"I run my own real estate practice in Vancouver, BC and run a podcast about real estate around the world - The UnReal Estate Show. So, when I went looking for a realtor, I had high expectations. I had been looking for a Vacation home in Kona for a while and was finally ready to pull the trigger. I had met a number of on island agents during previous trips but none really impressed me or could answer my questions about market dynamics, timing or even offer suggestions. I found Kevin through previous reviews and reached out. He was quick to respond, easy to talk to and offered actual answers to my questions (rare in the real estate profession).
What was better though, was that Kevin offered suggestions that ultimately led us to buy the home we did. After listening to what we wanted, he told us it wasn't on the market right now, but brought us to the home of another client he has with a similar unit in the same complex. After seeing that what we wanted was possible, Kevin reached out to all the other owners in the complex to find us an "off market" home. During our search, we noticed the market taking off and prices were rising and Kevin put on the right amount of pressure to make sure we made the move quickly and decisively when the right home finally came on the market.
Kevin has a long list of trades people on the island, good contacts for all things real estate (Escrow, title, mortgage, etc) and he offers great local suggestions on how to make a life on the island. (A/C repairs, how to buy furniture, where to eat dinner).
He has all the credibility of a local in Kona, but all the experience of childhood in Canada and living on the mainland.
Kevin is a top-shelf, top-notch realtor!"
- Keith R.
"Interesting story, we recently sold our house in Seattle, and our staging decorator knew one of the founders of Elite Pacific Properties, who got us in touch with Kevin. GOOD CALL! Kevin has spent most of his life on the Big Island and really knows the market in Kailua-Kona. In our 1st telecon and subsequent meeting, he was very intent on listening to what we wanted to do, while making sure we had looked at the options available and understood what we were getting into. Since we had never bought a condo before, there was a lot to learn on out part.
After that, he showed us several units that fit our parameters and in the price range we were comfortable with. While that gave us a lot to consider, one unit really felt right, with the typical exception that it was at the upper end of our price comfort zone. When we discussed this, Kevin assured us he would be able to negotiate on our behalf to get the price down to where we would be more comfortable. Hey, I am a natural born skeptic, but I figured what the heck, let's see how this goes. Son of a gun he was true to his word and we closed at a great price! Would I recommend Kevin? Hell yes!"
- Ralph & Rene R.
"Kevin Walmsley wants your business. After three recent real estate purchases, I can assure you he deserves it.
I found Kevin quite by accident late in 2016. I’d seen one of his listings and wished to view it on an upcoming visit to the Big Island. We spoke for a half hour or so a week before my arrival and had a friendly exchange in which Kevin listened to my wants and asked questions to better understand my needs.
On my arrival Kevin took me to see the gorgeous house he had listed and to another community he thought I might like. He could have pushed his own listing harder, but he was spot on when showing me homes in Kona Paradise.
I purchased one of the homes we’d viewed on my first visit. Two months ago I bought an unimproved lot adjacent to my property and just two days ago, bought a rare bank-owned property just north of my house. More appropriately, I can now say “home” as I moved here with my dogs from eastern Long Island, NY just one week ago.
In recommending Kevin I can tell you he is articulate, thorough, persistent, honest and kind. I wasn’t sure I’d actually buy a piece of property here, let alone three (!), and might at times have felt discouraged had it not been for Kevin’s ability to negotiate and mitigate problems that could otherwise undo a deal.
Will I be buying a fourth property here? Unknown at the moment— be on the lookout for another review of my RE Broker, Kevin Walmsley"
- Park H. D.
"Kevin was an excellent advocate throughout the entire process! From start to finish, he was there to walk me through the process. I'm a first time home buyer and whenever we'd go to view a property, I'd ask him if there was anything that he would ask or consider about the property if he were buying it and I felt he always gave me some really great and useful information/answers. I wasn't sure what to look out for or what to be aware of even though I felt I did a considerable amount of research.
Also, my mortgage lender had neglected to give me a straight answer about a difference in $3K that I noticed when we were signing closing documents. She made it seem like it was some kind of convoluted formula to calculate, but Kevin came to that meeting (thankfully) and he straightened everything out. If he weren't there, I probably would have signed not knowing that I'd be losing out on $3K because my lender failed to provide adequate and honest answers.
I highly recommend him to be your representative if you're in the market of buying a home!"
- Leaura L.
