agent’s job into several specialized positions, such as lead generation, lead conversion, nurturing, database management, transaction coordination, listing agent, buyer’s agent, showing agent, marketing, and customer service. Each of these roles came with its own set of responsibilities and performance metrics.

If I were to start all over again today, I would focus on building these structures from day one. I would prioritize defining the positions I needed before making any hires, ensuring that each role had a clear purpose and measurable outcomes. This position-driven approach is what has allowed me to scale the business effectively and continue to grow.

Looking back, those early hiring experiences taught me the importance of having a clear vision and structure in place. It’s not just about finding people to fill roles—it’s about building a team that is aligned with your mission and values, and that can grow with your business.

RUDY, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rudy Lira Kusuma, and I’ve been immersed in the real estate industry since 2007. My journey began during a challenging period for the housing market, where I found my niche in assisting distressed homeowners. This focus on helping those in difficult situations quickly set the foundation for my career and eventually led to the creation of Carsten Phillips Inc., a real estate brokerage committed to innovation, service excellence, and community impact.

At Carsten Phillips Inc., we offer a range of specialized services tailored to the unique needs of both buyers and sellers. For buyers, our team of real estate professionals focuses on off-market, unlisted properties that match the buyer’s criteria. We take pride in showing homes that are hard to find online, providing our clients with exclusive opportunities that go beyond the standard listings. This approach ensures that our buyers have access to the best properties available, including those that might otherwise remain hidden.

When working with home sellers, we prioritize efficiency and convenience by generating multiple cash offers for their homes. This strategy helps sellers avoid the traditional hassles associated with selling a house, such as lengthy negotiations and uncertain timelines. Our goal is to streamline the selling process, allowing homeowners to move forward with confidence and peace of mind.

In addition to serving our clients, my company is also deeply committed to supporting our real estate agents. We generate both buyers and listing appointments for our agents, creating a steady stream of opportunities. In fact, over the last 12 months alone, I’ve generated over $1 billion in real estate transactions for agents within my organization. These transactions include exclusive buyer and seller inquiries as well as cash offer inquiries, ensuring that our agents have the tools they need to succeed.

What I’m most proud of, however, is the impact our team has made beyond the real estate industry. For the past 10 years, our team has been dedicated to helping children at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, raising over $100,000 each year to support their vital work. Since 2007, we have also partnered with WorldHarvest to assist underprivileged families around the globe. Through this partnership, we’ve helped build schools and medical clinics, making a tangible difference in communities worldwide.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in the real estate market requires a strategic focus on what truly matters to clients, and for my team, this has been encapsulated in what we call the “3 Rs”—Reviews, Referrals, and Repeat business.

The measurement of success within our organization revolves around these three pillars. We monitor the number of five-star reviews we receive, the referrals our clients provide, and the repeat business we generate. These metrics are not just benchmarks; they are the foundation of our operational philosophy. Every person in my organization is hired, promoted, or even let go based on their ability to contribute to these key areas. This alignment ensures that every team member is focused on delivering exceptional service that leads to positive client experiences.

This approach has been instrumental in building our reputation. By making the 3 Rs the cornerstone of our operations, we’ve cultivated a culture where every team member is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of client satisfaction. This is how we’ve managed to accumulate over 1,700 five-star reviews on Zillow, more than 300 five-star endorsements on Google, and thousands of video testimonials on YouTube. Furthermore, 87% of our clients either refer at least one new customer to us or return for additional business.

By prioritizing the 3 Rs, we’ve created a feedback loop where excellent service leads to more reviews, referrals, and repeat business, which in turn enhances our reputation and drives more success. This focus on client satisfaction has allowed us to stand out in a competitive market and build a brand that clients trust and recommend.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One of the most effective strategies for growing our clientele has been training our real estate agents to leverage each client interaction to generate more customers. We emphasize the importance of delivering a “WOW” experience—service that not only meets but exceeds our clients’ expectations to such an extent that they feel compelled to share their experience with family and friends.

For example, when working with our VIP home buyers, we go beyond the traditional approach of simply emailing them listings from the MLS. Instead, we proactively search for and show homes that match their criteria, including off-market and unlisted properties. This exclusive service is something that most other agents don’t offer, making our clients feel special and valued. By consistently providing this second-mile experience, we create strong word-of-mouth referrals, as our clients are eager to share their positive experiences with others.

This strategy not only helps us secure repeat business but also turns each client into a potential advocate who can bring in new clients. By focusing on creating exceptional experiences that clients want to talk about, we’ve been able to steadily grow our clientele and build a strong reputation in the market.

Another highly effective strategy we’ve implemented for growing our clientele involves the way we serve our VIP home sellers. Instead of relying on the traditional real estate model, where agents passively wait for buyers to show interest, my team takes a proactive approach by generating multiple cash offers for our VIP home sellers. This method allows our clients to avoid the typical hassles of open houses and long waiting periods, ensuring that they can sell their home within their desired time frame and at the best possible price.

By offering this service, we help our clients net more money while providing them with a smoother and more efficient selling process. This proactive approach not only meets but often exceeds our clients’ expectations, leading to strong word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business. Clients appreciate that we take the extra steps to ensure their selling experience is as seamless and profitable as possible, and they often share their positive experiences with others, helping us to continually grow our clientele.

This dual focus—providing VIP buyers with access to exclusive properties and VIP sellers with multiple cash offers—has been key to our success in expanding our reach and solidifying our reputation in the market.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.YourHomeSoldGuaranteed.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudylkusuma/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourHomeSoldGuaranteedOrIbuyitRudyLiraKusuma/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudylk
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YHSGR10XNetwork
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/your-home-sold-guaranteed-realty-rosemead-2