By Kai Ioh and KE TEAM Hawaii
Kai Ioh is a luxury real estate advisor based in Kona, Hawai‘i, specializing in second home, resort, and ultra-high-net-worth markets across the Big Island.
Coming back to Kona after Realm Global Collective 2026 in Scottsdale, I found myself reflecting less on trends and more on what actually drives meaningful work. From the perspective of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, where relationships and trust still shape how business gets done, this year’s event clarified something for me. In luxury real estate, knowledge matters. Strategy matters. But relationships matter more. And having the right mindset is critical. That was the strongest lesson I brought home from RGC this year.
This was my fifth time attending since the inaugural event. Every year, I say the same thing. RGC feels like a reunion. This year, though, it felt different in a deeper way. As my business has evolved, I have come to appreciate more clearly that success in today’s market is not just about information or positioning. It is about the people around you and the quality of the trust you build with them.
RGC brings together more than 200 top advisors/agents, leaders, and innovators. What makes it special is not just the caliber of the people in the room. It is the willingness to share openly, collaborate honestly, and support one another in a real way. There are people I see every Wednesday on Zoom, but meeting in person completely changes the dynamic. It turns a professional relationship into something more durable.
Small group session during RGC 2026
On the first day, I reconnected with Alex from Austin and Dee from Turks and Caicos, two of the first people I met five years ago at the Santa Monica RGC. Looking at our photos from then and now, you can tell we are still going strong on our journey.
Dee from Turks and Caicos and Alex from Austin are the first two people I met when I joined REALM in 2021. After 5 years, we are going strong!
Caryl from NYC and I hosted a breakfast on the first day with an incredible group: David from Seattle, Caryl from New York, Paige from California, Sean from Turks, Debra from Texas, and Julie from San Diego. There was no agenda, which may be why it was so good. Just a real conversation.
First day breakfast with REALM members.
The final evening was much the same. After GALA, we enjoyed scotch, cigars, and conversations that went until 2 a.m. Those moments stayed with me as much as anything said on stage. I don’t drink scotch or smoke cigars in Hawaii, but it tasted good!
Why relationships matter more than ever in luxury real estate
Over the past several years, I have seen my own business change significantly. Before COVID, I focused heavily on the Japanese market. When travel stopped, and the yen weakened, that part of my business disappeared almost overnight. It was a turning point, and I had to pivot.
I began working more with clients across the mainland U.S., including in the ultra-luxury space. It was well outside my comfort zone, but it was also exactly the challenge I needed. I quickly realized that I needed to be around people operating at a higher level. REALM members average $90 million in annual sales. Being in that environment changes you. It changes how I think, how I work, and how I serve my clients. Looking back, I am very glad I made that shift. My business has truly taken off since 2020.
RGC Gala
Before REALM, some referrals did not go the way I wanted. That experience changed my standards. Today, I only refer clients to people I know personally. People I trust. People I can call friends. Because when I make an introduction, it directly reflects on my client’s experience.
RGC 2026
Access to the right people can create better opportunities, stronger negotiations, and a smoother experience overall. More importantly, it creates trust. In the context of Hawai‘i, where so much depends on nuance, relationships, and local understanding, trust is not a luxury. It is essential.
What Brian Solis changed in my thinking about AI
The first keynote that stayed with me was Brian Solis. He reframed AI in a way that felt both simple and important. AI is not just a faster way to do yesterday’s work. It is a tool to create something new.
Brian Solis at RGC 2026
A year ago, I was fascinated by how quickly AI could generate contents. Over time, though, my question changed. I stopped asking whether AI could produce more and started asking whether it could help create more value. For me, that distinction matters. I am not interested in volume for the sake of volume. I am interested in meaning. AI gives me more time, more options, and more room to think. But it also pushes me to refine ideas more carefully and to deliver something that actually matters.
I use AI to go deeper into something I want to understand and to understand what I am missing. As Brian Solis said, there is now an additional quotient called AIQ – Augmented Intelligence Quotient. It is a collaboration of humans and AI. We now Compete WITH AI. Not against. AI cannot build human intuition, understanding, or empathy. And to be truly creative, we may need to think from a different paradigm. WWAID…“What would AI do?”
What Abigail Posner reminded me about human energy
Abigail Posner approached the future from a different angle. She is an interesting one, an anthropologist meeting tech. While she is known for her work at GOOGLE, her message was deeply human. She spoke about aesthetic expression, mind and body coherence, and what she called “radiating energy.” That phrase stayed with me.
Energy is something we can control. How we show up. How we listen. How we interact. How we make other people feel. AI cannot replicate that. What impressed me most was not only her ideas, but her presence. She was genuinely human and energetic, which made the message itself more convincing. It made me think about the kind of energy I want to bring to my clients and my work.
She encouraged us to expand our consciousness and never limit our possibilities. We are not just ONE thing, and that is where our power lies. Our edge is not our title or skill; it’s the way we combine the parts of ourselves. I appreciated her encouragement. “Because when YOU expand the WORLD expands with you.”
What Grant Golliher taught me about trust
The third keynote was unlike anything I expected. Grant Golliher, a horse whisperer, took us out of the conference room and into a horse ranch in Scottsdale. Watching him communicate with horses without words for about an hour was honestly profound.
His work is about building trust, setting boundaries, and creating confidence without force. It sounds simple, maybe even obvious, but in a fast-moving world, it is not always easy to practice. It reminded me of parenthood, friendship, and business relationships all at once. Trust is not something you demand. It is something I earn through consistency, clarity, and presence. Maybe we rely too much on words?!
Horse whisperer, Grant
I even touched a horse for the first time in my life( I used to have an allergy)! And yes, the Arizona-style BBQ at the ranch was excellent. It was one of those rare moments where learning, environment, and experience all came together naturally.
The part of RGC that matters most
The speakers were excellent, but what I took away most strongly this year was not any one quote or trend line. It was the reminder that this business is still, at its core, about people. The relationships we build. The energy we bring. The trust we create. That is what drives long-term success.
REALM Founder, Julie and Matt Fauple.
That idea feels especially relevant now. Technology is changing quickly. Markets are shifting. Client expectations continue to evolve. But the more those things change, the more I find myself returning to the same foundation. Real connection still matters. In many ways, it matters more today than yesterday.
The quality of the people around me matters. The humility to keep learning, and the willingness to deepen relationships over time. That is what I want to keep building for my clients, whether they are here on the Big Island of Hawai‘i or in other markets across the country.
I will be writing about another theme that came out of RGC this year: luxury real estate and wellness. That feels like a fascinating shift, and one that may shape the future of how we live.
Here is my blog about REALM.