"We contacted Kevin from California prior to a trip to the Big Island to look at houses for a permanent move. He listened and understood what was important to us as well as what we didn't want. Keven is very knowledgeable about the market on the Big Island. He knows the neighborhoods and a lot about the various homeowner's associations.
Despite having a newborn baby, Kevin made himself available to us according to our schedule and showed us all the properties that would meet our needs in our price range; he never attempted to upsell us. He was patient as we explored properties and took us back for a second look when we wanted it.
We purchased a beautiful home and Kevin was there helping us every step of the way. When we were in escrow, and after returning to California to prepare for our move, Kevin was there for us, looking after our interests.
After all is said and done, Kevin became not only our Realtor, but we now also consider him our friend. We would highly recommend him for any of your real estate needs."
- B B. San Francisco, CA
"Kevin Walmsley has spent much of his life on the Big Island and has a lot of local knowledge of Hawaii. He is straight forward, easy to talk to and easy to work with. The sellers were not the easiest folks to deal with, but Kevin helped us through the buying process and we ended up getting the deal closed...and he did this while he and his wife were having their first child! I recommend Kevin to anyone buying or selling property in Hawaii."
- Patrick R. Truckee, NV
"Coming from California, I had an idea of what I wanted but just couldn't find a place that checked all the boxes. Enter Kevin Walmsley. He is very personable, a good listener and a problem solver. He also knows the Kona area extremely well including details on the neighborhoods and market trends.
When I found the home I wanted, he helped negotiate my offer and work through the contract details even while I was back on the Mainland. He was my eyes and ears! Even after the sale, when I had a Home Warranty issue, Kevin helped get it resolved successfully.
I highly recommend his services and consider him and his wife Laura to be my newest friends"
- Shelley W. East Bay, CA
"Kevin was very helpful and professional from the beginning and took us seriously when we were visiting kona, he showed us a few places and it gave us an idea of what we talked about getting in the future, well the future came a year later, we just purchased our condo and we are from Ohio and it all went so smooth. Kevin was with us every step of the way and kept us very informed."
- Tim & Vicky S. -from Ohio
"Kevin is a knowledgeable Realtor.
He is attentive and responsive. He goes the extra mile and does what is needed for his clients. He follows up after the purchase and answers the phone when you need him.
He helped me greatly in my land purchase in Kona.
We will be doing business in the future i am sure. Highly recommended."
- Guy S. Vancouver, BC
"Kevin is a terrific Realtor to work with. As a recently retired couple who moved to Kailua Kona Hawaii to retired we found piece of mind when we met Kevin Walmsley. A sincere, knowledgable realtor Kevin focused on what our retirement home requirements were and Kevin knows Kailua Kona and the Big Island very well. My wife and I highly recommend giving him a call if you are looking for a pleasant experience with a trusting Realtor.
Aloha!"
- Antonio V. Oxnard, CA
"Our son and his wife moved to the Big Island permanently in October of last year. Kevin helped them close a very complicated transaction. There were easement and right a way issues to be resolved before the parties could agree. Kevin did a great job at getting that done.
We made a trip to visit our family and found a house that we had an interest in. Of course, we called Kevin Walmsley to help us.
We were told that the house was already under contract and returned home. The next day, Kevin called and let us know that the contract had fallen out and the property was available. We jumped on it and Kevin and his team got the offer accepted and closed on time.
Communication was outstanding with the entire team. It is a pleasure to have such a great person representing us."
- Tom W. Texas
"After four years of vacationing in Kona, we decided to buy our own little piece of Paradise. We were blessed to find the best real estate professionals in Kailua-Kona. Kevin and Laura Walmsley are the 'go to' real estate couple for the Kona Coast on the Big Island. Knowledgeable, caring and conscientious, patient and considerate, they took a personal interest in helping us find the absolute perfect home. They looked at our list of 'must haves' and 'if possibles' and checked all of the boxes. We always felt like we had their complete time and attention. When our condo came on the market, they were as excited for us as we were. We made an offer and knew we had the best realtors to negotiate and close. Considering that we closed from the mainland, there is no one we trust more than Kevin and Laura Walmsley. We highly recommend them for a simple, straightforward and stress free real estate experience."
- Cindy A. Olympia, WA
"I'd decided some months ago that I should finally create an opportunity to make a change from my long residency in the Northeast. Hawaii, and specifically the Big Island were most appealing. I began a long online search for the Island's region that best fit my needs. Finally, Captain Cook, generally about an hour south from Kona-Kailua seemed best - close enough to the "city," but with plenty of natural beauty. I found a listing of a gorgeous house in Milolii and contacted Kevin Walmsley.
