Today we’d like to introduce you to Curtis Key.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Curtis. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA. Raised by a lower middle-class family. I started playing piano when I was 6 years old. Throughout my childhood I picked up guitar, bass and drums as well. Since my parents didn’t have the ability to help me pay for school, I put all of my efforts through school into earning a full scholarship for music and leadership. I dropped out of college during the spring of my freshman year to play drums for a jazz group at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
From there I was able to begin building my music career. Within a couple of short years, I started my own recording studio in Virginia Beach. Within just a couple of years it was the largest and most well-known facility in the area. While everything was going great, I was finding that my mentors and industry professionals three-times my age were working the same long hours and making about the same money. My concerns were not only that but, that because of the advances in studio technology the music industry was turning away from booking long hours in the studio itself thus, potentially compromising my ability to grow over the course of my life. A relationship I had been in for close to seven years at that time had just ended, my life was turned upside down and I was presented with an opportunity to sell the studio; so I did.
Now, with no degree and no real transferrable skills outside of music, I was tasked with figuring out what I could do to build my future. Somebody had mentioned that I should get a real estate license; so I did.
While working on my license, I had started talking to someone that I knew from the area that had moved to Boston for school. I went to visit them shortly after getting my Virginia Real Estate license. I drove straight through to Boston. I was 25 years old. I remember standing on the first block of Newbury Street in front of what used to be a DKNY (no longer there). And I had a dream; a vision. To put my name on the door in a building on that street. I didn’t know at the time that I happened to be standing on the most expensive street in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city but, I had the vision.
I relocated to Boston with virtually no money in my pocket. After paying the deposits for my apartment on Commonwealth Ave, I was left with $41.05 to my name. I set up an air mattress in the garden level studio apartment and began the journey. Though my family doesn’t have money, my mother started to send me groceries to help me make it by.
Over the course of the next couple of years, I had built a solid book of business. The boutique I was working at was suffering from poor management so, in interest of continuing to grow my business I moved my license to a larger firm. It was there they presented me with the opportunity to build a team. They allowed me to recruit from within the organization but, allowed me only to recruit agents who showed an inability to produce on their own. It was then when I designed a system to put our team on the map. Within 4 months we were awarded as the 10th highest producing real estate team for contracts closed in the entire New England region for the franchise.
We had an incredible team but the problem was the company structure. The “pie” was being divided up too many times and unfortunately, even with all of the deals we were doing, none of us were making any real money.
It was then when I realized that it was time. And in July 2015 we opened our doors as Key Realty Group on the Third Floor of 268 Newbury Street.
Several of the team members came over to start the company with me. We started with 3 agents and soon hired 5 more.
Today, we have over 32 agents, we are known as one of the top producing independently owned boutique firms in Back Bay. Our ongoing pursuit of having the best technology systems, marketing platform and training program in the market is what has made us a top-choice for agents starting and growing their careers in Boston Real Estate.
On May 7 this year, I’ll be turning 30 years old. It has been an unbelievable run so far, I’m humbled and proud by what we’ve been able to accomplish as a team.
Has it been a smooth road?
You can probably pull snippets from the other section but, no – not a smooth road at all. The fact is, I started in Boston with $41.05 in my bank account. My mother was sending me groceries just to get along. Coming from nothing, I had no safety net but, I was determined not to have to go back to Virginia with my head hung low because I wasn’t able to make it in Boston.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
KEY REALTY GROUP specializes in real estate sales, leasing and property management in the Downtown and Greater Boston areas. KRG’s mission is to provide unparalleled service in buying, renting or selling your home.
Online real estate sites (Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, etc.) have become a chaotic myriad of apartment listings from the thousands of agents in the Downtown Boston real estate market. KRG’s seasoned agents are trained to save you time and to provide an unparalleled experience in finding your new home. Key Realty Group maintains a database of thousands of unique Boston condo and apartment listings to choose from (over three quarters of which qualify as ‘luxury’).
What makes Key Realty Group different from all the other boutique real estate firms in Boston? In one word; quality. KRG attracts only the best real estate agents to represent the company. A KRG agent understands the value of having an ambassador who knows the neighborhoods inside and out and will always have your best interest in mind while finding a home in Boston. Key Realty Group helps local Bostonians as well as people from across the world as they make their move to this great city. One step into Key Realty Group’s Newbury Street office and you instantly feel the passion, dedication, and energy from all of the agents. They know their business isn’t built by just closing deals; they get their energy from knowing that their clients have found the perfect home and will love living in this city just as much as the rest of us.
Our company is a multifaceted business that operates with you, the customer, at the forefront of our day-to-day operations. We are well known and respected in the community and our philosophies are based on both honesty and integrity. As a client centered business, you will receive personal service and be backed by a reputable company. We implement multi-level marketing strategies that benefit our clients with every transaction. Our real estate agents have extensive access to information about the communities in which they deal. This includes, but is not limited to: schools, populations, recreation, entertainment, home values, growth potential and surrounding areas. Many agents live in the areas we serve and therefore can more accurately overcome potential obstacles and focus on the unique needs of our clients.
The real estate market is always changing and as a result, our agents regularly attend training sessions and events to further their knowledge and be sure that they are focusing on current conditions that affect today’s buyers and sellers. This type of training is imperative if we are to be successful in obtaining top dollar on home sales. Our goal is to make sure that we satisfy the special needs of all of our clients and at the same time make the process and transactions go as smoothly as possible.
Boston can be a tough market – let us help you take care of finding home.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely. I feel as though Boston is the biggest small town in America. There’s a ton of competition and yes, it’s fierce but, there’s absolutely enough of the industry here to make it in a big way. If someone is willing to work hard, be consistent and resilient – they can make it as well as build great relationships along the way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 268 Newbury St, 3rd Fl
Boston, MA 02116 - Website: krgboston.com
- Phone: (617) 279-0679
- Email: info@krgboston.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/krgboston
- Facebook: facebook.com/krgboston
- Twitter: twitter.com/krgboston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/key-realty-group-boston-3
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
