Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC has announced that Hank Correa Realty has affiliated with the brand. Now known as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Hank Correa Realty, the company serves the Greater Hilo market on the Island of Hawaii.
Hank Correa Realty was founded in 1999 by broker/owner Hank Correa, who, along with his wife Kristi, created one of the top real estate teams on the Big Island. They are joined by their three sons, Hank III, Jonathan and Christopher, who are all in their 20s. The boutique firm serves the entire Hilo real estate market, including the surrounding communities such as Hamakua and the Puna area.
Home to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii and the headquarters of Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, Hilo is the largest city on the Big Island and the oldest in the Hawaiian archipelago. A significant tourist and astronomy industry bolsters the regional economy.
The tropical climate in Hilo makes the area more affordable than the Western side of the Island of Hawaii, most notably Kalua-Kona, creating active markets for first-time homebuyers and retirees, along with more affordable luxury living.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Hank Correa Realty becomes the second BHGRE® franchise in the Hawaiian Islands. BHGRE Advantage Realty is a market leader in Honolulu, according to the company.
The Hilo market benefits from “island-hopping” relocation clients from within the Hawaiian Islands as well as outside the state. Correa reports that those clients relocating to Hilo are evenly split in coming from in-state or the U.S. mainland.
Big Island MLS reports the median sales price for homes in Hilo to be $392,500, affordable by Hawaiian standards but about $120,000 more than the U.S. mark of $271,300 reported by the National Association of REALTORS®. Many first-time buyers will purchase in Puna, a 20-minute drive south, where the median price is just $230,000.
The multigenerational leadership team supports personal and effective connections with clients across all buyer and seller segments. The company focuses on digital and social media advertising efforts to support client cultivation.
Correa reports the company generates 80 percent of its business via past client referrals and those from a network of Hawaiian agents. He expects its Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate affiliation will attract additional out-of-market business.
Correa will leverage the brand’s Be Better University and additional professional development tools to enhance his sales team’s productivity and support the firm’s agent recruitment efforts.
“Hank Correa has built long-standing business with strong community ties, drawing on his extraordinary sales skills and tenacious hands-on approach to serving his clients,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. “He comes to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate at a pivotal time for his business. He wants to combine his boutique approach with our brand power to attract new and experienced agents and position the company for a successful future.”
“I am completely convinced that we will build our company by leveraging the productivity enhancing training programs and tapping into the power and visibility of the brand to engage more consumers,” says Correa. “Armed with the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate value proposition, we have incredible potential to be the driving force in the Hilo real estate market. The brand’s visibility and focus on lifestyle was extremely attractive to us. ”
For more information, please visit www.BHGRE.com.
