If you are attempting to market on your own these days it can be a daunting task.  You have a website, which is a project in itself keeping content up to date as well as making sure all your SEO stays up to date with Google's everchanging algorithms.  Then on top of that you have the growing popularity of social media and the dozens of popular platforms.  We will take a brief look at which platforms may be best for you.While this graph outlines which social media sites are the most popular it does not necessarily mean as a real estate professional they will generate business.  For example, LinkedIn is a popular site and is probably better used for networking with other agents or companies, but not as much for generating direct business traffic.On the other hand, YouTube still is probabl... 04/25/2025

Today’s Inman News headline reads:“Existing-home sales fall to slowest pace since 2009 amid rising costs.”That may be true nationally—but not here in North Kona.While the mainland sees pullbacks, our local data paints a different picture. From January through March 2025, both home and condo sales in North Kona are up—eclipsing 2024, 2009, and even 2008 numbers.📊 North Kona YTD Sales (Jan 1–Mar 31): 2008: 69 Homes | 47 Condos 2009: 42 Homes | 33 Condos 2024: 104 Homes | 67 Condos 2025: 107 Homes | 82 Condos This isn’t just a rebound—it’s sustained confidence. Buyers are still buying. Sellers are still selling. And the market is still moving.It’s a powerful reminder that real estate is local. National headlines don’t always reflect what’s happening in our neighborhoods, our communities, o... 04/24/2025

Off-market listings — sometimes called pocket or private listings — have always carried big risks for sellers.While they’re sometimes pitched as a way to stay “private” or “in control,” the truth is simple: limiting exposure usually limits your results. Unless there’s a real need for privacy, keeping a home off the open market can cost the seller.Starting in May, Zillow — the country’s largest real estate portal — will permanently prohibit any listing that isn’t added to the MLS within 24 hours of public marketing.If a home is marketed to any buyer, it must be available to every buyer — or it won’t appear on Zillow or Trulia at all.(And yes — even those of us with a love/hate relationship with Zillow know that's where buyers are looking.)This change follows updates to NAR’s Clear Cooper... 04/10/2025

So you’re getting ready to sell your home and starting to interview agents.You might hear advice about keeping your listing “exclusive” — meaning only marketed within one brokerage — instead of putting it out freely to the open market.At first, it can sound appealing. Maybe it’s pitched as a way to stay “private” or “in control” of the process.But before you make that decision, it’s important to understand what’s really at stake — because how your home is marketed can make a big difference in how much you ultimately sell for.Imagine trying to sell your car by telling just a few people at your office — no ads, no internet, no real exposure. Would you expect to get the best price?The only reason I bring up the car example is because most of us have sold a few cars over the years. It’s som... 04/07/2025

While I do keep up with SEO in general, I do not keep up with it on an ongoing basis.  I just focus on making our site most usable to users and then figure the rankings will fall into place.  Recently I found some interesting trends and wanted to see if anyone was seeing the same.I manage vacation rentals on the Big Island of Hawaii so most of the content we put out there is built around things to do on the Big Island, vacation rentals on the Big Island, places to see, etc.  While we try to cover everything on the Big Island, our focus for content is primarily centered on things directly related to vacation rentals.One of our competitors uses a similar strategy, but has put more focus on the other items, which is return bring more traffic to their site and may be easier to rank for.  Wh... 03/06/2025

The real estate industry has seen plenty of discussion surrounding recent changes in National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) policies. Misinterpretations of these changes, particularly about written buyer agreements and compensation adjustments, have caused confusion. Let’s set the record straight: you can adjust the compensation terms in a buyer agreement, provided it’s done transparently and within the guidelines set by the NAR settlement and state law.What the Settlement Really SaysAt its core, the NAR settlement emphasizes clarity, transparency, and mutual agreement in all written buyer agreements. Here's what you need to know: Amendments Are AllowedWritten buyer agreements are like any other contract. If both the REALTOR® and the client agree to modify the terms, the agreement can ... 12/02/2024

