Leo And Paulette Kingston: A Story Of Redemption, Success…And Life After Politics

TheKingstonsBy Jason Doyle Oden
The McCarville Report

Passion and perseverance. Two words which define Leo and Paulette Kingston. The duo has built a brand which is readily recognizable in the Oklahoma City metro with 1-800-2-Sell-Homes. People now approach the couple holding up two fingers proving they have tapped into local popular culture. The success allows them to give back to the community. However, it wasn’t an easy road to get to this point for the Kingstons.

“We really feel that we have been greatly blessed. We had some very difficult times and are successful now. We feel that giving back is just part of who we are because that’s the way we both grew up,” Paulette tells The McCarville Report.

Their story is one of redemption, success and life after politics.

Leo echoes Paulette’s sentiment of a childhood which taught him the value of hard work.

Leo and Congressman Steve Russell, who is wearing Leo's glasses

Leo and Congressman Steve Russell, who is wearing Leo’s glasses

“I lived in an old hotel until I was eleven. I shined shoes when I was nine. I sold newspapers on the street corner at ten. I delivered newspapers until I was 12. I worked at St. Anthony hospital at 15, 16 years old. My mother taught me how to work and work hard. I didn’t come from money,” Leo said.

The bond between Leo and Paulette is strong. They work off each other. Paulette calls Leo the visionary, big thinker. One of the many visions he had was to become the biggest real estate investor in Oklahoma. He told his wife that was his goal at breakfast that fateful morning. He received a phone call that afternoon which put the Kingstons on the course to become a major force in Oklahoma real estate.

Leo and Jeb Bush

Leo and Jeb Bush

“Friday afternoon, I get a phone call. It is a girl in California that’s selling me on a vanity phone number. We took up on that vanity phone number. It was 1-800-No-Agent. I saw the vision right off the bat,” Leo shared.

1-800-No-Agent was the forerunner to the current 1-800-2-Sell-Homes. After promoting the business with billboards, the Kingstons weren’t getting the volume of calls to help sustain the business. It was after meeting with an acquaintance who had media buying experience, the couple decided to tape a commercial. Paulette worked in front of the camera. The quirky commercials started the phones ringing.

“People related to them. We had a lot of positive comments,” said Paulette.

A sense of humor helps, the Kingstons have found

A sense of humor helps, the Kingstons have found

Once the calls started coming in, they realized the need to change the number from 1-800-No-Agent to 1-800-2-Sell-Homes because many people thought the Kingstons were a real estate agency that doesn’t charge a commission. The business wasn’t a real estate agency it purchased houses. The TV campaign helped to create today’s well-known brand and better define the business.

“Now we are able to branch out based on Leo’s creativity and vision. We now have a commercial division where we buy mineral royalties and we buy commercial property,” Paulette shared. “I also own a real estate company which is Kelley Kingston Homes.”

The other companies include Gregory Kingston Commercial Real Estate and 1-800-We-Pay-Fast. There are plans to extend their branding to other markets soon. The Kingstons stress that they could not have built their brand and expanding businesses without their dedicated staff.

While times are good now, it wasn’t always so for the Kingstons.

Leo and Paulette with President Bush

Leo and Paulette with President Bush

The Kingstons were riding a wave of success in the 1980s. Not only were they successfully running a real estate investment business, Leo had achieved another one of his passions; becoming a state senator. A few ill-informed decisions in the operation of their real estate business led to a federal conviction. The couple served time in federal prison. When they finished serving their time, they moved into an $8,000 house. The Kingstons committed to rebuild and would apply their work ethic once again.

Opportunity came knocking as Leo was working at a fitness center. He met a banker who related to his situation.

“I told him my story of who I was and where I had been. He said, ‘You know, my brother’s been where you’ve been. Why don’t you come see me? I’ll try to help you out.’ I went to see him, and he gave me a $25,000 line of credit,” Leo said.

“I’ll never forget that day. It was like somebody gave us a half a million dollars,” Paulette added.

Leo in Miami Beach

Leo in Miami Beach

Leo used $5,000 to buy a house which they still own today. He worked to rehab the house to help begin a new stream of income.

“Leo, when he was in the Senate, was the most polished senator there was. There would not be a hair out of place. He would buff his nails. His shirt was starched every day. Here he said, ‘Well, I’ve got to do this sweat equity. So, he bought an old, used vacuum cleaner, and he was out there cleaning toilet bowls and cleaning the stuff up himself. That’s all we knew was hard work. When people come to me and say I don’t have any money, I say the answer to that is to work your tail off,” Paulette said.

The Kingstons on Broadway in New York City

The Kingstons on Broadway in New York City

Another example of putting in hard work to accomplish goals is Leo Kingston’s political career. He had a love of politics from a young age inspired by his mother who would round up voters for candidates.

“She had councilmen, state representatives, state senators that would come see her,” said Leo.

“They all knew Ruby,” Paulette added.

Leo began pursuing politics early on. At eleven years old, he was passing out pamphlets for John F. Kennedy. He served in the state Senate as a page when he was a young teen. During that time, he met Oklahoma’s first Republican Governor Henry Bellmon and his successor Governor and future U.S. Senator Dewey Bartlett.

Once again, the road did not prove easy for Kingston.

“It was very, very difficult because I was the outside guy. They called me a carpet bagger. They already had a party pick.”

Leo got some advice from experienced politicians on an approach to win over votes. He worked the campaign door to door. It paid off in the primary, however, his Democratic opponent won the seat. This defeat failed to keep him from trying again.

Kingston’s second campaign came after the sitting senator was facing criminal charges. He was on the way to winning the seat in a special election. On the verge of election, the senator’s trial was overturned and he was reinstated.

leoWhen the seat was up for election, Kingston mounted another campaign. This time, he had Paulette at his side as his wife. Following that same advice he was given early in his political career, Leo went door to door. He rounded up volunteers, asking anyone he met for their help on his campaign. Finally, the hard work paid off and he won his seat in the state senate in 1986 by a slender margin. In those days, Senator Gene Stipe was a Democrat fixture holding much sway over the Legislature. Kingston had used commercials tying his opponent to Stipe. The Little Dixie senator called for a meeting with the newly minted Republican senator.

“Gene called me into his office. He says to me, ‘Senator, you’ve made some ruts. It’s going to be hard to get out of those ruts you’ve made,’” Leo said laughing at the memory and doing his best Gene Stipe voice. “Over the few years that I was there, Gene got to like me.”

Kingston also won over those Republicans who saw him as an outsider. As history has already recorded, his political career was cut short because of the federal conviction which had nothing to do with his elective office. When asked if he would like to pursue a political office again, Leo gives a wink from behind his white framed glasses and a wide smile.

leo6After all they have been through, Leo and Paulette are preparing to celebrate their 31st anniversary together in November. What might tear most couples apart, gave the Kingstons the fuel to keep their passions for each other alive. Their marriage and their business partnership is solid and growing. Leo keeps coming up with the ideas. Paulette keeps finding a way to turn them into opportunities. The couple enjoys their success, but more importantly they have used it to give back to the community.


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  1. Bill, 19 February, 2017

    http://newsok.com/article/2340045

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