It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a real estate agent in Hawaii for the past 20 years. Time sure flies when you are enjoying your career!
It seems just like yesterday that I was helping my first client – a veteran and his wife – purchase their first home on the Island of Oahu.
Fast forward 20 years and I’ve helped this couple with three other sales as they gradually upgraded through the equity they’ve built in each home. They are now happily residing on the mainland.
That first sale – and the hundreds of others that I’ve closed since then – brings a smile to my face as helping people achieve their dreams is one of the biggest satisfactions of being a real estate agent.
While there have been many innovations in our industry – such as FaceTime app meetings and virtual showings, which have come in handy during the pandemic or for connecting with clients in the United States mainland and internationally – the reality is, that real estate remains a people business. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You could say I was meant to enjoy a long and successful career in real estate. Before moving to Hawaii in 1994, I developed my appreciation and expertise for numbers by earning a degree at a university in Taiwan majoring in accounting and statistics, and later working at a trade association in Taiwan that involved frequent travel, meetings, and events with people from different countries.
Besides learning valuable networking and marketing skills, I also developed the art of negotiation which has served me well to this day and even earned a few awards, including an honor last year.
I’m also proud of the positive relationships that I’ve developed with my colleagues in Oahu. Though we are situated on a small island, there are over 5,000 real estate agents!
While it is competitive, it is also collegial as your reputation and professionalism are very important when it comes to completing a transaction or sharing intel about a listing that you may be better suited to handling due to your familiarity with a particular neighborhood or property.
Specializing in Luxury Listings
The listings I specialize in have evolved over time. With the strong interest shown by growing families and investors here in the U.S. along with Asia and Canada, I have focused in recent years on luxury properties, including ocean-view homes, high-rise condos in the growing Kakaako neighborhood, new developments in Ewa, and also apartment buildings and multi-family properties for savvy investors. I have also specialized in REO listings in the past.
Whether you are a local or planning to move to Hawaii, a great starting point is using the search feature on my website. Simply type in your price range and other details that are important to you and a series of current listings will arise. You can then connect with me to learn more about some of the properties that pique your interest.
One piece of advice I give to all of my clients – including first-time homeowners – is to try to spend within your means. Buy something that you can afford now and hopefully, as your equity grows, you can always upgrade later on to a bigger house or a different neighborhood.
This advice is particularly important with the recent rise in interest rates, making affordability an important consideration for both homeowners and investors. That said, Hawaiian real estate is unique as inventory is low and many people – including snowbirds – crave the sun, scenery, and Aloha Spirit that I’ve come to appreciate over the years.
The pandemic also spurred increased interest and sales from people from the mainland of the U.S. with work-from-home becoming a more accepted practice among many organizations.
Cheers to 20 More Years!
When you celebrate a special milestone like mine, you are often asked what your plans are for the future.
The great thing about being a real estate agent is you get to call the shots as an entrepreneur and continue as long as you want. There is a real estate agent at our Location firm in Hawaii who is still practicing successfully at the age of 92. She is a true inspiration.
Though elements of our profession – such as negotiations on a coveted property – aren’t as glamorous as some of the shows you see on HGTV, I wouldn’t change a thing with the career that I’ve chosen and which has afforded me a great life in Hawaii. I even have aspirations one day of sharing my learnings so younger real estate agents or those considering a career in real estate can follow in my footsteps and realize just how satisfying it is.
In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to help many others say Alo-ha to their dream home or investment property in Paradise – just like I have many times over the past 20 years.
