CASSANDRA HEPBURN & HOWARD CHENG with Serene Team Thank you so much for all your help! They have been helping me with this process along the way as a first timer! They always help me with any questions that I have. Not only do they help you but they teach you along the way We are very thankful for you guys! Cassandra! Thank you so much for all you have done! She would drive all the way out to the different homes we wanted to look at and it was far! Cassandra is always on time & makes the walkthroughs very fun but not only that she makes sure things get done Thank you so much! Make sure to ask for Cassandra & or Howard !! Check out their instagrams they have good information & they are all about helping Veterans who need help buying homes! read more

Serene Team - LPT Realty - CASSANDRA HEPBURN - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Culver City, California

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1-Star Yelp Review for Kyle Draper and Michael Maloney - Serene Team at eXp Realty I never leave public reviews for other real estate agents... because this business can be very challenging. But my experience with Kyle Draper and Michael Maloney, both agents with the Serene Team at eXp Realty, has been consistently disappointing and unprofessional over the past 8+ years. Kyle Draper, who previously worked under my leadership when I was the Team Leader at Keller Williams Downtown LA, withheld a referral commission that was contractually owed to me. He later admitted in writing that he let someone else "keep my cut." I filed a commission dispute and lawsuit, which was dismissed without prejudice due to timing... but his handling of the situation showed a complete lack of professionalism and accountability. Despite that history, and not yet knowing about a vulgar Facebook comment left about me by Michael Maloney, I gave their team another chance. I moved forward on two escrows at my listing at 240 Robinson Street (south of Silver Lake), where Michael brought in buyers. Both buyers failed to perform. Both escrows were mismanaged and filled with errors... costing me and my client time and credibility. Later, I discovered that Michael had left a public comment on my professional Facebook page saying, "F*** off you fraud." When I asked him about it, he denied it and said he was "hacked." Regardless of the excuse, the comment stayed up for months and was visible to clients and colleagues. On top of all that, Kyle Draper cornered one of my partners at an open house and, instead of acting professionally, spent the time talking negatively about me. This has become a pattern... personal attacks, gossip, and backdoor behavior that has no place in a professional real estate transaction. Here's the summary: Withheld referral commission Unprofessional and defamatory public comment by Michael Two failed escrows from unqualified buyers Years of personal and professional attacks If you're working in Los Angeles real estate, especially around Echo Park, Silver Lake, or Downtown LA, I strongly recommend avoiding Kyle Draper and Michael Maloney of the Serene Team at eXp Realty. I wish them the best in life... but I will never do business with them again, and I advise others to proceed with caution. ***UPDATE (June 2025): After I confronted Michael Maloney via text on June 8, 2025 regarding the Facebook defamation, he left eXp Realty the very next day. Kyle Draper left eXp Realty the following day. These facts are confirmed via the California Department of Real Estate. While no explanation has been given, the timing is not coincidental. In response to this review, Kyle Draper publicly commented on Yelp and falsely implied that a lawsuit I filed had no merit. The case (Bramante v. (Ray) Wu, Draper, Peng - Case No. 20STLC07362) was dismissed without prejudice, which means it was never ruled on and remains fully actionable. Draper's statement is intentionally misleading and part of a continuing pattern of professional misrepresentation (I have attached a copy of the actual court case history verifying my comments). I've since issued a formal cease and desist and have begun legal action for defamation, commission theft, tortious interference, and reputational harm. I am posting this to protect others. If you are a buyer, seller, or agent working in Los Angeles, ask questions and do your diligence. read more

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We can't recommend Kyle Draper, the Serene Team, and Howard Cheng enough! As first-time homebuyers, we were pretty clueless, but they were so patient with us, helping us look at houses across three counties. They always made us feel like we were their top priority, even with last minute requests. Kyle and Howard were not only professional and efficient, but they also made the whole process fun--something we never expected through what we thought would be a stressful experience! They walked us through everything, answered all our questions, and kept us laughing the entire time. In the end, we beat out 8 other offers on our house AND saved $40K, which we didn't even think was possible, but Howard and Kyle made it happen. Even now, we still use the contractors they recommended! If you want a team that goes above and beyond, these are your people. They made a stressful process so much easier, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome! read more

