Some people say that in real estate, it’s all about who you know.
Even an inexperienced agent can land a deal if they happen to have the right connections.
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For Paul Stukin, founder and CEO of Deep Blue HI, a Los Angeles network that he built up over the course of decades recently came in handy — despite the fact that he launched his own business in Hawaii about three-and-a-half years ago.
That’s because people who knew him from LA figured he would be a great fit when actress and comedian Roseanne Barr said she was ready to list her 46-acre farm in Honokaa, Hawaii. She needed the right agent who could help her get the listing off the ground — and Stukin was up to the task.
Building a foundation in LA
47-4567 Honokaa Waipio Road | Hawaii Realty Solutions
For nearly two decades, Stukin worked LA’s luxury market as an agent at Hilton & Hyland. He grew up in LA, knew the neighborhoods, knew the people and built a solid network between his clients and other agents in the market.
During his time in LA, he worked with a handful of high-profile clients, including Ted Waitt, a cofounder of Gateway, Inc.
Paul Stukin | Deep Blue HI
But Stukin said that the supportive agent community in the area is what really helped him grow his business over the years.
“We support each other very well,” he said. “And after doing a number of projects and deals, and just being in the business for so long, it’s really a great community.”
But when the pandemic hit in 2020, Stukin started to reevaluate the kind of lifestyle that was best for him and his family. And then in early 2022, Hilton & Hyland cofounder Jeff Hyland passed away from cancer, which spurred him to start making some changes.
“When Jeff passed away, I left [Hilton & Hyland] because he was really an important mentor and friend to me,” Stukin said.
Stukin decided to move with his family to Hawaii, where he had spent a lot of time as a child because of his father’s business ties, and where Stukin’s wife, who is Hawaiian, had grown up. He had lived there for a brief period in the early 2000s and had repped a few development projects, so he had a taste of the real estate market there.
“We’re a multicultural family, and we just all really enjoy what the islands have to offer,” Stukin said. “So you can say, ‘I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it,’ but the pandemic was the linchpin. That just made that decision so obvious for me and my family.”
Starting fresh in Hawaii
The home’s living area | Hawaii Realty Solutions
When Stukin went all-in on Hawaii, he at least had a foot in the door first — some connections and a familiarity with the islands — but the transition was not a piece of cake.
“I’ve worked harder than I’ve probably ever worked,” Stukin told Inman. “But, the fruits of the labor are paying off and just seeing my children’s happiness and my wife with her family … I wouldn’t say, ‘I wish it happened sooner’; it just happened when it was supposed to happen.”
Stukin continued to keep up with his network in LA while he was transitioning to Hawaii, which is how he was introduced to Roseanne Barr this year. A business manager whom Stukin knows in LA told him that Barr and her family were ready to move on from the farm in Honokaa because of the maintenance involved as she transitions to spending more of her time in Texas.
But the fact that the business manager thought of Stukin as a possible listing agent is no accident — to this day, Stukin said, he travels to LA monthly to nurture his network there because Southern California is a big feeder market for Hawaii. He also maintains a California real estate license with Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, the firm headed by Aaron Kirman.
Stukin flies to LA on a Sunday, typically has meetings all day Monday, will attend some broker’s opens on Tuesday, and then either fly back to Hawaii Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, depending on how many meetings he has scheduled.
“So, we sit with our colleagues in all the offices, and I share my listings, and I just keep the network alive,” Stukin said. “I advertise, and I send out my emails, and they see that I pay a 30 percent referral fee. And it just works.”
Roseanne’s macadamia nut farm
A pool on the property | Hawaii Realty Solutions
From the first time that he met Barr and her family, Stukin said, everything has been straightforward and easy.
“I had a pretty comprehensive marketing strategy for them, and they liked what they saw. They were very cooperative, and Roseanne gave quotes, and she would have given an interview, but it wasn’t necessary,” Stukin said. “They’re very professional.
“And it’s not always that way,” he added.
Because of the name recognition tied to the property and its vast acreage of farmland that includes thousands of macadamia nut trees, some pineapple trees, sugar cane, coffee and other crops, Stukin said they opted to price the 2,700-square-foot home somewhat aggressively at $1.95 million.
The home only went up on the market on Monday, but Stukin said the calls have been coming in quickly from all types of buyers. Some are local farmers and ranchers interested in the land; others are people from throughout the state who like that part of the Big Island, and others are interested in owning and renting out the land to other farmers.
The estate is where, in 2011, Barr — who has kept a lower public profile in recent years, after facing criticism for controversial tweets — filmed the Lifetime series Roseanne’s Nuts.
“The last day-and-a-half, I’ve been talking to dozens and dozens of people from all over the country, and even some foreigners, who just are asking all the right questions,” Stukin said. “So it’s a sophisticated group. And then you get some people who are just, ‘Oh, I want to buy Roseanne’s farm.’”
The family wanted to make sure the estate presented well, so they also sought Stukin’s feedback in conducting some small maintenance items, including cleaning up the landscaping a bit, before going live with the listing.
Stukin said he’s pleased with the interest in the property so far and hopes other agents can learn from his experience.
“In this business, you’ve got to give it away,” Stukin said of the tips he’s learned over the years. “There’s no secrets to the trade; it’s just putting your shoulder behind it and pushing hard and working.”
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Email Lillian Dickerson