Honolulu Board of Realtors

What Honolulu Board of Realtors does

The Honolulu Board of REALTORS (HBR), founded in 1922, is a private 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional trade association headquartered at 1136 12th Avenue, Suite 200, Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the largest trade organization on Oahu and one of the largest among approximately 1,500 boards of REALTORS in the United States, serving more than 7,000 licensed real estate brokers, salespersons, and affiliate members. HBR operates as the voice of Oahu's real estate industry, providing MLS access, professional development, ethics enforcement, advocacy at local/state/national levels, networking, and consumer education resources.

Its core products are the HiCentral.com consumer web portal (property search by island, neighborhood, street address, condo/townhome, and MLS number for both sales and rentals, plus open houses) and the HiCentral MLS system (delivered via the third-party Matrix/Clareity IAM platform) for member agents. Supporting products include monthly market reports with historical Oahu sales data back to 1985, a REALTOR and office directory, a home services affiliate directory, the HOPE Homebuyer Education Program (in partnership with Hawaii HomeOwnership Center), the Aloha Aina REALTOR Awards, the REALTOR of the Year program, dispute resolution services, and a public mortgage rates page aggregating rates from major Hawaii lenders.

HBR's revenue model is membership-subscription driven: annual REALTOR, Affiliate, and Institute Affiliate membership dues (pro-rated January-December); MLS subscription fees (pro-rated July-June) charged to REALTORS and REALTOR-Associates at affiliated firms; affiliate membership fees from related-service firms (appraisers, inspectors, title companies, lenders); and sponsorship income from platinum/diamond sponsors including First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, American Savings Bank, and Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The organization maintains a wholly-owned subsidiary, HiCentral MLS, Ltd., which houses the Multiple Listing Service operations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contact is via phone at (808) 732-3000.

Name

Honolulu Board of Realtors

Legal name

Honolulu Board of REALTORS

Website

https://hicentral.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Honolulu Board of REALTORS is a 1922-founded nonprofit trade association serving 7,000+ licensed real estate professionals on Oahu through HiCentral MLS access, advocacy, ethics enforcement, professional development, and the HiCentral.com consumer property search platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues pro-rated throughout the dues year (January - December). Includes automatic membership to Hawaii Association of REALTORS and National Association of REALTORS.
2. MLS Subscription Fees: Multiple Listing Service subscription fees pro-rated throughout the MLS subscription year (July - June). Available to REALTORS and REALTOR-Associates affiliated with subscribing firms.
3. Affiliate Membership: Fees from affiliate members including home services providers, appraisers, inspectors, title companies, and other real estate service firms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Honolulu Board of REALTORS is a 501(c)(6) professional trade association founded in 1922 that provides REALTOR membership, Multiple Listing Service (MLS) subscription access via the Matrix system, professional education, ethics enforcement, industry advocacy, and a consumer-facing property search and market data portal at HiCentral.com for the Oahu, Hawaii real estate market.

