When Gretchen Osgood gets ready to start her day as a real estate agent in Kona, Hawai’i, she dresses for success and shows professionalism to her clients.
“I need to be professional everywhere I go. I think people take you more seriously when you show up dressed looking like you belong there. I wear a name tag everywhere I go,” says Gretchen.
A mindset like this has helped Gretchen become one of Kona’s most successful real estate agents.
With over 20 years of experience, her notable accomplishments include selling $13 million in her first year, $21 million in her second year, getting her broker’s license, and opening her own office a year after that. She also won the Broker of the Year Award in 2010 and showed no signs of slowing down.
“My mom used to say if you go to an interview at a factory, you show up in a suit and tie or in your best dress because you want the next job up the ladder, not the one you’re applying for, and you need to show that to them — that you have that ability,” says Gretchen.
Gretchen moved to Kona in 1990 from Laguna Beach, California, and did not think real estate was in her future.
She worked in the media industry with the NFL, traveled worldwide, and worked on corporate construction projects in California and Hawai’i, such as the Hualalai Resort and the Four Seasons.
However, in 2002, while working in the Hualalai Village condo complex, someone suggested she get her real estate license since she was dealing directly with clients to help them pick out the perfect condo to suit their needs.
Having no idea what she was getting into, Gretchen accepted the challenge and got her license. After selling her first home, she became hooked, quit her day job, and entered real estate full-time.
“Real estate is tough,” says Gretchen. “You are helping people with the largest purchase possibly of their lifetime or one of the top five.”
“You have to be very sophisticated, savvy, and understand how to walk them through that process,” she adds.
Gretchen says she has seen Kona and its real estate industry evolve through the decades.
When she first moved to the Big Island, Kona had one stoplight. She’s since seen housing projects built around the town, some of which consist of hundreds of homes, like Pualani Estates in Kailua-Kona.
However, she explains that the current lack of development keeps Kona from having new jobs, lower prices, affordable living, and overall wellness for the community.
“Development is perceived as the bad guy a lot of times, and I don’t think that’s accurate,” says Gretchen.
“Having been here as long as I have, I’d like to see all levels of real estate, so there’s something for everyone,” she adds.
Gretchen says Kona has yet to create enough housing, so prices are very high, and multiple generations have to live together to afford anything.
“Everything is so expensive. If we built more, the math says that works,” says Gretchen. “When there’s nothing to buy, it elevates the price.”
She’s also seen styles of homes change to become more modern. For example, newer homes have floor plans with guest and master bedrooms and bathrooms on each side of the home. However, older houses have the bedrooms and bathrooms clumped together. All of this is to cater to the specific needs of today’s lifestyle and ensure homeowners feel comfortable at home.
Gretchen says that the most challenging parts of selling properties in Kona are the recent lending costs, increase in maintenance, and access to healthcare for older clients.
Her clientele consists predominantly of retirees who move to Kona from the mainland, mainly from states like Washington, Oregon, and California.
Gretchen advises other real estate agents to always educate their clients on everything included in buying a home on the Big Island’s west side.
“Our real estate community here, I think, does a pretty good job of explaining all of that stuff to people before they buy so that it isn’t a surprise,” says Gretchen.
“I would say education is probably the biggest thing you can give to a buyer to help them understand what they’re getting into,” she adds. “There’s a counseling that goes into effect to explain the risks and potential pitfalls of buying.”
This annual stats by Pacific Business News informed that Hawaiian Isle Realty is ranked #18 statewide for Women Owned Business.
Learn more about Gretchen and her work at HawaiiRealEstateDreams.com.
The photos in this article were taken at Holualoa Inn. HolualoaInn.com.
Education is probably the biggest thing you can give to a buyer.