Sandy Shimabukuro & Family - Honolulu, HI

“I found it extraordinary that I could completely trust my realtor from 9,000 miles away!”

Mine was a challenging situation. I was an absentee home owner (trustee). The house needed a complete remodeling before it could be put on the market. And, it was unoccupied, which meant there needed to be someone to look after the property (which included a pool), as well. Yvonne stepped up to the plate as property manager, worked closely with our contractor to jointly fill the role of project manager and then took over as realtor seamlessly.

Ours was a custom designed/built home, that was going to appeal to a very specific buyer. Yvonne took the time to research the style of home, and during the renovations, worked to preserve the integrity of the mid-century style. Our family was the original and only owner, and this gave us confidence that respect was being shown for the sentimentality and attachment we had to our childhood home. Throughout the entire marketing process, Yvonne was committed to being personally involved with every on-site interaction concerning potential buyers. Her attention to detail included preparation of the property before every showing. And while we did hire staging services, Yvonne staged the bedrooms, patio and pool areas herself, displaying her breadth of talent and as well as her willingness to invest in staging inventory.

There were many serious ups and downs with the offers and almost-sales. Throughout, she maintained a positive, roll- up-your-sleeves and get back to work attitude. While our family could have become seriously discouraged, we took our cues from her and tried to persevere with patience. She kept her finger on the pulse of our particular market niche to ensure that the plan we were following was always viable one. We appreciated that she never pressured us to use aggressive price slashing as a sales strategy. In the end, both buyer and seller were extremely happy with the final agreement.

Yvonne demonstrated integrity throughout. The detail she insisted on in the disclosure statement is a good example. She often had to return to her roots as a lawyer to close up gaps in clarity or to follow through with contract or trust issues that arose. As a long distance seller, I found it extraordinary that I could completely trust my realtor from 9,000 miles away. Her willingness and ability to stay in close touch with me was the key to that trust. She was always forthcoming with updates, feedback and information, and I never hesitated to contact her as well. She offered boutique style personalized realtor services while still providing all the advantages of up-to-date technology. She is committed to detail, efficient, energetic, and completely worthy of the Aloha ‘Aina Realtor Award.

– Sandy Shimabukuro & Family