Celebrity Real Estate Agent: Kendra Todd

Fans of reality shows expect a lot of the featured contestants while the program is on-air, and they expect even more of the winner after he or she is declared. The truth is that the general viewing public rarely hears from most reality show participants after the cameras pan elsewhere. Only a select few enjoy the long-term recognition that Seattle real estate agent Kendra Todd has.

Todd won Season Three of “The Apprentice” — the first woman to do so and, at the age of 26, the youngest contestant Donald Trump ever hired — and parlayed her experience into a high profile real estate career.

“You’re hired!”

Todd was two years into a budding real estate career and a fan of the show when a friend talked her into auditioning for its third season.

“I couldn’t stop watching because it was the first reality programming that gave people practical business lessons — it was really inspiring,” Todd recalled. “Being new to real estate, it was exciting for me to learn all these new marketing strategies by watching the show.”

Todd made it onto the “The Apprentice,” winning without ever being called into the boardroom to defend herself. Trump told her what she did with her team was “amazing” and that her ability to manage them — people who Todd diplomatically called “at odds” with each other — was ultimately the reason she won.

Trump hired Todd to oversee the $25 million renovation of Maison de L’Amitié, a 60,000-square foot property in Palm Beach, Florida, near where Todd was living. The mansion later sold for $95 million — at the time, the biggest single home transaction on record.

Using real estate to get ahead

From the beginning of her career, Todd saw real estate as a tool to achieve financial freedom. After graduating from college and working in restaurants to pay the bills, she watched friends and colleagues use their savings to start purchasing investment properties in a booming market. Todd also read “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” which gave her an epiphany.

“That book radically changed my perspective on money and finances, and I realized that financial freedom was possible,” Todd marveled. “Real estate would be my vehicle to create that legacy for my family.”

Fast forward 10 years from “The Apprentice” and Todd has remained deeply involved in real estate, both on-screen and off. She made regular appearances on “The Montel Williams Show” and FOX News, and was a Yahoo! real estate columnist. She hosted three seasons of HGTV’s “My House Is Worth What?” and co-authored the book “Risk and Grow Rich: How to Make Millions in Real Estate.” She’s also been featured or quoted in national publications from The Wall Street Journal to the Los Angeles Times. Today’s she’s a founding broker of The Kendra Todd Group.

The articles Todd writes, the opinions she offers and, more importantly, the customer service she provides focus on making wise choices in real estate so that buyers and sellers get the most “bang for their buck.”

“When we meet with a client for the first time, we’re taking them on an emotional journey and helping them come to whatever the right conclusion is for them,” Todd explained. “Being able to tell someone ‘No’ if that’s in the best interests of their family and finances — that’s what we’ll do. That’s how we really serve.”

Taking a winning approach to everything

Todd is always happy to share advice with other real estate agents, which might seem surprising, considering that her launch into the public eye came about by outwitting the competition in a cutthroat reality show. But Todd credits winning “The Apprentice” — and seeing phenomenal success in her career — to being a good listener, facilitating dialog between diverse personalities, and having transparent goals.

“Being on ‘The Apprentice’ validated that approach — of serving others rather than fighting with them,” Todd reflected. “I think it’s really important to be open and accessible and to have a dialog because just like ‘The Apprentice,’ while we may be competitors, we’re also teammates.”