In the competitive world of luxury real estate, stories about agents moving brokerages as they advance their career are common. Less common are the stories about these agents coming back to the brokerages they left.
Enter Riette Jenkins.
Recognized as one of Hawaii’s Top 100 Realtors, Jenkins was with a local Coldwell Banker brokerage for nearly 15 years until 2015 when she had the opportunity to open up a new office for boutique brokerage. When that brokerage got bought by another franchise, she realized that the Coldwell Banker® brand and its Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® platform was ultimately a better fit for her business. She came back home in August 2020, joining Coldwell Banker Island Properties to spearhead its sales efforts for the Global Luxury division.
Riette Jenkins
“Coldwell Banker is the No. 1 brand in the world,” she explains of her decision. “I have listings that are $5 million and up. On Maui, there aren’t many choices in terms of a brand that represents my personal brand and my clients. It’s Coldwell Banker Global Luxury.”
Since Jenkins consistently ranks among Hawaii’s top agents in multi-million dollar sales, she knew it was important to have alignment with a global luxury brand. Global Luxury’s professionalism, international networking abilities and branded offices were all significant factors in her decision to come home. “My former brokerage was much more of a boutique firm with virtual offices,” adds Jenkins. “Under the ownership of Steve Houle, Coldwell Banker Island Properties has expanded its footprint and now has offices on Maui, the big island, and Kauai. Because of that, we now have a much stronger network of referrals. Additionally, the quality of the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury office is second to none.”
A successful broker-realtor on Maui since 1988, Jenkins specializes in premium, high-end properties, in Wailea, Makena, North Shore and Upcountry Maui. She has been honored on numerous occasions throughout her career. She was named the No. 1 Sales Associate in the State of Hawaii in 2011 and No. 3 in 2013 for adjusted gross commissions. She was also ranked highly in the Western Region in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013. She was given the International President’s Elite Award in 2013, is a member of the prestigious Diamond Society and is a recipient of the President’s Circle Award. In addition, Jenkins was elected President of the Realtor Association of Maui. She was named by Hawaii Business as one of the Top 20 Realtors in the State of Hawaii in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and in the Top 100 Realtors in the State from 2008-2018.
As Maui luxury real estate activity has grown in response to the pandemic, Jenkins return to Coldwell Banker could not come at a better time for her business. “Maui is a great place to be if you’re going to have to be isolated for a moment,” she says. “With everyone working remotely now, you can literally be anywhere in the world. Everyone is hitting the reset button right now. They’re taking stock of what’s important and questioning how they want to live their lives.”
Settling into her new role with Coldwell Banker Island Properties, Jenkins is looking forward to taking advantage of the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program’s marketing, advertising and technology offerings. She is especially excited to use the Black Box for her listing presentations. “The Black Box is steller. It’s exactly how I want to treat my luxury clients. The entire presentation captures the luxury lifestyle beautifully.”