Hawaii County's Bill 121 aimed to regulate short-term vacation rentals, also known as transient accommodation rentals (TARs). The proposed legislation sought to establish clear guidelines for owner-hosted, operator-hosted, and un-hosted rentals, as well as for platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Its objectives included improving safety, ensuring consistent operational standards, and addressing concerns about housing availability and the broader impact of TARs on our island communities.While the bill had good intentions, it sparked considerable opposition from residents and stakeholders alike. Many expressed concerns that it could infringe on private property rights and harm the local economy. Nearly every council meeting on the matter drew strong pushback, with community members voicing the... 11/15/2024

This post is somewhat informative as well as asking for input of what has worked for you.  Each year at Waikoloa Vacation Rentals we try to support 2-3 nonprofits on the Big Island of Hawaii where we are.  Most nonprofits we support we simply support by donating money so that is relatively simple.  This year we are supporting DNA Basketball Academy, which is a basketball club in Waimea. I also help this organization so other than donating money have been trying to set up different ways to raise money.  The club has put together some of the best girls and boys basketball players on the Big Island of Hawaii and those teams have been invited to be a part of the UA Future National Circuit.  This circuit includes a trip to Seattle, Phoenix, and Cincinnati next year.  While on these trips, th... 11/08/2024

We all have that one friend who likes to brag—whether it’s about how much money they make, how big their home is, or how impressive their achievements are.The Ironman race in Kona can feel a bit like that friend. Every year, the event proudly claims to inject millions into the local economy. However, data paints a different picture, and a closer look at the numbers suggests those claims may be somewhat overstated. Overview of Visitor Data (Past 10 Years)Below is an analysis of visitor data from the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, covering visitor days, arrivals, and expenditures over the past decade. Seasonal Trends Expenditures: Higher visitor spending occurs during winter months (e.g., December, January, February). December 2018: $228 million in visitor ... 10/26/2024

In a bid to alleviate the ongoing housing crisis, Hawaii County has taken a bold step forward with the signing of Bill 123. This new measure, endorsed by Mayor Mitch Roth, opens up opportunities for homeowners across the county to build up to three accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their properties, making it easier for local families to find housing while maximizing the use of existing land."I commend Mayor Mitch Roth for his commitment to affordable housing and innovative approaches to help keep our families rooted here in Hawaii. If we can pause Bill 121 until the economic impact study is complete, the Big Island will truly shine as a leader in smart growth and community well-being."The bill, crafted with input from key figures within the county's Planning Department and County Coun... 10/09/2024

Aloha, Lance Owens (RB) with LUVA Real Estate.Over the past two years, significant demographic and economic shifts have occurred, influencing various aspects of the real estate market. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the combination of 7 million new-born babies, 3 million marriages, 1.5 million divorces, and 7 million people turning 65 has created dynamic changes in housing needs and availability. These life events often necessitate changes in living situations, such as upgrading to a larger home, downsizing, or relocating. Additionally, with 4 million deaths, the turnover of properties through inheritance or sale by estates further adds to the housing market dynamics.Moreover, the economic landscape has seen substantial movement with 6 million net new jobs and an as... 07/23/2024

We have been using YouTube as a platform to host many of the videos for our website for a few years.  While we have been able to get some views directly from YouTube, we do not get as many as we would like.Interestingly enough, YouTube has promoted several of our videos and they have gotten substantial more views than other videos without there being a significant different in videos.We use relevant hashtags on all of them and for the most part they are videos on scenic places on the Big Island of Hawaii so not necessarily is one video significantly more attractive than another.  Has anyone had any luck figuring out what might trigger YouTube to promote one video versus another?Here are two videos that we have posted that are pretty similar, but YouTube promoted one and not as much the ... 04/02/2024

E Komo Mai...Welcome to your exclusive upcountry retreat. Step into 40 acres of pure privacy, where the tranquility of your estate meets the vibrant pulse of Kamuela town just minutes away. Embrace the freedom of living without an HOA, allowing you to curate your lifestyle.Your custom-built haven awaits, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship with 18-foot cathedral ceilings, three inviting fireplaces, and a harmonious blend of Hardwood Maple, Travertine, and Quartz flooring. The kitchen is a culinary masterpiece, featuring custom Maple cabinets, Granite countertops, and top-of-the-line appliances. Large custom windows seamlessly connect the interior with the breathtaking outdoor landscape.Entertain in style with a 50,000-gallon saltwater pool, complete with a mosaic accent tile, cascading... 02/01/2024