Kyle is truly an outstanding real estate agent. He's is gifted at making sure your offer stands best among a sea of others. We were in for a competitive condo and we got accepted and even bested an offer with a higher price. Seriously, the other offer was for $10,000 more and we were the ones that got it. It really was a crazy time to buy a house with COVID restrictions and protocols, but Kyle made us feel safe and taken care of. My fiancé and I are overjoyed and I can't recommend him and his team enough. This is the second time I've hired Kyle and it won't be the last :) read more

Serene Team - LPT Realty - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Culver City, California

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Vanessa and Kyle were instrumental in getting me the best ROI for my out-of-state property in a challenging market. They know the West LA market really well. The task was not an easy one... I was living out of state, needed someone who could handle everything, and knew the correct strategy under 1) rate hikes, 2) selling a 1-bedroom condo = trickier than a 2+ bedrooms, and 3) selling now vs. a year later. I interviewed other realtors and they used a cookie cutter approach to a complicated situation and market. Vanessa and Kyle stood out by a very large margin when I interviewed them. They revealed their strategy, which made sense based on what I had seen when following the market for a year, in addition to tailoring for my selling situation. They even did an amazing lifestyle video depicting the ideal buyer profile, allowing prospective buyers to envision themselves living there. It was also a funny video! Humor made it even more remarkable. Every detail counted, including staging, repair vendors, and when to put the home on the market. Vanessa was doing an open house every weekend and persisted / followed-up with all interested parties. A lot of buyers were waiting on the side for the rates to drop to make an offer. When the offer came in, their negotiation skills stood out... not only during the initial phases but up until the very end. It was a complicated situation that involved loan denials, HOA financial clarifications, long list of additional questions and requirements, concessions and even a difficult buyer agent. They kept me updated throughout the process and would always text "all is good." That small detail means a lot. Lenders have a very high level of scrutiny these days and it can be nerve-wrecking. It was a very stressful situation but I knew I had the best realtors on my side, and I didn't doubt for a second that they GOT IT, and they did - all under so much pressure - and let me say... they were always bringing levity to the situation. I didn't think it was possible, but I had fun despite these circumstances, and that's priceless. Folks, if that happens during a nerve-wrecking process, just know you have the best - more than just the best- you have A TEAM that has your back 100%. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend them, and I would hire them again in a nanosecond. read more

Kyle is good, annoyingly good. The idea of an agent is someone who is a combination shaman and lawyer. Kyle fought for us every step of the way and long before we even knew there was a fight to be had. He lives in the Matrix, I'm telling you. For example, we're buying a house the same time I'm in the works for a new job offer. The minute after he tells me congratulations, he tells me how to plan the start date so there's no problem with the lender. Or how about how after we made a dozen calls to all sorts of lenders, Kyle just has a guy in his back pocket who can get us .25% APR lower than the lowest I could find on my own. THEN, the crazy man goes and gets the seller not only to completely wipe out our out of pocket closing costs but also works with seller and lender to cut down our APR even LOWER, down 1.5% from any of the biggest lenders I could find! I'm saving hundreds off monthly payments alone from Kyle's hard work on things I didn't even know existed. He even set us up with some of the best inspectors and contractors around. I'm telling you, you pay the same or less but the service is astronomically better for these people that Kyle just has around his orbit. When you choose Kyle and the Serene Team, you're picking not just an amazing agent, you're picking someone who can do everything. Someone who lives basically in the future. When you pick Kyle and the team, you get access to more than you ever thought possible. If you're a young homebuyer, if you want the best, if you want someone who is basically Olivia Pope in your corner, you go for Kyle and the Serene Team. read more

