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After a career at Hoekstra & Van Eck, Leonie Rump started Kijck. Real estate agents in Amsterdam. They decided to openly advertise with a fixed rate for selling a house. This led to rapid growth and raised eyebrows.
Leonie talks about those first years of Kijck and her expectation that AI and ChatGPT will demand that a more human real estate agent emerges. In each episode, Antoine Steenkamer, founder of Mijn Verkoopmakelaar, interviews a game-changer from the real estate agency or property sector.
Summary
A residual debt of 283,000 euros
Leonie talks about a sale that will always stay with her. Instead of the usual stories about high sales prices, she remembers a particular case during the bank crisis of 2007-2008. A man had lost his job and was in serious trouble. The bank was after him, and he urgently needed to sell his house. It was a tough time, and the housing market was very unfavorable. The man had once paid a lot for his house but ultimately had to accept a residual debt of 283,000 euros.
Despite the enormous debt, the man was incredibly grateful to Leonie for her help. She still vividly remembers how he expressed his gratitude after the sale. Even now, years later, she sometimes encounters him, and he turns around on his bike to thank her: "Ms. Leonie, thank you for everything." His warmth and gratitude make this sale particularly memorable for Leonie.
In the current market, where houses are often sold for enormous amounts above the asking price, Leonie often thinks back to this man. The gratitude he showed, despite his difficult situation, always grounds her. It reminds her that true satisfaction sometimes lies in the smallest gestures of gratitude, not in the height of the sale price.
From a little girl from Groningen to Amsterdam
Leonie was born and raised in Groningen, where she grew up with her two sisters. From a young age, she had a strong urge to move to Amsterdam. "I don't know why," she says, "but as a little girl, I already wanted to go to Amsterdam." At sixteen, she saw her chance and moved to Alkmaar to find work there.
In Alkmaar, Leonie found a job in a clothing store, where she was in charge of an entire suit department. "The young guys came there for their first suit, or people who were going for job interviews," she explains. One day, a customer came into the store and saw potential in Leonie. "He asked if I wanted to come by during my break because they sold kitchens and bathrooms, and he thought I could do that well too."
Intrigued, Leonie decided to take up the offer. "So, I went there during my break, and the gentleman said, 'Join us'." She recalls being just eighteen at the time. The commercial aspect of the new challenge appealed to her, and so she entered the world of kitchens and bathrooms, where she built a successful career.
"Back then, the commercial aspect was perhaps experienced differently than now," Leonie reflects. "Now, it sometimes feels to people like they are being pressured, but people used to understand the tricks of the trade better." Eventually, this experience made her curious for more. "I thought, if I can sell bathrooms, why not a whole house?" And so she transitioned to the real estate agency.
Though Leonie still feels a connection to Groningen, she realizes she has now lived in Amsterdam longer than in her birthplace. "Very secretly, I still feel connected to Groningen, but I have lived here longer than I lived there," she says with a smile.
The start in the real estate agency
Leonie started her career at Van de Steege Real Estate Agents in Amsterdam. However, her interest in the real estate agency began earlier when she was still in the bathroom industry. She recalls a fascinating experience with a property brochure. "I had seen a property and requested a brochure. Those people had my phone number and address, sent an expensive envelope with many stamps, but I never heard from them. I found that so fascinating," she says. This lack of follow-up intrigued her and prompted her transition to the real estate agency.
At Van de Steege Real Estate Agents, she noticed there was little follow-up after viewings. "I asked the director why nothing was done with the details of interested parties. There was no contact for a mortgage conversation or another property. I enjoyed that commercial aspect," Leonie says. She realized there were many opportunities here and set out to improve it.
During the crisis, Leonie was approached by a former colleague to work at Hoekstra & Van Eck. "I had a nice conversation, and my husband said, 'The grass is always greener on the other side. Stay where you are.' But eventually, they really wanted me," Leonie says. She set high demands, and they were met, which led her to switch to Hoek.
At Hoekstra & Van Eck, Leonie helped open a new office in Amsterdam-West. "Together with my colleague, we made the office the highest-selling one in the region within two years. It went fantastically," she recalls proudly.
Kijck. Real Estate Agents
Leonie received a phone call from her former director at Vivantus with a special proposal. "I want to launch something very crazy in the market," he said. Not a traditional real estate agency, but something completely different. Leonie was immediately enthusiastic.
They had often researched the most common question from individuals about real estate agents: "What does a real estate agent cost?" No one gave a clear answer to this. "If you call any real estate agent, it all remains vague. First, an appointment has to be made, then there's a percentage, and additional costs may apply. Why can't you just say what it costs?" Leonie says.
This led to the idea for Kijck Real Estate Agents, where transparency and fixed prices are central. Four years ago, they opened their first office in Amsterdam. Leonie recalls the beginning: "We had done so many studies at Vivantus, and the same question kept arising. Individuals just want to know what it costs to sell their house. And no one gave a clear answer."
With Kijck Real Estate Agents, they are changing this, and Leonie is proud of what they have achieved. "It was a great idea, and we launched it in the market. Transparency and fixed prices make us unique," she says with a smile.
This interview is part of an interview series with the game-changers in the real estate agency and the housing market. A new interview is published every month. Tips on who we should interview next? Email us at info@mijnverkoopmakelaar.nl
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