Meet Richard Romeo, The Fearless Captain of our Sales Squad

You might not have met Richard Romeo, Kissing Tree’s Senior Sales Manager, but if you’ve bought a home here, chances are good that he helped behind the scenes! We recently sat down with Richard to find out what he loves about Kissing Tree and his favorite parts of the customer journey. We even asked him to share the wildest things he’s seen in Independence Hall.

KT: Hi Richard! Thanks for doing this! So tell us, what does a Senior Sales Manager do?

RR: Oh gosh, I try to do a little bit of everything. Essentially, I’m responsible for the customer journey from the Welcome Center to closing and everything in between and afterward. I’d say, at the core of it, I just try to support my team and the community to ensure Kissing Tree is successful for the years to come.

KT: Wow! But what does that look like on a day-to-day basis?

RR: My day is never the same—I try to be prepared for everything. So I spend my day checking in on residents and hearing their concerns. I work on strategy and planning with our land team for development; I work with accounting and purchasing to make sure the paperwork and options you need in order to set up a home are all accurately in the system so our team can write contracts. I work with our Design Center to ensure our customers have the best experience there. I work with our HOA to make sure we’re all in alignment. It’s been a tumultuous year, but we still want to ensure that we have a beautiful finished product.

KT: Do you still get to work with customers?

RR: Some. If a customer has a concern about their home or expectations that were set, I step in. I try to know a little bit about everything, and when I need to, I find out the details. Before I talk to a customer, I always want to know what they saw, what they were told, what they heard, and what the documentation says, so at the end of the day I can make sure we’re doing the right thing by them. It’s a lot of research, but I always want to understand what our customers go through.

KT: What’s your favorite part of your job?

RR: The people, from the team members to the residents! There’s just something contagious about Kissing Tree! You can’t help but fall in love with it, and I genuinely think it’s because of the people. I wish I had more time to hang out and have coffee with the residents!

KT: How did you find Kissing Tree?

RR: I started out in real estate marketing and advertising, working a media group. I was their number one sales rep for a while, handling advertising for master-planned communities in Central Texas. Soon, Brookfield was my largest client, and I helped to plan their marketing, advertising, and strategy. I moved into management, and when the Statesman got bought, I moved to the office in Houston. Then, a few years later, my favorite Brookfield client called and said they had an opportunity here at Kissing Tree! I just had my 3 year anniversary here at KT and time flies—this place has changed so much in 3 years. Our team continues to grow, and I’m so proud of each of them!

KT: And wait, did I hear that you live in Easton Park (another Brookfield community)?

RR: Yes! Back when I was still working in marketing, my wife saw the marketing materials for Easton Park and said we should take a look at it. When we went to visit, the neighborhood was just getting started—it was basically dirt. But she said, this is where we’re going to start our family. We were the seventh customers!

KT: Aw, what a sweet story!

RR: Yes, and ironically, my wife and I met just down the road, at the Starbucks on Centerpoint. I went to college at Texas State, and I was paying my dues as a barista when she came though the drive through.

KT: That’s amazing! Do you think y’all will move to Kissing Tree someday?! You have to!

RR: I’ve been working since I was 15, and Kissing Tree is the place I would want to be when I turn 55 or better. I’ll be by the pool every day, having a drink, playing golf.

KT: Do you have any good KT stories?

RR: Some of the best moments for me are the times I get to interact with customers before they purchase. When we’re standing out on homesite wearing hard hat and a vest, it’s never better. A couple of times, now that we have the pool and fitness center, customers will take the tour and say this place sells itself. It feels like home.

KT: Do you have any wild stories to share?

RR: I’ve seen some crazy things by the Welcome Center bar, but I can’t comment further! What happens at KT stays at KT!

KT: Very respectable. Anything else we should add?

RR: I’ve never worked for an organization like this that tries to put the customer first. Everything we do, when we’re trying to accomplish a goal or strategy, or build out a plan, we always give the customer a seat at the table. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. But I couldn’t work for an organization that didn’t do that.

Ready to experience the Kissing Tree Customer Journey for yourself? Come out to see the model homes, or explore our floor plans online.