If we could give him more than 5 Stars we would! Kyle is an amazing Real Estate Agent. He was recommended to my Fiancé and I from some good friends of hers that also had a great experience working with him when they bought their first home. We initially had plans to list our condo back in 2017 and met Kyle for a preliminary meeting. When he came to our condo, he came in with a binder of market research and comp data that he reviewed and discussed. I was really impressed with the amount of detail on an initial meet and the plan he had to get us the best value for our property. He is very knowledgeable! For personal reasons, we decided not to list at that time and kept in touch with Kyle over the next year. In July of this year (2018) my fiancé and I decided we were ready to sell and wanted to get on the market quickly. We called Kyle and he showed up the next day, as if the year hadn't passed. He helped us put together a plan that lead to us selling the condo well above our listing price! He was aggressive with his approach and methods, and his confidence gave us confidence. We not only got more than we expected in the sell, but we closed really fast and with no issue. We have Kyle's negotiation skills to thank for that. All in all, the service he provided was professional and it made our experience a great one. If you are looking for an Real Estate Agent to meet your goals and really take care of you, I recommend setting up a meeting with Kyle. read more

Serene Team - LPT Realty - Thanks Kyle and Chris! We love our new home. - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Culver City, California

The Serene Team was amazing!! They helped me buy my first property and made the process so smooth. Extremely knowledgable, friendly, and willing to go out of their way to help find me a home! read more

I found Kyle on Yelp, and he came to view the house for listing for sale. I didn't list it and instead decided to keep it. Even though Kyle didn't make any money on my house, he still helped me out and paid a fee for a service out of his pocket. I felt he is someone that will help you as long as it helps you, and he will do it. He has such an open heart and open mind on creatures, that you will appreciate him for just being a nice human. I'll do everything in my power to help him as well. It's a two way street. When agents care (this is precious), clients know. I have interviewed hundreds if not thousands of people in my professional life, and Kyle came across as a precious find. I would label him as one that will put "service above money making", while most vendors/agents put "money making above service". I'm so happy for him he's doing so great in his profession. Good job Kyle! read more

If you're looking for the best realtor in LA, Kyle is your guy! A friend introduced us and from the moment we met, we knew we were in good hands. We were purchasing our first home, which comes with a lot of questions and anxiety but Kyle made the process so much less stressful! He was patient and supportive. He answered all our questions (even the smallest/silliest ones). He made sure we felt comfortable and understood all the processes every step of the way. We know one day we'll want to expand our family and hopefully get a larger house - when we do, Kyle will be the one we call! read more

We initially chose Kyle as our real estate agent to buy our first home because he was our good friend, but what we got was so much more. He's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, empathetic and will literally work around the clock to make sure you feel fully informed and comfortable with your decisions. Kyle helped us buy a house in Highland Park during a time-frame when every house in the area was getting multiple offers. He offered up strategic advice on how to make our offers as competitive as possible, and we are so happy that we landed a home that we love so much. I would recommend Kyle to anyone looking to buy or sell. For us, he was the perfect mix of professional and knowledgeable, yet friendly and relatable. Thank you, Kyle!! read more

Kyle and Howard were a great duo to be able to work with. They both are incredibly professional and kind, but extremely knowledgeable. This was my first time selling a home and they were really was patient with me. They walked me through every step of the process. I mostly appreciate that they made sure that when we were ready to accept an offer, that it was sound, and solid. Under the circumstances we couldn't afford to lose any time and they made it happen. I was very happy with the results and owe all the thanks to them and their amazing team. read more

I was fairly concerned that the home-buying process would be a nightmare when I began my search, but Kyle made the process as painless as can be, and found me the perfect home after only a few weeks of searching. We were in heavy competition with a number of other potential buyers, and ended up getting the deal without the highest offer, which was a clear result of Kyle's hard work and strong rapport with the listing agent. Kyle made sure I had all of the necessary info from day one, and was very knowledgeable with everything from loans to home improvements to escrow procedures (he also knew when to defer to other experts as needed, which is appreciated, and always had good recommendations). I am actually searching for my second property with Kyle now - better proof than anything else that he did a great job. read more

