Just closed the sale of my condo in Honolulu yesterday--exactly one month after I first reached out…read moreto Joe and his team about listing it. Amazingly smooth process from start to finish. While I was away from the island, Joe stayed on top of everything--from listing and maintenance to inspections and final closing. I truly appreciate his hard work, responsiveness, and dedication throughout the entire process. Thank you Joe, for making the sale so seamless!

If you're reading this, I strongly encourage you to reach out to Joe and his team. Like someone…read moreelse wrote in their review: "Their professionalism is unmatched, especially their care for details." I couldn't agree more. I worked with another real estate agent before Joe and the difference was night and day. Not only did I need to sell my Hawaii property long distance, the market at the time was challenging and the apartment building was scheduled for repiping. But Joe and his team came through every step of the way. From the beginning, they provided a clear break down of costs vs. expected actual net profit and offered various options for marketing packages. Finally, when my unit sold, they provided weekly updates of the current timeline till closing. If you're still reading this, just take one meeting with Joe and you'll know.

My husband and I have been trying to find a rental that will accept our multiple pets for awhile…read morenow and have experienced that majority of the agents with other companies do not reply to any of our calls, emails, and/or texts. They don't even acknowledge that we reached out or applied. When a rental became available with Royal Realty, I immediately called the agent listed for the rental expecting no answer. However, he answered the phone immediately and was very pleasant and helpful! I was shocked! I told him, "Wow, thank you for even answering your phone! Most agents completely ignore my emails and calls." Rodney has consistently communicated with me throughout the viewing and application process. He has been the ONLY agent that has done so throughout our three months of hunting for a rental for our family. Just about when I was going to give up on finding a rental, we met Rodney today in person to view the rental and he was so kind and thorough. He explained every part of the home and even took us around the property to show us where the shared units were located, ones that we were not applying for, but that we would be sharing the space with. He took the time to get to know us as people and made us feel seen and welcomed. Most agents we've seen in person unlock the door and just tell us, "Okay you can go look inside" and never really talk to us or show us around. He was very transparent about the application process and the owners needing time to decide if they would be willing to accept our multiple pets. I told Rodney regardless of the outcome, I truly appreciated his timely and consistent communication with us and meeting him today. We are hopeful that the owners will accept our family and multiple pets, but even if not, our experience with Rodney makes us want to find a rental with this company since we know they will take care of us and our needs. Mahalo nui, Rodney!

Renter Beware: Avoid This Property Management Company…read more I rented through this agency for over 4 years, always paid on time, and left the apartment in better condition than when I moved in. Despite this, they withheld most my security deposit and tried to charge me for furniture that was never even provided in the unit. This wasn't an isolated incident of poor service -- I had requested replacement curtains after mine fell apart, and it took the agency over a year to follow through. Communication was consistently unresponsive and unprofessional throughout my tenancy. What makes this worse is that I now own a rental property myself. Having seen how this company treats tenants, I would never use them -- not as a renter, and not as an owner looking for a property management company. They seem far more interested in squeezing every dollar from deposits than treating good tenants fairly. If you're considering renting from this agency, think twice. And if you're a property owner considering hiring them to manage your property, look elsewhere.

I have been fortunate to work with Shannon Zerfas at Blue Cove Properties in all 3 phases of her…read morebusiness - purchasing, selling and rental management. I must say she is awesome. Back in July 2021, when places in Oahu were just starting to show in person again, I called Shannon. I let her know upfront that I wasn't looking to buy for about 5 years. She treated the same as if I was buying that month. She was very knowledgeable but always kept my interests as her first priority. I flew out, and we looked at a number of houses and condos in Kailua. A few days later, based on what she learned of my interests, we looked at another condo outside of Kailua that she felt matched my interests fairly closely. She really helped me refine what I was interested in as well as the process that would take place. And when the perfect place came up for sale in 2023 right when I was doing great financially, I flew out and we put an offer in. Shannon was on top of everything every step of the way, and we successfully closed. At that time, Blue Cove was not doing rental management, so I had to choose another company. They were awful! The tenants were unhappy. I couldn't get the management company to get anything done right, and they were tough to communicate with. When Shannon started the rental management aspect of her business, I had her take over the management of my property. Shannon made an appointment with the tenants and came out in person to see what issues the tenants had. She listened to what they had to say and show her. Then she contacted me on the best courses of action to take. I approved everything she recommended. She then executed the plan, and the tenants were happy for the first time since they moved in! Unfortunately, I had some financial difficulties and had to sell my Hawaiian hale this year. So, of course, I called on Shannon Zerfas again. We came up with a game plan. She recommended being aggressive, so we listed it for about $150K more than I thought it was worth. Within 2 days, we got a cash offer for over asking and closed in just under a month! Granted some of that was luck, but I credit her for a lot of it. I looked her ad and the staging that was done, and I wanted to put an offer in with the furniture included. I will be buying a hale on Oahu again in a few years, and there is no realtor I will use other than Shannon Zerfas with Blue Cove Properties!

Such desirable listings, too many applicants applying that they often have to close their listings…read moreprematurely - one cant help but wonder how they are picking the best tenants out of the batch. They have an option to join waitlists for these properties but dont get your hopes up if you find a beautiful property at an amazing price - it might just disappear before your eyes.

