Hawai‘i Life Represents …

Denni Keyes

Realtor Salesperson, Hawaiʻi Island

“If I love what I do, if I love who I work with, if I love the place that I've been privileged to be a part of, I'm going to represent each of these with integrity.”

Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai‘i from the cool country town of Kamuela, then to the culturally and historically rich district of North Kohala, Denni’s love and gratitude for her beautiful island is constant and ever growing. With generations of family members deeply rooted in the State and Island, she has developed a deep appreciation for the islands' natural beauty, culture and diversity. Throughout her career and experiences, Denni has built a reputation on integrity, humility, purpose and positivity, believing that communication is key in all relationships.

What does representation mean to you?

For me one word really resounds in my mind and in my heart, and that's love. It ultimately comes down to my core foundation, which to me is built on love and integrity. When people don't love what they do, they can't really do a great job. If we don't love who we work with or where we live, how can we properly represent Hawai‘i? If I didn't have love for Hawai‘i Life and the company and the people that built this amazing company, I would not have joined it.

Building off of that core foundation and value, you have integrity, you have honesty, you have compassion, you have kindness, you have diligence–all of these other characteristics are like leaves that grow off of that one branch, which for me, is love.

What does “Hawaiʻi Life” mean to you?

Being native Hawaiian, born and raised here on the islands, it was super important for me to work within a company that understands the special relationship between the people and the land. I've witnessed tensions between realtors and the local community. There's often a perception that real estate professionals are part of the problem, the reason why local families can’t stay local because of catering to outsiders. For me, it’s crucial to align myself with a company who does not operate like that, instead emphasizing a local approach and mentality.

Where are you located in Hawaiʻi and what makes it a special place?

I was born and raised in Kamuela on the north side of the Big Island Hawai‘i, and am now located in a very unique little area called North Kohala, with less than 7,000 people total in our community. 

There have been a lot of things here in our little community that have really set the tone and set the pace for other areas within our Island, and I'm even talking on a county level. I've worked with a lot of people in the county within the office of Housing and Community Development and they've really recognized a lot of the positive impact that our North Kohala Community has had. We've sort of been asked to set templates and set tones so that the county can take that and try to implement it in other communities. So It's a pretty cool special little place, for sure.

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