I worked with Pilar and I could not be more grateful for the effort and expertise she put into helping me buy my first home. She has an incredible breadth of knowledge, a keen awareness of the market, and a network of amazing people working with her, so there's a deep bench of expertise and support. I always felt like I was in good hands, working toward the right goals and angling toward the fairest price. I can't say enough about what a stellar professional she is, but the real headline is that she's also a wonderful and caring human. I was pretty nervous and clueless throughout the process, but Pilar's warmth and confidence always put me at ease. I would (and will!) enthusiastically recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. read more

Kyle was my agent for the purchase of my first property, a triplex in Echo Park. I can't say enough good things about Kyle and his quality of service as a real estate agent. I'd been thinking about buying a property for awhile but didn't really know where to start. Kyle got me on the right path. From start to finish he walked me through the process and made it easy. The escrow for my property was not what most would call "smooth". Speed bumps popped up all along the way. Without Kyle going the extra mile to find solutions and workarounds everything would have fallen appart. I'm so happy it didn't because buy that property was one of the best decisions. I have recommended Kyle to multiple friends/coworkers and they all have nothing but good things to say about him. If you are looking for the best agent who will put your interests first, look no further. read more

Kyle was amazing when I purchased my home. He was so supportive throughout the entire process and always answered all of my questions in a way that I could understand. He has a great support staff and all were professional. I recommend Kyle for an amazing, positive home buying experience! read more

Kyle was a pleasure to work with as I looked to buy my first house. He simplified the home buying for me and was incredibly responsive throughout the whole experience. His knowledge of DTLA (downtown LA) was something that initially intrigued me since condo buying in that area with the older, more historic buildings is quite different than buying in other parts of Los Angeles. Another thing that stood out to me was how well connected Kyle is within the real estate community, he had a relationship already built with the seller agent which definitely helped with the negotiation. Overall I would highly recommend using Kyle as a real estate agent. read more

Finding a new home is not easy. Finding a new home for your first time is even more difficult. After I was re-connected with Kyle after many years apart as long time school friends, finding a new home to purchase became less of a task and more of a fun experience. From narrowing down my options, to signing all the legal work, to getting the keys to my new home, this guy did it all. Even when I got the keys, he handed me a list of notes from every thing we had learned about the property from day one - e.g. he remembered the paint colors and the details I would need to know in order to properly remodel my home. That in itself told me Kyle not only cared about finding me a place I could call home - he made sure I was happy there. Kyle was always timely, patient, professional and most importantly, he operated with integrity. There are so many things that go into the process of purchasing a home that any one can learn the process, but with Kyle, I knew when I was signing everything that I was taken care of. I recently recommended Kyle to one party working on valuation for a recently remodeled back yard, and heard nothing but great things about Kyle. Further, another friend recently reached out to me telling me Kyle has been nothing but wonderful in helping find an income property in the San Fernando Valley. The good things I hear even after I've lived in my home for 2 years never cease to stop coming in! read more

Kyle helped us through the purchase of our first home. My sister in law recommended him to us, as he helped her cousin buy in the same area. We are so glad we went with him! We had a slightly difficult seller, and ended up in a bidding war. We had a ton of questions, and felt nervous about everything, lol. He was super patient with us while being diligent and on top of all the things we needed to pull this off. We highly recommend him :) read more

