Itʻs been a few years – pre-pandemic – since I took two whole weeks away from Hawaiʻi and my real estate practice. If you follow my social media, you may have seen that I celebrated my (gulp!) 70th birthday running rapids on the Colorado River and hiking out of the Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail – and then one of my second-home-clients-turned-friends hosted me at her home in Scottsdale for a birthday party weekend.
Iʻm a bit behind on my blogging. But it was totally worth it!
Why I Believed in Hawaiʻi Life From the Beginning
I came back to a reminder from LinkedIn that in a couple of weeks I will be celebrating another anniversary: the 17th anniversary of joining Hawaiʻi Life. The end of April 2009 was when I met with our CEO Matt Beall at the coffee shop in downtown Hawi, and as I say in my official bio, “After just one conversation with the founders, I knew Iʻd just seen the future of real estate, a future that was customer-oriented rather than agent-oriented.”
In those early days there were only about a dozen of us, split between Kauaʻi and the Big Island. But the values were established, and the emphasis on giving the real estate consumer what they wanted: a single Internet platform to view real estate across Hawaiʻi, combined with knowledgeable professionals to provide local knowledge so our clients and customers could find the best fit for their objectives.
As the real estate brokerage landscape continues to consolidate with most real estate brands being really sub-brands within a conglomerate with headquarters and leadership in another state, I believe more than ever in being licensed with an independent, locally-owned brokerage that also owes its success to membership in networks like Forbes Global Properties™ and Luxury Portfolio International®.
I also love that we collectively share and give in so many ways. Through our Hawaiʻi LIfe Charitable Fund of course. But also by providing the best real estate conference on the planet for those who want to do business with integrity and absolute professionalism, available to all in our industry: Worthshop!
The Best Group of Leaders and Brokers-in-Charge in Hawaiʻi
In 2015 I accepted the role of Broker-in-Charge for the Big Island, joining the most talented, knowledgeable, caring and conscientious group of real estate brokers in Hawaiʻi. To this day, I believe the leadership team at Hawaiʻi Life is the gold standard.
I agreed to take the role for a period of 2-3 years while mentoring our rising stars to succeed me. When I joined the company, we had no idea whether Hawaiʻi Life would be around in a year. Six years later, it was clear that agents could join Hawaiʻi Life and see a career path if they wanted to become brokers and leaders. Some of those leaders have now moved on to lead in other brokerages and they remain friends and colleagues in the Hawaiʻi real estate ecosystem.
That enabled me to take on a new initiative…
Hawaiʻi Life – Conservation and Legacy Lands Practice
One of my first listings after joining Hawaiʻi Life in 2009 was an oceanfront property of tremendous historical and cultural significance. Have you seen the Netflix series Chief of War? The scenes of Kamehameha I in his village in North Kohala would have taken place right at this location, the break where Kamehameha taught Kaʻahumanu to surf.
It took a few years and the help of Trust for Public Land to raise the funds to protect this wahi pana (storied place) in perpetuity. That led to assisting other property owners in working towards a preservation sale in North Kohala. Eventually between our CEOʻs service on the statewide Hawaiʻi Land Trust board and my reputation on the Big Island, property owners like Bishop Museum began seeking us for advice and brokerage services for conservation and legacy transactions statewide.
It only made sense for us to make our expertise available to any conservation-minded buyer or seller, regardless of which island, regardless of whether they were already working with another brokerage. We announced the specialized practice in Conservation and Legacy Lands in 2018.
From Resorts to Ranches – Representing Sellers and Buyers of Hawaiʻi Real Estate
I sometimes get asked whether, with all my commitments to ʻāina preservation, I still have a regular real estate business. The answer is that amazing listings come my way, often complex properties that require a strong knowledge of title issues, planning and zoning codes, agricultural or equestrian-specific requirements, or special permit uses.
Very often I list for old friends, past clients, and community members. I regularly get calls from prospective buyers who found me here through these blog posts, of which this is number 647.
There is nothing like getting on the Hawaiian Airlines flight after vacation, seeing a video with Waimea-based musicians performing on landscape I love, and feeling homesick. Twenty-one years on this island, seventeen years with the brokerage, I still love my Hawaiʻi Life.
Thanks for indulging me in a very personal post. Iʻll get back to real estate insights next time!
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