I have been incredibly impressed with Mahe and Derek. They helped my parents sell their home and…read morealso guided us through the purchase of our own. I truly can't imagine a better team to have by our side during these important life events. Their work ethic is exceptional. They are constantly communicating, following up, and staying on top of every detail--all while somehow managing to produce such an active and informative YouTube channel. Given the incredible number of clients they serve, I was amazed that they still made me feel like I was one of their only clients. Both Derek and Mahe consistently went above and beyond. Among many other things, they spent more than six hours with my parents, patiently explaining every form and walking them through the selling process. They also calmed me down during stressful moments and would meet at the last minute for home showings when I needed it. Throughout the entire process, I always felt they had our best interests at heart. When our initial home purchase began to reveal significant issues, they didn't hesitate to walk away--even though they had already invested countless hours into the transaction. That spoke volumes about their integrity and commitment to doing what was right for us. Although I don't know them personally all that well, they genuinely feel like friends. I loved Mahe from the first time I watched her on YouTube. She is down-to-earth, compassionate, realistic, and full of thoughtful, practical advice. Derek is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, yet remains humble, approachable, and kind. I truly can't say enough wonderful things about this team. They are not only an incredibly cohesive real estate team with solid systems in place, but they are also genuinely wonderful people. Their professionalism, integrity, and kindness made what could have been a stressful experience feel manageable every step of the way. I am so grateful to have met them, and I recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.

I spent the last 9 months working with Derek and Aiden getting my home ready to sell. I came in…read morelike a lot of sellers - full of anxiety, high price expectations, and a bunch of rehab projects that needed completed on the house. Derek and Aiden were professional but still fun to work with. They were able to connect me with the necessary contractors and help manage multiple projects to completion (interior paint, flooring, bathroom upgrades, exterior paint.) They also helped me price the home realistically. Multiple offers were received the week after the open house. End result is the home sold over the listing price with an early close. Derek and his team are great - I couldn't be happier!

Thomas came to my rescue and helped me with a crisis from another property management company that…read moredrove my rental into the ground. There's alot of bad property management companies on Oahu. If you need a good PM, give him consideration. So far, zero drama ...

Was my property manager for about 2 yrs. Have proof Thomas and his team do illegal activities such…read moreas using the tenants security deposit to pay a debt off I owed to him. Did not communicate with me of any lease extensions. Previous property managers would over communicate and get my blessings before those decisions. I've never got any type of feedback from any walk through or inspection of property to validate my property was being maintained. Please do your due diligence and read the fine print of the contract because compared to other standard contracts, there's some concerning fine print and expectations.

I have worked with Gino for many years. Experienced in FHA, VA and conventional appraisals, he…read moredoes excellent work and is always professional. If you need someone who will work with you and does an incredibly thorough job on his appraisals, he is the best and very knowledgable at what he does.

From the owner: Experience since 1983.read more

If you've ever worked with a property manager, clear and proactive communication can be a struggle…read more With Thomas, we have not only experienced fantastic and proactive communication, but also that he is knowledgeable, friendly and cheerful is an added bonus. As a veteran, he is also very considerate of that and offers great service for members of the forces.

Worst property manager that I have ever dealt with in my life. Poor people skills. I don't…read moreunderstand how someone like this can hold a real estate license and be in the people business.

My wife and I began working with Sandwich Isles Realty six (6) years ago to uncover opportunities…read morefor ourselves regarding extended vacation leases. Our contact at Sandwich Isles Realty is Kimo Smigielski. We have continued, over the years, to utilize Kimo's expertise for leases and have also worked with him in evaluating property on Oahu for purchase. Kimo consistently demonstrates an extensive knowledge of all available properties for our consideration. He has been flawless in ensuring each of our inquiries is handled with perfection...from our very first inquiry to our most recent one. When considering real estate purchases, Kimo's ability to research, schedule and communicate with us has repeatedly shown us his skills in the real estate marketplace. We have been and continue to be delighted with Kimo and the ease we experience in dealing with him. During our personal careers we have relocated and purchased homes 18 different times, thereby gaining a broad knowledge of the skills needed in a real estate professional when purchasing a property. We find that Kimo possesses exemplary skills in communication and in follow-up. He definitely meets all our real estate needs. We would never consider another real estate professional on Oahu because of the terrific service and personal attention we consistently receive from Kimo....when looking for a professional you can trust, you should call Kimo Smigielski. He won't let you down!

From the owner: Serving all Hawaii since 1991read more

We worked with Walt and Arla Harvey. They were excellent, we…read morehad a very difficult short sale transaction and they helped us every step of the way. They communicate frequently and know what they are doing. We were very happy with their service. They explained everything in detail, and were always available when we had questions. We tried to sell our home ourselves at first, and are soooooo glad we found them to be our agents!

Puanani Hardwick of this office is amazing! She was our buyer's agent, and helped us through…read morebuying our first condo with clear explanations of the process and patience with our very long and ever-changing home search (we want a condo in town... or maybe a house in Kailua... or maybe a townhouse in Hawaii Kai... or maybe a condo in town). She was very knowledgeable about the Hawaii housing market and was always available to talk to during the stressful escrow process. It's hard to find someone you trust with such a big purchase; I feel really lucky to have had her help us. I would recommend her whole-heartedly to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home.