Community Highlights: Meet Kenya Reeves-Costa of real estate

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenya Reeves-Costa.

Hi Kenya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved from Ohio, pretty much the moment I was done with school. Toledo was in the rearview and city life was what I was after. My server job was willing to transfer me from Ohio to Longbeach. I had no idea how large LA was because I took an apartment on Arglyle in the Hollywood Hills with my cousin and my best friend (who both moved out). It was easier to move to LA then. I had $900, a job transfer and a dream. I signed up for an acting class series at Bobby Chance, grabbed a manager and I was off. A few years into a good time, auditions and classes my coach stood in front of class and said ” if youre not willing to starve for this, if youre not willing to sleep in your car for this, acting is not for you”. Thats all I needed to hear. I was having fun, but had promised myself I wouldnt wait tables past 25. Within a year, I had my license and a shiny new job at a mortgage company. Luckily, I misread that you needed a real estate license to do mortgage loans. I didnt like that side of the business. It was pre-crash, felt a bit predatory, and gave me the ick. I decided that the realtors seemed to be having all of the fun. It was personal, it was hands on, real estate was helpful and community-driven. I found a company that would allow a soft transition by letting me maintain my mortage pipeline and sell real estate. I was thrown into the fire, handed a listing my second day. After my first listing , I realized I needed hands on training. What they teach you in RE classes is not what actually happens. There is SO much more. I found a gentleman on myspace (Im dating myself) who would answer questions and guide we through transactions. He was at Keller Williams and would talk about the immense amount of training they gave new agents. I jumped over to Keller Williams and stayed for 13 years. Over that time, I learned so much I joined their leadership counsel, taught classes and mentored new agents. I hired my first assistant and built my first team. During the pandemic, I decided it was time for a change. I was a bit too ingrained in the culture at my office and wanted to see what I could do in a different environment. That is when I came to Compass. Which is where I hang my license now. It’s been an amazing experience. I am able to move more efficiently with their tech and I’ve been able to use tools I didn’t think were possible for my clients, like Compass concierge. This allows my clients to make the changes needed to their homes when preparing for the market so that the home is more appealing and moves at a speed that helps them reach their goals. Helping clients prepare to list and transforming their homes has become one of my favorite aspects of my career.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s never a smooth road with any career. Real estate takes a lot of grit, perseverance, a thick skin, a willingness to wake up unemployed every single day, a servants heart, a creative mind and forces you to learn skills you didn’t plan on learning. I didn’t expect to be the CEO of my own company, someone’s employer, a marketing manager, an interior designer and therapist, but here I am. Along the way, I’ve had my own battles to face. Four years into my career, I was unexpectedly hit with an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis) that attacks your joints. However, the show had to go on. I spent a few years showing homes with a wrist brace and a cane as I worked through rebalancing my body. That was tough considering I had to turn keys and I work hillside communities. It taught me, that regardless of what happens, you can still excel. The disease is completely managed now with medicine, diet and movement.
Like a lot of women, I am always challenged by motherhood and career. The balancing of it all! It’s a bit easier now that she is a tween and my husband works from home, but the demands of family and demands of my clients both need to be met and I do everything I can to go above and beyond for both while making sure I fill my own cup.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m going to paste my bio in. It doesn’t say in my bio, but I am very proud of the brand. The LA Home Girl started 16 years ago as something I thought would be catchy and memorable. However, looking back, it’s a true embodiment of how I feel about my community and my clients. An advisor, a friend, someone who tells the truth even if it stings a little because it’s in your best interest and spoken with love. Real estate for me isn’t transactional; it’s relational. I’ve worked with multiple people year after year, helping them transition through different phases in their lives. Marriage, babies, divorce, death, relocation, financial triumphs, and struggles. I am woven through different parts of their home life, and they are woven into the fabric of my life. Home Girl.

Bio:
With more than 19 years of experience and hundreds of successful transactions, Kenya Reeves-Costa is a trusted, top-ranked Realtor® consistently recognized by RealTrends for outstanding production and client satisfaction. Known for her warm, personable style and strategic expertise, Kenya brings a compassionate, hardworking approach that makes every client whether buying or selling feel genuinely supported, heard, and prioritized.

As the leader of a high-performing real estate team, Kenya offers white-glove guidance rooted in integrity, patience, and deep local market knowledge across Los Angeles. Clients rely on her for sharp negotiation skills, clear communication, and thoughtful planning that removes stress from the process and delivers strong results.

While she loves helping buyers identify the right home, Kenya has a special passion for working with sellers. Her favorite part of the job is partnering with homeowners to optimize their home’s value before hitting the market advising on design updates, strategic improvements, and the details that today’s buyers truly care about. Her preparation process is meticulous and collaborative, empowering sellers to feel confident and ensuring their property shines.

With industry-leading Compass technology, Kenya offers real-time data, precision pricing, and access to innovative programs like Compass Concierge, providing interest-free staging and home improvements with minimal upfront cost. These tools, combined with her intuition and expertise, make her a go-to resource for clients seeking both a seamless process and exceptional results.

Known as The LA Home Girl™, Kenya is a fierce advocate for homeownership and generational wealth, particularly among women and marginalized communities. As both a homeowner and investor herself, she brings firsthand insight and joyfully guides first-time buyers, seasoned homeowners, and luxury clientele alike.

Originally from Ohio, Kenya grew up watching her father, an engineer turned entrepreneur, build a mortgage company and invest in property, planting the early seeds of her real estate career. A former theatre kid, she came to Los Angeles with stars in her eyes, only to discover her true calling: using her passion for homes and helping people to transform lives through real estate.

When she’s not serving clients, Kenya enjoys volunteering with National Charity League, sweating it out at Orange Theory, or unwinding with a good horror movie. She loves exploring Los Angeles with her husband, Orlando, daughter, Kennedy, and rescue dog, Charlie. As an active member of Private School Village, she proudly helps connect young students of color in private school settings with a broader community of support.

Warm, knowledgeable, and relentlessly dedicated, Kenya Reeves-Costa is more than a Realtor® she’s a trusted advocate, a skilled strategist, and the person clients turn to when they want to feel confident, cared for, and truly at home.

What does success mean to you?
I define success as fulfillment. If I find joy in the tasks, I am successful

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thelahomegirl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelahomegirl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLAHomeGirl1/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kenya-reeves-costa-the-la-homegirl-pasadena
• Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/TheLAHomeGirl

Image Credits
(professional shots) Tony Bowen Photography/ @tonybeephoto