When ChatGPT first came out I was hesitant to use it, but as more and more people began to use it I wanted to try it out.  Overall if I told it to give me a 500 word article on almost any of the properties we managed it came back about 90% correct.  For some of the properties it would get it confused with something else, but overall it was correct.  For example, we manage properties at a complex called Kolea, which is a Hawaiian word that is a bird and used in other developments so I had to be very specific for it to understand what I was talking about.Recently I got an email from our VRBO rep alerting us of the functionality of ChatGPT and that it is a great tool to generate the property descriptions for VRBO ads.Here was the question and thought I had.  For SEO purposes, one of the gr... 09/12/2023

Between 2005 and 2010 microsites were a must for search engine optimization.  A microsite is as it sounds, a smaller site specific to one of your keywords.  For example, I do vacation rentals on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I could have my main site to optimize for broader keywords and then have microsites for more specific keywords.  What this looked like for me was a site that covered an entire resort and then microsites that covered each community within that resort.  It worked great and I had top rankings in most of the keywords I was going for. Then around 2015 Google began to give less weight to the microsites and more weight to sites that had more content, which pushed companies to move all their content to one website.  They also gave less weight to the domain name itself.  I used... 06/24/2023

If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community.The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact:In Hawaii that number almost quadrupled !As the visual shows, when a house is sold, it can make a big difference in the local economy. The impact comes largely from the workers required to build, update, and buy and sell homes. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), explains how the housing industry adds jobs to a community: “The economic impact means housing is a significant job creator. In fact, for every single-family home built, eno... 06/15/2023

I recently starting using ChatGPT to see what it was all about.  At this point it seems to offer a little more insight than Siri, but can offer a lot of information.  Here is what it had to say to describe the area where we manage condos.  Does it properly describe your location and business?Kolea at Waikoloa is a luxury resort community located in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area on the Big Island of Hawaii. It offers a collection of upscale vacation rentals, including villas and townhomes, along with a range of amenities and access to the beautiful surrounding area.Kolea is known for its prime location near Anaehoomalu Bay (A-Bay), which features a stunning sandy beach and offers various water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and stand-up paddleboarding. The resort community its... 06/01/2023

I have been doing the SEO for our vacation rental company for the past 20 years and the complexity of it has grown enormously to the point that I am not sure where it is headed.On Site Keywords and Meta DataSEO seemed to really start out pretty simple.  What your website was about, what your domain was, what your URL was, and what your title and meta description was seemed to really directly effect your rankings.  You could make a simple change to the title of a given page and you would see your rankings increase.As people began buying all the relevant domains and keyword stuffing everything Google moved on to........Links, links, and more linksWhat sites and how many were linking to your website had a drastic effect on your rankings.  People begin to buy links from anyone and everyone.... 05/26/2023

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) with LUVA Real Estate, along with our partners at KCM, bringing you the latest in real estate news and events.For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year has become a summer tradition that is fun, relaxing, and restful. If this sounds like you, now is the time to consider your plans and determine whether buying a vacation home this year makes more sense than renting one again. According to Forbes, "if the idea of vacationing at the same place every year makes you feel instantly relaxed, buying a vacation home might be a wise move."To help you decide if making a move like this is right for you, let's explore why you may want to consider purchasing a vacation home today.Benefits of Owning Your Vacation Home: No worries about finding a place to stay: ... 05/23/2023

Recently Google did an update to their ads.  This has caused two primary things in searches in our market.  First, the number of ads that are showing up for any given search term has increased drastically causing the organic searches to drop almost halfway down the first page.Second, while the number of ads have increased there are also several that are irrelevant to the search term.  The method of placement seems to do more so on budget than relevance.  Has anyone else seen something similar in their market area? 05/18/2023