Q. When you took over as president, you assumed the responsibilities of two people. Are there added pressures for you?

A. My promotion to president is consistent with the Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties culture of promoting from within. It's come at a high point as we're poised for continued success. My responsibilities will include leading the day-to-day operations while setting the vision and strategic direction of the company. Taking the reigns held by Scott Bradley and Herb Conley might appear challenging, but with their help of mapping this transition out carefully over the years, it really promises to be a smooth transition. So this has really been a succession plan that we've been planning for years.

Q. How much autonomy do you have here in Hawai'i?

A. We are part of a national organization called NRT, or National Real Estate Trust, and they have been a great organization and partner for our company. They have given us a lot of the tools and resources that we probably would have not been able to expand upon if it wasn't for this relationship. As far as the management and the vision and the leadership of the organization locally, how NRT is set up across the nation is they have what they call "metro presidents" like myself to really set the tone for those particular areas. We really get the best of all worlds because not only are we able to maintain the uniqueness of our culture here in Hawai'i, but also we're able to lean on different resources throughout the nation and find out exactly what are those benchmarks and what are the best practices across the nation as well.

Q. What is your vision for the company?

A. When it comes to my vision or our goals, it really is to deliver real estate experiences to our clients that go beyond expectations to the efforts of our real estate professionals. We will support this effort through some comprehensive and innovative programs. That really is our goal. Our goal is to strive to create not just the resources and the tools for our successful real estate professionals, but also to create a work environment of aloha so we can all succeed at the highest level.

Q. What are some of the challenges you face professionally and personally?

A. One of the biggest challenges for me is the challenge of time, being able to fulfill the balance of everything I want to accomplish and achieve. If I had more time I would spend more quality time with my family, focusing on my children's school and extracurricular activities, as well as looking at professional development like attending additional business and industry courses as well as to continue the high level of community service that I'm involved with. I'm always looking at expanding the time, which is such a precious commodity

Q. How important is community and volunteer work?

A. I believe it's important that business leaders include community service as part of their role. At the very beginning of my career I made a decision to be involved with organizations that support the future of Hawai'i, which is really its children. So I'm a trustee at the Public Schools of Hawai'i Foundation. I'm the past president for HUGS, which is helping seriously ill children. I'm also on the board of governors for DARE. In addition to that I try to help coach my son's baseball team in Manoa.

Q. Do you have to constantly keep up with changes in the industry?

A. The real estate industry has really become one that is more than just buying and selling of property. It's one that is quite complex with different facets to it and it goes beyond just the transaction. So when I speak of professional development, I'm talking about overall development, finding out what's going on across the world, globally as well as locally, so that I'm able to developed the skills necessary to really bring in the vision for this organization.

Q. Does it help to be from Hawai'i?

A. I think that's the beauty of my promotion to president here in Hawai'i. It's really been consistent with our culture. I think a lot of people felt at ease knowing that the continuity will be there. It's not someone that's coming in from the Mainland who's going to be directing or redirecting the organization, but that someone who is born and raised here in Hawai'i who has a vested interest in Hawai'i is now going to be able to maintain that great continuity and that great unique corporate culture that Herb Conley and Scott Bradley started.

Q. When you were growing up in Kane'ohe, did you ever envision yourself in this position?

A. As a youngster growing up, all I knew was that whatever career I wanted to be involved with it was something that had to deal with people and relationships and that's what real estate is all about. I always knew that I wanted to not only work with people, but help people throughout. The key element in this position is continually to help partner with our sales associates and help them grow their careers, as well as helping people with what probably is their single largest investment in their life. So the involvement with the individuals and the constant relationships is so critical in the real estate industry, not just internally, but externally as well. In the real estate market we're really in a cooperative area as we work with other real estate brokerage firms and other real estate sales associates and it's important that everyone understands that we look at this as a high-level profession that we need to constantly ensure that we treat each other with mutual respect and that we're always trying to grow and partner together.

Q. What's your advice to anyone thinking about getting into the real estate business?

A. My advice would be if you're going to go into the real estate business one of the key elements is always to focus on what the consumer wants and expects. We need to make sure that we deliver to them at the highest level what they're looking for, what properties they're looking for, the listening factor, the ability to be able to not only anticipate, but even be able to give professional advice on trends, on what's happening in the market. The market knowledge that you bring is so critical and so vitally important. The most successful real estate sales professionals, if you were to poll them today and you asked them 'Why are you in real estate?' it's really all about helping people.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.