A lifelong resident of the eastern suburbs, Kenji Fukushima has worked alongside Alexander Phillips for more than 12 years, first as his associate, and now stepping out on his own as an agent as part of the founding team at the newly launched Ray White Phillips & Co.
Renowned for his exceptional customer service and strategic approach to selling, Kenji set out early in his career to shift perceptions of real estate agents, bringing genuine insight, authenticity and compassion to every campaign.
His approach is grounded in openness, transparency and a willingness to truly listen, allowing him to co-create the best possible outcome with each client.
Now almost 37, Kenji grew up in a hospitality family, his parents owned a popular Japanese restaurant, today known as the Cottage in Balmain, before the family moved to Waverley, where he attended Cranbrook School.
That hospitality grounding stuck: he spent eight years working at the Swiss Grand and various venues, at one stage managing events at the Hordern Pavilion.
“I’ve always been drawn to the service side of real estate. I genuinely enjoy helping people navigate some of the biggest decisions in their lives and believe every interaction should be approached with care, consideration and respect. For me, exceptional service is about listening, understanding what matters most to each client, anticipating their needs and providing clear, considered advice. Real estate is ultimately about people, and I take great pride in building trusted relationships and ensuring my clients feel supported and confident throughout the process.”
Kenji says of the pull toward real estate after a six-month break spent working out his next move.
He earned his full real estate licence in 2014 and began doing Saturday open homes for Alexander Phillips, joining him full-time as an associate a month later.
Twelve years on, Kenji has stepped out as a standalone agent with his own associate, James Brady.
“I see a lot of myself in James, he used to work in hospitality in the UK and he is very switched on, eager to learn, takes a lot of notes and wants to help people,” Kenji says.
“Over the years I have helped mentor a lot of people in Alex’s business, so for me having my own associate is a natural thing and I love it.”
Kenji holds a Bachelor of Business and a Diploma in Property Services, underpinning his ability to deliver considered, customised campaigns that consistently achieve outstanding results.
Having grown up in Waverley, his intimate knowledge of the local market, combined with a loyal network of repeat and referral clients, speaks to the trust he has built across the eastern suburbs over the past decade.
“One of the main reasons I stayed with Alex for so long was the team was always evolving. We were a really close-knit, high-performing group, and Alex was generous in giving senior agents the opportunity to grow within the team. When you’re selling 200 properties a year, you naturally need experienced people around you, and I think having such a strong team was a big part of our success. I valued being part of that and the opportunities it gave me over the years,” he says.
“My goal for this year is I want to help the business grow.”
Clients regularly point to his calm, methodical style under pressure.
That reputation for delivering under pressure, particularly in challenging market conditions, makes Kenji a natural fit for Ray White Phillips & Co’s premium offering, combining hyper-local expertise with the scale, data and technology of Australia’s largest real estate network.
“The beauty of Alex and his team is we all do a lot of crossover, and the business has been built on a totally open database, it is fully open, fully transparent, for one common goal: to do their best by our customers,” Kenji says.
“Ultimately we are all very much customer-focused, and we have become more of an advisory service where we help people, we are not transactional. Our goal is to help clients sell not just once, but two, three and four times. Repeat business is the goal.”