My wife and I recently purchased a home in Pasadena, CA. Within a month, we put an offer and closed on a house, got married, and I changed jobs. Though I don't recommend making three significant life changes all at once, I do recommend hiring Kyle as your realtor. Kyle is the zen master of real estate. He may be young, but he's got an old soul. In every interaction we had with Kyle, he was professional, composed, thoughtful, empathetic, and most importantly, he was always on our side. He was never pushy or salesy. He simply wanted us to be happy, whether we bought a house or not. We viewed enough houses to make any real estate agent want to pull his hair out, but Kyle kept his hair intact. He's a very patient guy. And, he knows his stuff. He's comfortable negotiating. He's strategic. He fought when we needed to fight and he made alliances when we needed friends. He kept us top of mind at all times. Speaking on behalf of first time home buyers, most of the stress is derived from fear of the unknown, and the second guessing of whether you're making a right decision. No one has a crystal ball in real estate, but you can take action to minimize the anxiety of buying a home, bringing clarity and confidence to your purchase. Hire the zen master. Give Kyle a call and discuss if buying a home is the right move for you. read more

Kyle and team made my first time home buying experience as easy as it could be. He was patient and attentive to all my questions and made sure to educate me through the process. I really appreciate the personal touch of Kyle and his team, even after my sale went through. read more

I have highly recommended Kyle Draper to EVERY person who's mentioned that they're looking to buy or sell a home. Kyle was everything we were looking for in a real estate agent and more. He was 200% present and available at every step in the process. I had been warned that first-time home buying was a nightmare. But the whole process was so simple and comfortable because of Kyle's outstanding communication, availability, positive attitude, resourcefulness, and skillfulness, that it was actually one of the easiest things we've ever done. He was so good at listening and paying attention to what we were looking for that we almost put a bid on the VERY FIRST home he showed us. And within a few weeks of working with him, we found the perfect place. Kyle was so conscientious that he even FaceTime'd me or took videos of walk-throughs and sent them to me when I couldn't go to viewings because I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and had a toddler! And when I went INTO LABOR on the day of our home inspection, I didn't bat an eyelash about Kyle handling the whole walk-through on our behalf when my family and I were indisposed at the hospital! In fact, I told him there was no one I'd rather have handling this in our absence! I still can't believe my husband and I are homeowners. Thank you, Kyle, for helping us realize a life goal that we didn't know we could achieve! We'll always be grateful to you. -J&A read more

Kyle is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to buy or sell a home. My wife and I had known Kyle prior to beginning our home buying journey and knew he would do a great job representing us. Kyle is extremely diligent, communicative, and someone that goes the extra mile for his clients. For many, buying a home will be the biggest financial decision they will face so it is important to have an agent you can trust to help you navigate through the process. Kyle always puts his clients first and will work at all hours to get the job done. If you want an agent that will provide great service and get you a great deal, go with Kyle. You won't be disappointed. read more

Kyle will work hard for you. We experienced a few other realtors who were overbearing and pushy. Kyle, on the other hand, respects your process and is willing to help your search along in a way that works best for you. But when you need help, research, or advanced scouting he bends over backward to make it happen quickly and efficiently. As first time homebuyers, I don't think our process could have gone any smoother. read more

I highly recommend Kyle! I was so pleased when a friend recommended him to sell my house. Pleasant and easy to communicate with, he answered every question, explained every form and every part of the process clearly and thoroughly. I was impressed with how Kyle maneuvered all the unforeseen details with sophistication and reason. He is quick, well informed and intelligent, and continues to be generous with advice and insight. I can't imagine having a more positive experience and recommend him without reservation. Thanks Kyle! read more

Kyle was a blessing to work with throughout our entire real estate process. Over six months of searching we covered everything from apartments to houses all the way from Santa Monica to Pasadena. He was consistently patient and supportive providing insights along the way on cities, school districts, crime, nightlife, and details on each potential property. He advised thoroughly on all aspects of the offer process to ensure we were setting ourselves up with the best likelihood of getting into escrow in a competitive marketplace. Once in escrow, he went above and beyond to build a strong relationship with the selling agent in order to ensure that the inspection process and request for repairs was well received by the seller. Overall, would 100% recommend Kyle to anyone looking for a home in LA County. He'll be my realtor of choice for any future deal. read more

