NEW YORK—Becoming a real estate broker was the last thing on Victoria Rong-Kennedy’s mind when she came to New York City. She was born, raised, and educated in Beijing, after which she traveled.
In Paris she worked as an actress.
“As a little girl I always dreamed about Paris—everything, the arts, the museums, the beautiful city, the Sienna River,” Rong-Kennedy said. “It was one of the best years in my life. I don’t think I could do it again now that I’m older. I was a 22 year old with fresh eyes and excitement.”
After Paris, she backpacked through Europe, and went safari hunting in South Africa, among many other things, before landing in Los Angeles. Here, she had parts in movies with Hollywood stars like Pierce Brosnan, Harrison Ford, and Adam Sandler.
“But I was a city girl. I grew up in Beijing, loving the city. Being in Los Angeles, lying on the beach I felt lost,” Rong-Kennedy said. “I came to New York City and after a week, for the first time in my life since I left Beijing, I felt like I’m not a foreigner anymore. Everyone speaks with a different accent here. It’s such a big cosmopolitan city.”
She quickly figured out how to survive in the city, doing modeling jobs and lots of voice-overs. At one point, a real estate broker asked her to show some apartments because she spoke Chinese.
“But then I realized that I could do that myself, so I got my license, that’s how I started,” Rong-Kennedy said. “I interviewed with Citi Habitats and this is the first firm I worked with. I never changed in 10 years. I’m totally happy and comfortable. People here are very nice.”
Relationships
With clients from all over the world, Rong-Kennedy does not feel there is any difference between New Yorkers, Chinese buyers, or Europeans.
“It’s all about people. It’s all about how well you understand them and how well you listen to them,” she said.
Rong-Kennedy’s philosophy of listening isn’t limited to her clients. She uses it with her family, in educating her children, and in dealing with brokers on the opposing side of a deal.
Brokers always look out for the best interests of their clients, but knowing that a solid broker is on the other side of a deal can make the entire transaction smooth. As a result many brokers over the years have became Rong-Kennedy’s friends.
“Relationships are never one way, it’s always mutual. That’s what my philosophy is,” she said. “We deal with people. We’re not numbers in a computer. It’s not a science. For a lot of people there are emotions involved. In the best deals I have ever made I listened to everybody’s situation.”
Architecture
Being a broker and an architect allows Rong-Kennedy to offer her clients an understanding of building design, light, layout, construction, and engineering. Talking about these things is not a way of making conversation for the architect-turned-broker—she has a lot of fun explaining things from a point of authority.
“People appreciate that a great deal. People ask me where to buy certain furniture and to recommend an interior designer because they trust my professional opinion outside of selling real estate,” Rong-Kennedy said.
But residential real estate in Manhattan is far from an exact science. According to Rong-Kennedy it’s more about emotions. Many places are sized small, but feel bigger, and that happens all the time, she explained. The views and the light in an apartment in addition to the subtle factors that influence emotions make a big difference in the price of a property.
“You can get a leather bag on the street anywhere in the city for $30 or you can go buy a designer one for a couple of thousand. That’s like residential real estate. It’s not a science. It has a lot to do with feelings—what you want.”
Tradition
Rong-Kennedy is grateful for the ancient wisdom her parents and grandparents imparted to her in her youth. She feels like she was a sponge back then, soaking up the wise sayings of great thinkers.
“They really teach you when you are little: what Sun Tzu said, what Laozi said,” she said. “You can make a good decision and your life will go on in a positive way, but if you make a wrong decision you have to make a detour and come back. All the philosophies I learned from ancient Chinese history actually saved me a lot of detours.”
“After I left China to be on my own, including today when I do my business, everything I learned from them has benefited me tremendously. I had no clue what it really meant back then, but it’s there in my roots.”
