Robert Kleven
COVER STORY
WRITTEN BY ZACH COHEN | PHOTOS BY JJHOMES PHOTOGRAPHY
Robert Kleven was born on Mackinac Island, a small island that sits in Lake Huron, between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. At 6, Robert and his family relocated to Wichita, KS, where he spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years. Growing up in Kansas, Robert learned the value of hard work. That would serve him well on a life journey with its fair share of twists and turns.
After holding various jobs in Wichita, Robert moved to Austin, Texas, where the climate and the music scene were hotter. There, he starting working for Zanzibar, a local import store located on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin.
“The owners would go to Indonesia (they met in Bali) and buy container loads of old Dutch colonial teak furniture… It was shipped, disassembled, and part of my job was to assemble, make any repairs, and refinish the pieces. I was also in charge of two warehouses. I was hired for this very specific job of running the warehouse and refinishing this furniture,” Robert explains.
Robert excelled at the work, but soon, it became apparent that his real skill was in customer service and sales. He began working in the showroom more, gaining a reputation for his displays and finishing work.
“They realized I was really good with the customers,” Robert reflects. “Trey Massengale, the owner, who I’m still friends with, said, ‘Robert, if you're still here in three years, I’m going to fire you… I won't be able to pay you enough.’ That struck a chord with me, which I think was his intent in saying it, and made me think about my future.”
Around the same time, Robert purchased his first home. After living in it for two years, he sold it for a 40% profit, getting him curious about a career in real estate. At a crossroads, Robert decided to take a leap of faith, leaving Zanzibar and beginning his real estate sales career in 2001.
Fun Fact
Cars are banned on Robert’s native Mackinac Island; horse-drawn carriages are a popular way of getting around.
Coming Home
Early in Robert’s real estate career, he helped lead a top-producing team, and he eventually opened his own office location. In 2011, life circumstances brought him and his wife, Kim, to Tulsa.
“We were still in a recession, and Austin had been affected a lot more than Tulsa. Kim’s family is from Tulsa, so we moved up here — a more stable economy, closer to family.”
Professionally, Robert was beginning again. He was lucky enough to land with Concept Builders, where he’s been for 11 years.
“I was working for Concept Builders the day after the moving truck was unloaded,” Robert remembers. “I was in the right place.”
Proof of Concept
Over the past 11 years, Robert has risen to Broker and Sales Manager of Concept Builders and Concept Realty. He leads a team of six licensed agents.
“Our core values are customer-centered, integrity, team player, attention to detail and self-responsibility. They go across the board with the building company and the real estate company,” Robert says.
Concept Builders is a custom builder. They have spec plans, which can be customized to a client’s liking, and accept customer-provided plans.
According to Robert, Concept Builders is a team that’s more like a family. With cohesiveness and experience, the group is able to offer clients unparalleled service.
“My team is very diverse in many ways. This makes for maintaining a good perspective. We meet once per week over breakfast and discuss all the ins and outs of the current market,” Robert explains.
Above all else, Robert and the Concept Builders team focus on honesty, integrity, and transparency. They understand the importance of the role they play in the lives of others and know it's their job to provide the highest level of service during such a critical and stressful time.
“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity,” Robert concludes.
Beyond Real Estate
Robert has a love for music. While his days of playing in bands are long gone, he has a music room at home and continues to drum (and sing karaoke) regularly. Over the years, Robert played a wide variety of genres: death metal, hip-hop, funk, blues, indie-rock, and jazz. In fact, his first trip ever to Tulsa was to play at Cain’s Ballroom in the early ‘90s.