From the start Kevin was professional, knowlegeable and courteous. I had numerous questions for him and after a few e-mail exchanges we scheduled a conversation. It's very easy to speak with Kevin. He was brought up on the island, really loves his life here and his enthusiasm is ever-present. Having carefully listened to my needs and wants, Kevin was happy to show me his Milolii listing but thought I might also like homes for sale in a slightly more established subdivision called Kona Paradise. I booked flights for a three day visit this past January.
Kevin had set up three viewings and we spent four carefree hours making our way south and viewing those homes, all the while talking about life on Hawaii. Almost immediately I decided on a charming smaller house he'd shown me in Kona Paradise. I write this now from that very house - with its stunning west-facing Pacific Ocean view - on a brief visit.
Of the many valuable things Kevin offers his clients, standouts for me are his familiarity with this side of the island and the great contacts he's amassed. Several times I asked him for service-provider recommendations that may have been outside his normal duties. He cheerfully complied and everyone he recommended has worked out beautifully. Further, I found him to be a very thoughtful negotiator. When it came time for a second round of offers, Kevin voluntarily and very smartly did an analysis of comparable sales on a dollar per square foot basis. With that information I lowered my next offer. Seller and I quickly came to agreeable terms that undoubtedly saved me a couple thousand dollars.
I feel lucky to have stumbled upon Kevin Walmsley. He's a thoroughly nice, hardworking and immensely qualified Realtor. I'm very glad to know him - I'm certain you will be, too."
- Park D. Shelter Island Heights, NY
"At the time I enlisted Kevin's services I had an unusual situation where I live 6,000 miles from the property being sold. Kevin's commitment to selling the condo for sale was outstanding!! I was kept informed at all times and never felt I was "in the dark" about what was going on. He consistently explained each step of the process and what I should expect next. The list goes on and on. I was privileged to have Kevin as my agent handling this transaction. Kevin is head and shoulders above all other real estate agents. His work style and work ethic is demonstrated in the results."
- B M. Worcester, MA
"Kevin is one of a handful of Realtors I spoke to when my husband and I were considering moving to the big island. He is the only one to take the time over the phone to not only find out what we were looking for but to tell me a bit about what living here is like, he spent at least an hour. When we came over on vacation he showed us some properties despite the fact that many people never actually move here. When we sold our house on the mainland he knew we were serious lol. Despite being in mid wedding planning he helped us find a condo we love and when there were issues while he was on his honeymoon he still kept on top of them. He grew up on the island and has a good knowledge of the different areas. I highly recommend him!"
- Maureen N. Yerington, NV
"Kevin is extremely knowledgeable of the purchasing process. He goes way beyond the duties of a Realtor to make sure the process goes smoothly and makes sure the client feels comfortable in the decision they make. We have used other Realtors on the Big Island and they can't stand up to Kevin. If you want someone that will stand by you through the buying process and more. Kevin is the Realtor to use."
- Steven G. Los Angelos, CA
"Kevin was amazing as he took the time to really understand our needs and.found us a beautiful home that had everything on our must have list. The location is perfect for us near schools and shopping. We could not have asked for a better real estate agent. I recommend him highly!"
- Rhonda S. Kailua-Kona, HI
"Kevin Walmsley was great to work with from start to finish. He understood what are wants and needs were and showed us properties that matched our requirements. We found a house that had everything we were looking for in the geographic area we wanted. The house was a short sale and we were the successful bidder. Kevin understood the process for acquiring a short sale property and gave us excellent advice to complete the sale. He provided us with good information for property inspectors and insurance. After the sale he provided us with the contact information for a great contractor who was willing to work with us in renovating the property before we moved in. We would highly recommend Kevin Walmsley as a Realtor for any real estate transaction. He really went the extra mile for us."
- Gary E. Kailua-Kona, HI
"Kevin is the real estate agent everyone hopes to find when they want to market their property!! We found Kevin to go above and beyond what is expected of a real estate agent. He was dedicated to pursuing everything he possibly could to market our home. We were located over 30 miles from town which made it much more difficult to find a buyer. When another agent was going to be showing it, Kevin would personally take the time to drive down to the house to open the curtains, windows and make sure everything was in order. He was in constant touch with us and handled the sale in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Kevin to everyone and will, without a doubt, contact him when we sell our current residence. We would not consider anyone else!"
- Byron S. Kailua-Kona, HI
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