It's hard to put words into how incredible our experience with Kyle was. We had never worked with a real estate agent before, we were looking to move into our first house, and we were looking for a place in Echo Park or somewhere on the east side (which we thought was next to impossible). Fortunately, Kyle had an encyclopedia of information in his head as to how to help us, and the hustle and drive to help make it happen (spoiler alert: we got an incredible home in Echo Park that we LOVE). He's well connected, other realtors love him (we didn't even realize how important this was), but most importantly, he was so fast to get us the answers we were looking for, and never made us feel stupid for not knowing certain things (or anything when we first started). Lastly, Kyle made the whole process feel fun and stress free. I don't think there are a ton of agents out there like him. read more

Kyle was our real estate agent - he helped us purchase our first home in Venice and made the whole process incredibly easy (and fun)! His knowledge of the process and market was incredibly helpful as first time buyers. He was very responsive and answered ALL of our questions with amazingly thorough and thoughtful replies. It definitely made me feel better working with someone I knew I could trust to steer us in the right direction. I would definitely work with Kyle again and have already recommended him to everyone I know. We love our new home so much and are so thankful for Kyle's help! read more

Kyle really knows the valley! He was a fantastic realtor from start to finish. Kyle truly listened to me and my husband and actually stuck to our list of needs/wants/concerns! His expertise guided us through a fast closing process and got us into our home from bid to close in 5 weeks. Amazing! He was fun to work with and really knows this business. In the crowded sea of LA realtors, I highly recommend Kyle Draper. read more

We recently worked with Kyle in purchasing a home in the Santa Monica area. We were thrilled with the service Kyle provided and he made the entire process very stress-free and easy on us. In addition to being very personable, Kyle actively participates in the process and is excellent in providing daily updates on new listings and really going above and beyond in agent-client relations/assistance. Kyle was extremely knowledgeable (coming from a family with real estate history) and had numerous connections to help in every facet of the home buying process. This includes having great contacts for home inspectors, handymen, plumbers, etc. His impressive knowledge and resource base came in handy many times as many small/hidden problems arise when doing home inspections and throughout the entire escrow process. You almost feel like Kyle is buying the house with you as he is so involved and vested in your best interests. Overall I absolutely recommend using Kyle Draper as your real estate agent as we were very satisfied and felt Kyle goes above and beyond in serving his clients and made the entire process very enjoyable and worry-free. Thanks again Kyle! read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Kyle! My husband was transferred from NC to Century City and I was faced with the daunting of finding us a home within 60 days. I was given several realtors, all of which who I contacted and Kyle was first to respond. He was professional, thorough and willing to go the extra mile for us with all of our requirements. Not only did he source great properties in every area of LA I was considering, he spends several weekends driving me to any and all I wanted to view, while educating me on area. We had to look for a rental until our property in NC sells, the return on a rental to Kyle (vs buying a property) is hardly enough to buy himself a cup of coffee much less pay for all the gas he used driving me around, but he treated us as if we were buying a huge mansion in a Beverly Hills. Kyle was super efficient with all the paperwork and wrote an award winning review of our family for the landlords about my husband, myself, our 3 yr old daughter and 2 dogs, (one of which was 140 lbs) making us seem like the perfect tenant. Now that was a task in itself, convincing someone renting us a house in LA that our Great Dane/German Shephard/Rottie mix was a love muffin. Bravo again Kyle on that one, proving no task is too big or small for you! We are planning to purchase a home in 2016 and there is no other choice for us but Kyle Draper. If you are looking for a phenomenal realtor, who goes above and beyond for his clients (which is rare in LA) and who is a native of Los Angeles, look no further, Kyle is the man! read more

I had such a positive experience with Kyle- he is honest, kind and very knowledgable! He found me a place that fit my needs in a great location.. Kyle was so pleasant to work with, and really goes out of his way to provide the best service and results. read more