Kai Ioh | September 2026
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. Of course, summer is still going strong here in Hawaii.
Ours was certainly memorable. It’s official: Kumi and I are now empty nesters.
We helped our younger daughter settle into her dorm at Cal Ply, San Luis Obispo. We first flew to San Francisco and then drove down to San Luis Obispo. After numerous Target runs, shopping trips, and all the little things that come with moving a child into college, we finally got her settled.
As any parent who has gone through this probably knows, it is exciting, exhausting, emotional, and a little strange all at the same time.
From there, we flew across the country to Buffalo to see our older child, who is attending medical school at the University at Buffalo.
We probably will not be volunteering for Buffalo trips in the middle of winter, so summer seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I have to admit, Buffalo is far!
We also squeezed in Niagara Falls. I had not been there in about 45 years, and it was absolutely worth revisiting.
From Buffalo, we continued to New York City.
We covered a lot of ground this summer, but looking back, what stayed with me most were not necessarily the places. It was the people.
More Than a Summer Trip
Over the years, I have worked, traveled, and built relationships in many different real estate markets.
I belong to Compass and am very grateful for that network, but I have always believed it is important to connect well beyond any single company. I also belong to Realm, and many of the relationships I value most have developed simply through years of meeting at events, sharing meals, exchanging ideas, and helping one another.
Real estate agents are essentially self-employed business owners. Our reputation, information, experience, and network are some of the most valuable assets we have.
This trip reminded me just how meaningful those relationships have become.
Finally Experiencing San Francisco and Silicon Valley
I have been involved with extraordinary properties in Los Angeles over the years, but Northern California is a market I have wanted to understand better.
San Francisco and Silicon Valley are also important feeder markets for Big Island real estate, so hearing directly from people working there is valuable to me and ultimately to my clients.
My friend and colleague Karen Gould gave our family a beautiful introduction to San Francisco, including a visit to the St. Francis Yacht Club.
Karen and I originally connected through Hawaii, Compass, and Realm. Over the years, a professional connection became a friendship.
While we were together, she shared what she was seeing in San Francisco, particularly around the AI boom and how that energy is influencing the local economy and real estate market.
There is plenty we can read online, but there is still something different about sitting across the table from someone you trust who actually works in that market every day.
That is the kind of information I value most.
Relationships Outlast the Brand
I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Dawn Thomas while I was in Silicon Valley.
Dawn and her husband came to the Big Island last year, and we have seen each other regularly through Compass and Realm events. Over the years, we have shared friends, meals, events, and plenty of market conversations.
This visit was especially meaningful because it was my first real experience in Silicon Valley, and I heard firsthand about the market from Dawn.
Dawn recently started a new chapter with a different company. Congratulations, Dawn.
Companies change. Brands change. Good relationships don’t. We will stay in touch regardless of the logo on our business cards.
I also want to mention our dear friends and clients, Norm and Christa, who drove all the way from LA to introduce us to their cousins, Dawn and John. We shared a wonderful meal at a Michelin-starred steakhouse, but what made it truly memorable was spending time with familiar faces in a completely new setting. We’re so grateful for their friendship and thoughtfulness.
Returning to New York After 45 Years
New York was another meaningful stop for me.
I lived there for close to ten years when I was young, so returning always brings back memories.
One thing that immediately struck me was how different the city felt from the New York I remembered from about 45 years ago. On this visit, so many neighborhoods felt vibrant, active, and safe to explore. I have visited NYC a few times over the years, and I am finally feeling comfortable venturing out on my own to many places.
When I was young, I simply was not allowed to go to most parts of the city. The subway was officially off limits too, although I have to admit I occasionally sneaked onto it without telling my parents or teachers.
This time, we walked through neighborhoods that I would never have imagined exploring so casually back then.
Our dear friend Caryl Berenato and her husband, Peter, gave Kumi and me a very authentic New York welcome. They took us into the East Village, somewhere we probably would never have explored the same way on our own. A beautiful Spanish restaurant and donut shop older than I am.
Caryl is another person who began as a professional connection through Realm and Compass and, over the years, became a close friend. We hiked, roasted coffee, swam, and had some fun together. She is a wonderful, kind person. And a good agent, of course.
I also caught up with Takk Yamaguchi, one of the first Compass agents I met outside Hawaii. We have now been seeing each other almost annually for years, and he has also helped some of my Japanese clients in New York. Being bilingual in Japanese and English works well for many Japanese clients. His REAL TAKK Podcast is outstanding. It is worth checking it out. I wish I could speak like him.
Much of my NYC visit was actually devoted to work this time. I had the pleasure of meeting three property owners with significant real estate holdings on the Big Island.
I also spent some time around Hudson Yards, the West Village, and Union Square, and visited Compass headquarters near Union Square, where I met with Toni Haber to discuss a project. She is known as a penthouse queen within the Realm community. We had two meetings, and then we bumped into each other in this crowded NYC. What is the chance of that?
Coming from the Big Island, where we pretty much know all the top agents, I was astonished by the number of desks, agents, and entire floors devoted to real estate at Compass Headquarters.
Competition is good.
But I’m not sure I’m cut out for that much competition!
The Most Valuable Part of My Business
After many years in this business, I am grateful that I have many trusted colleagues whom I can call friends.
A contact list is not a relationship.
What matters is knowing someone well enough to call and talk story.
If a client needs help in California, New York, or somewhere else, I want to know who I am introducing them to. If a buyer from Silicon Valley or Manhattan is considering Hawaii, I want to understand what is happening in the market they are coming from.
Those conversations help me stay relevant and informed here on the Big Island.
Technology gives us access to more information than ever before. But information without context only goes so far.
Real people provide context.
Coming Home With Gratitude
We left Hawaii this summer to help our daughter begin an exciting new chapter of her life, and to spend time with our older child as they continue medical school in Buffalo.
Somewhere between San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Silicon Valley, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and New York, Kumi and I began a new chapter too.
The trip reminded me that whether we are talking about family, friendship, or real estate, the relationships we build over many years are what stay with us.
I came home very grateful for mine.
And now that Kumi and I are officially empty nesters, perhaps we will have a little more time to visit you.
