How to find a Hawaii Realtor

Whether you're buying or selling real estate in Hawaii, the first step should be finding a good Hawaii REALTOR®. You noticed it's all caps and has the "registered" mark on there, because it's a trademarked title that means a real estate agent is not just an agent, but a member of the Honolulu board of REALTORS®.

Does that mean anything? Well it means that person pays a few hundreds dollars a year to the National association of REALTORS® and the Honolulu local board too. But other than that, there is no requirement to become a REALTOR®. It is mostly meaningless. Yes I said it.

I'm telling you this because a lot of real estate agents think that their title means they are worth something, and a lot of buyers and sellers in Hawaii are convinced that seeing that title actually means something different than "real estate agent."

A Hawaii REALTOR® needs to do nothing other than pay money for that title, but it does mean that he is held to a code of ethics and can be disciplined, blah blah blah.

So how do you find a good real estate agent in Hawaii then? You interview them, just like you would interview anyone else you would hire. Yes, when you work with a REALTOR® you are essentially hiring them to either buy or sell a home for you. So ask tough questions and get all the facts. Here are some suggestions, in no particular order, when it's time to find a Hawaii REALTOR®.

• Does the REALTOR® have a college degree or graduate degree?


• How many transactions has he done? Real estate is very complex, you don't want a rookie do you?


• How long has he been licensed, and how much total business has he done?


• Can he provide past client references?


• What will he do to advertise your home? Will it be in print ads?


• Does he advertise his properties on the internet, other than the MLS?


• Who will take the pictures of the home? Will there be a professional photographer?


• Will there be a staging appointment and will it be extra?


• How well does he know the area? If your home is in Kailua, you want a REALTOR® who knows Kailua right?


• How will he handle a contract dispute?


• How will you get in contact? Will he be available anytime? Will he answer his cell phone whenever you call?


• Your search for a Hawaii REALTOR® has to be careful and methodical, or you could ruin the entire home sale. I have seen plenty of homes that didn't sell because of the REALTOR®. When it's time to find a Hawaii REALTOR®, you should realize that this decision will impact you for a long time, especially if you pick a bad one.

You can read my resume on the About Me page.


Tony Kawaguchi, M.Div., R.A.
REMAX 808 Realty
The best Real Estate office in Hawaii!
808-395-5776
alohatony@gmail.com