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Captain’s Blog 9-18-09: A new version of HawaiiLife.com

We just launched Version 5.2 of HawaiiLife.com last week. The new site is a huge improvement.  It’s interactive, smart, and stable (well…it will be stable soon).  Our Customers, Clients and Realtors can create Property Galleries, share information, and stay current on what’s happening in the local market and around the State.

Realtors are often a self-congratulatory bunch. We give ourselves awards, invite ourselves into the “Million Dollar Club”, or the ‘Top-Producer’s Circle”, etc. Sometimes, the flare for all of these type of outside-in “awards” can mask the real power of acknowledging hard work, commitment, and dedication.

In a previous professional life I was a restaurant manager. I always loved the contrast between the ‘Front of the House’ and ‘Back of the House’… Black Sabbath and loud chefs in the kitchen to Vivaldi and attentive waiters in the dining room. Hawaii Life has its ‘Front and Back of the House’, too. They correlate to our Core Values: Smart Marketing and Solid Representation. We do a good job at acknowledging the waiters (and they receive tips).  Now, the chefs deserve to be celebrated:

Yacine, Dungeon Master

Yacine Merzouk, aka “Dungeon Master” (seriously) and/or “Yax”, Hawaii Life’s Lead Programmer: Yacine has been masterminding Version 5.2 for a LONG time. While Hawaii Life went from a Buyer’s Brokerage/Referral Model… to adding Advertising… to finally becoming the “traditional” real estate brokerage that it is, Yacine has been working diligently in the background to make sure that the most powerful real estate search engine in the State of Hawaii maintains its functionality, usability, and downright awesomeness.  The User-Created Galleries, Customer and Client Interface, and Hawaii Life’s amazing ‘back-end’ are all held up and glued together by Yacine.  Countless hours of testing, de-bugging, and listening to whiny Realtors (myself included) have gone into HawaiiLife.com, and Yacine has more than risen to the occasion.  We are hugely grateful for his commitment, and his mad skillz (yes, with a z).  Mahalo nui Yacine.

Justin Britt, Head Web Head

Justin Britt, Head Web Head

If HawaiiLife.com has a kitchen, then Justin is the Executive Chef. The innumerable ingredients that Justin has utilized have won HawaiiLife.com awards and accolades from thought-leaders in both real estate and web-design. His borderline obsession with our search engine dominance had yielded incredible, tangible results… especially for our clients who have hired Hawaii Life to market and sell their property. Justin’s masterful execution of search engine marketing and his intense focus on the function of the site have brought millions of page views, and a community of users.

Winston Welborn, Creative Director

Winston Welborn, Creative Director

Smart Marketing is a big production. Winston’s job is the the entire gamut of real estate marketing… from the design and production of the website(s), to print, photography, graphics, copy writing, tools for agents, all the way to our custom organic cotton tee shirts… because of Winston, all of it represents. Winston helps us keep our core values in everything we do, and helps us to earn the trust of hundreds of our customers and clients.

The amount of time, energy, and tenacity that our ‘behind-the-scenes’ crew has put in is incredible. Their vision for what’s possible in the world of real estate keeps us light years ahead of the curve HawaiiLife.com is an incredibly dynamic site, so it’s always a work in progress.  But this launch in particular is such a big deal, inviting collaboration from visitors, clients and agents.

Congratulations on this milestone.

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Susanna Kunkel

September 19, 2009

Matt – great post! I used to work in restaurant management, and waiting in years past & I always loved coming into the kitchen with all the “buzz” and excitement going on. The power of internet marketing has me so pumped! It’s a natural and dynamic way of staying in touch with my clients, both buyers and sellers, and giving us a virtual “home” that we can all participate in, from the mainland, from the UK, Canada…all as if we’re sitting right here on the beach talking story. Always love to hear about what’s cooking in the kitchen of Hawaii Life! You guys rock!

Susanna Kunkel

September 19, 2009

Matt – great post! I used to work in restaurant management, and waiting in years past & I always loved coming into the kitchen with all the “buzz” and excitement going on. The power of internet marketing has me so pumped! It’s a natural and dynamic way of staying in touch with my clients, both buyers and sellers, and giving us a virtual “home” that we can all participate in, from the mainland, from the UK, Canada…all as if we’re sitting right here on the beach talking story. Always love to hear about what’s cooking in the kitchen of Hawaii Life! You guys rock!

Sarah Webb

September 19, 2009

Matt
I’m getting ready to sign up with HI Life to sell my house on Kauai because of your awesome internet presence. Susanna Kunkel forwarded me this link. Love the Dungeon Master & Head Web Head.
Sarah

Sarah Webb

September 19, 2009

Matt
I’m getting ready to sign up with HI Life to sell my house on Kauai because of your awesome internet presence. Susanna Kunkel forwarded me this link. Love the Dungeon Master & Head Web Head.
Sarah

Byron Barth

September 20, 2009

Yax & Justin get Five Stars for all they do!! And, huge mahalo’s to Winston for keeping the journey stay on course! V5.2 is awesome. You guys ae the BEST!

Byron Barth

September 20, 2009

Yax & Justin get Five Stars for all they do!! And, huge mahalo’s to Winston for keeping the journey stay on course! V5.2 is awesome. You guys ae the BEST!

Matt Beall

September 20, 2009

I forgot to also give an honorable mention to Brad Haeger, our Marketing Researcher. Brad’s making himself invaluable to our company, so you’ll definitely see more of him. Big Mahalos to Brad, too.

Matt Beall

September 20, 2009

I forgot to also give an honorable mention to Brad Haeger, our Marketing Researcher. Brad’s making himself invaluable to our company, so you’ll definitely see more of him. Big Mahalos to Brad, too.

David Buck

September 21, 2009

Awesome job everyone! The back of the house has been making this site rock!

David Buck

September 21, 2009

Awesome job everyone! The back of the house has been making this site rock!

Yacine

September 22, 2009

Thanks Matt!

Yacine

September 22, 2009

Thanks Matt!

Katie Minkus, R(B)

October 11, 2009

At the end of the day, Justin, Yacine and Winston are the three reasons why I choose to broker real estate on the Big Island of Hawaii. No other company in the state can touch these guys from a technology marketing perspective… As a former “valley” grrrl (tech, not simi), and multiple “start-up” survivor, I can honestly say it’s a thrill and I am grateful and honored every day to go to work and witness, play with, and profit from what these three create. Mahalo nui loa, guys.

Katie Minkus, R(B)

October 11, 2009

At the end of the day, Justin, Yacine and Winston are the three reasons why I choose to broker real estate on the Big Island of Hawaii. No other company in the state can touch these guys from a technology marketing perspective… As a former “valley” grrrl (tech, not simi), and multiple “start-up” survivor, I can honestly say it’s a thrill and I am grateful and honored every day to go to work and witness, play with, and profit from what these three create. Mahalo nui loa, guys.

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