REALTORS® are housing advocates, community builders and good neighbors

Whether you’re buying or selling a home, a REALTOR ® can help make your real estate transaction successful. No one has more information about the market, is dedicated to meeting your needs and is professional and bound by a Code of Ethics. Your REALTOR® is with you every step of the way as you navigate a transaction from start to finish.

More than serving as a trusted advisor for home buyers and sellers, REALTORS® are tireless proponents for increasing O‘ahu’s housing supply — at all levels — to address demand and create opportunities for homeownership, which we believe is possible for everyone.

That’s why the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® partnered with the Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center (HHOC) to create the HOPE Homebuyer Education Program. HOPE stands for Housing Opportunities are Possible for Everyone, and the program subsidizes fees for homebuyers working with a REALTOR ®, saving them $50 off a lifetime membership to HHOC, where they can take homebuyer education classes and access other services. Since forming the program in 2021, the Honolulu Board of REALTORS ® donated $25,000 to the program, sponsoring more than 425 first-time homebuyers who collectively have saved $21,250 on their lifetime HHOC membership. The board has committed another $25,000 to honor our centennial anniversary.

Our desire to provide housing opportunities and education to local residents across O‘ahu and build better communities guides our philanthropic commitments. Since 1993, the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® and our members have awarded more than $436,000 in grants to community organizations, and every day, our outstanding REALTORS® invest their time and energy in the community. From improving women’s lives, empowering keiki through mentorship, managing food waste and encouraging sustainable education, and many causes in between, REALTORS® are active in their communities.

In recognition of REALTORS®’ commitment to service, the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® established the Good Neighbor Awards Program in 2020. The annual awards celebrate REALTORS® who demonstrate excellence and impact within the community and provide a total of $5,000 in community grants to nonprofit organizations of each recipient’s choice. Leona Soto of Pacifi c Lifestyle Properties, who won first place in this year’s awards program, has worked alongside Soroptimist International of Central O‘ahu for nearly four decades. Her efforts have raised $36,000 in scholarships and awards for women struggling to support their families while working to improve their education, teenage girls dedicated to community service, and non-Soroptimist volunteers enhancing the lives of women and seniors.

Why does this matter? Giving back to the communities we serve allows us to gain a deeper understanding of residents’ needs and, ultimately, create more positive change. Informed by what’s happening in a community and the real estate market, our members are also neighborhood experts who have unique knowledge about the hyper-local real estate markets across the island.

As the Honolulu Board of REALTORS ® celebrates its centennial anniversary, we look forward to serving as housing advocates, community builders, and good neighbors with a renewed focus on contributing to brighter futures for communities across O‘ahu for the next 100 years and beyond. – Suzanne Young, CEO of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®