When he was 7, Realtor Paul Staples said his father left. With the breadwinner gone, he said his family was kicked out of their apartment in Los Angeles making him, his mom and brother homeless. He said there were people who took them in until they got back on their feet.
“This experience taught me the importance of having a stable home, even if it’s not your own home for a while.”
Now, as the mentor for the BYU–Hawaii Real Estate Club, Staples said, “In my opinion, real estate is not emphasized enough with our younger people.” He said the club “can bring the real estate industry right to our students.”
Real estate investments and building and repairing homes are just a few examples of what he thinks students should learn so they can always be prepared. “It can be taught with not a whole lot of effort, and it can really help the students.”
Club President Suet Ee Khoo, a senior from Malaysia majoring in business management concentrating in finance and supply chain, said real estate is important because “no matter what career people are in, everyone needs a home to live in. So, it can be residential, which is the home we live in, or it can also be commercial, such as shop blocks, offices and warehouses.”
Khoo said the Real Estate Club, which was organized on April 28, 2020, started with only four members but has now grown to about 30 members. She said the original three members were Marissa Kinanti Cahyaningtyas, Shashita Augustin and Mary Deyro Saddi, but it was not an official BYUH club back then.
Khoo said working together with her club officers, YuJun Han as vice president, Cecil Caro as treasurer and Justin Lee as secretary, they seek to inform more students about real estate.
Augustin is a senior from Malaysia studying business management with an emphasis in human resources. She said the club started because Staples asked her, Saddi and Cahyaningtyas if they would like to start taking real estate workshops from him on Facebook Messenger.
“The more he shared about real estate, the more we got really excited. He proposed we start a club because, just like how we were excited, he said there might be other students on campus who also want to learn about real estate,” she explained.
Club leaders said students should learn about real estate because it is not only a future work possibility but also a fantastic method to generate money. For those who desire to be in the industry, the club also helps them connect with alumni mentors from their home countries.
Khoo said alumni can assist by helping students “understand the certain country’s rules and licensing requirements” because each area has different regulations.
Source of income
Cahyaningtyas, an alumna from Indonesia, explained, “Real estate can be a future career option for students. You never know, sometimes we don’t end up actually working in our major.”
She invited everyone to join the club. Some of the things she learned about real estate include the inspection of a house, how to rent out a space from or to someone and construction.
Aside from being a possible career, Augustin said students can use real estate as their side hustle to make income on top of their full-time jobs.
“I know money is not the first thing we are looking for in life, but it is something we need, and real estate can provide that.”
Augustin said, “Students should join the Real Estate Club because they get to learn the basics of real estate. I know there’s not a course offered on campus that is just focused on real estate. So with this club, they get to speak to guest speakers who are involved in the company itself. Students are getting real-world experience.”
The mission and vision
Khoo said the original plan was to open the club in Fall 2021, but they started in Spring 2021 because they wanted the club’s name to become known to students.
She said the club’s mission is “to create a platform where students and alumni can learn, discuss and explore career interests in real estate.” The club will accomplish its vision by organizing fun events relating to real estate to draw student’s attention, she shared.
The very beginning
Staples said he is an alumnus of BYUH and has a master’s degree in real estate from Realtor University. He said he started a real estate company in Hawaii, which has completed nearly 200 successful real estate transactions.
Over a year ago, he said he met with his friends, William Numanga and Keni Kalama, who work at BYUH, to discuss how to bring real estate to BYUH students.
“We started talking about how to get this going because we all know the value of real estate. We all own our own homes, and Keni and William recently bought their homes. I’ve sold over 100 homes.”
At their meeting, he said Numanga suggested starting a club. “So when he said that, I started looking for people who could start the club because I’m not a student.”
Staples explained, “Keni, William and myself worked together because combined, we have all the necessary parts to make the club happen. Abe Lee is very iconic on the island because everybody knows him in real estate. With him volunteering to help with the club workshops, we got a full nice team.”
Khoo said Numanga is the club’s official advisor. Staples said students who show interest in the club can work with Kalama who works at Career Services, and Kalama will be able to help connect students with alumni in different parts of the world who are in real estate.
Numanga, who works at Ho’okele, can also help students connect with alumni, Khoo said.
The more he shared about real estate, the more we got really excited. He proposed we start a club because..he said there might be other students on campus who also want to learn about real estate.
Choosing a leader
Cahyaningtyas said, “Uncle Paul initially wanted me to be the president, but I couldn’t because I’m graduating.” She said she recommended Khoo to be the president because she had longer until she graduated.
Khoo said she was also chosen by the group to be president because of her knowledge. “I am personally already interested in real estate. I spend a lot of my free time learning about the industry.”
Because Khoo likes to connect with others, Augustin said they were able to add about 15 students to the club.
Khoo said establishing the club has been doable thanks to the people who supported them, including people in the community. Staples’s agent Jeremy Moncur and Ilikea McElroy helped them find houses and businesses for sale to visit on future field trips, she said.
There were also several alumni who helped get the club up and running, including Saddi and Cahyaningtyas. She said they will help current club members organize club activities.•