Product overview

The Honolulu Board of REALTORS operates HiCentral.com as a unified consumer web platform providing real estate listing search (sales, rentals, open houses), market data and reports, professional directories, and consumer education resources. The platform integrates a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) accessible to members via Matrix login, alongside consumer-facing tools including property search by region/price/type, a REALTOR and office directory searchable by name/designation/language, a home services affiliate directory, and market reports with historical Oahu sales data dating to 1985. Additional services include the HOPE homebuyer education program (in partnership with Hawaii HomeOwnership Center), mortgage rate information from local lenders, dispute resolution services, and awards programs (Aloha Aina Awards, REALTOR of the Year Hall of Fame) recognizing excellence among members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REALTOR Membership Annual membership tier for licensed real estate brokers and salespersons operating on Oahu, including agreement to the Code of Ethics and automatic affiliation with Hawaii Association of REALTORS and National Association of REALTORS. Dues are pro-rated January through December.
• Affiliate Membership Annual membership category for individuals or firms in real estate-related businesses (appraisers, home inspectors, title & escrow, 1031 exchanges, lenders, home service providers) not engaged in brokerage, providing referral visibility through the Home Services Directory.
• Institute Affiliate Membership Annual membership category for commercial real estate professionals holding ALC, CCIM, CPM, CRE, or SIOR designations.
• MLS Subscription (HiCentral MLS / Matrix) Multiple Listing Service subscription available to REALTORs and REALTOR-Associates affiliated with subscribing firms, providing comprehensive Hawaii property listings, transactional tools, and market data. Fees are pro-rated July through June.
• HiCentral.com Web Portal The primary consumer-facing web platform providing property search for sales, rentals, and open houses; market information; REALTOR directory; and consumer education resources for Oahu and Hawaii.
• Market Reports & Historical Sales Data Monthly and annual market reports providing median and average sales prices for single-family homes and condominiums on Oahu, including historical data from 1985 to present.
• Professional Development & Education Continuing education, designation courses, and professional development programs for real estate professionals preparing for and maintaining real estate licensure and advanced credentials.
• Dispute Resolution Services Service helping consumers and REALTORS resolve real estate transaction issues through mediation, ombudsman assistance, and ethics/arbitration hearings at no cost.
• HOPE Homebuyer Education Program Homebuyer education and counseling delivered in partnership with the Hawaii HomeOwnership Center, offering REALTOR clients a lifetime membership discount of $65 (from $75 to $10).
• Aloha Aina REALTOR Awards Program Annual awards program honoring and publicly recognizing REALTORS who provide exceptional service to clients, accepting nominations from the public and sponsored by First Hawaiian Bank and Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
• REALTOR of the Year Hall of Fame Annual award recognizing one REALTOR who has significantly contributed to the real estate profession and community, accompanied by a hall of fame of past recipients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000-7,000+ real estate professionals served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Hawaii HomeOwnership CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBR partners with the Hawaii HomeOwnership Center to offer the HOPE Homebuyer Education Program, helping consumers get on path to homeownership. HBR offers members $65 courtesy discount on lifetime HHOC membership ($10 instead of $75 for REALTOR clients).
• Hawaii Association of REALTORS (HAR)coreOthersState-level association that HBR members automatically belong to. HAR uses member contact information to communicate for association purposes including weekly email bulletin and monthly newsletter.
• National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreOthersNational-level association that HBR members automatically belong to. NAR provides governance documents, Code of Ethics, and national standards. NAR is owner of REALTOR trademark.
• First Hawaiian BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of HBR with mortgage lending services. Co-sponsor of Aloha Aina REALTOR Awards. Provides home lending products and services to HBR members and consumers.
• Bank of HawaiimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of HBR providing mortgage lending services. Featured on mortgage rates page as one of the lenders whose rates are compiled by HBR.
• Central Pacific BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor of HBR. Provides home lending products and mortgage services.
• American Savings BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum/Gold sponsor of HBR. Featured on mortgage rates page as lender whose rates are compiled by HBR.
• Territorial Savings BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of HBR, a division of Bank of Hope, providing mortgage and home loan services.
• Honolulu Star-AdvertisermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of HBR and co-sponsor of Aloha Aina REALTOR Awards. Major investor media partner.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New York State Association of Realtors: State REALTOR association serving New York licensees with advocacy, professional standards, and member services. Closely parallels HBR's mission and operating structure at the state tier.
• Stellar MLS: Large regional MLS covering Florida and adjacent markets. Direct MLS-platform peer to HiCentral MLS, with comparable listing data, member access, and syndicated data products.
• Texas Realtors: State-level REALTOR association providing member services, MLS coordination, and advocacy to Texas licensees. Functionally analogous to HAR/HBR's role but at multi-metro scale.
• Bright MLS: One of the largest regional MLS operators in the U.S., serving the Mid-Atlantic. Direct operational peer to HBR's HiCentral MLS, Ltd. subsidiary in providing MLS infrastructure and data services to member agents.
• Greater Los Angeles Association of Realtors: One of the largest local REALTOR associations in the U.S., operating its own MLS and serving the LA metro. Directly comparable membership-association-plus-MLS model to HBR.
• California Association of Realtors: One of the largest state REALTOR associations in the U.S., providing MLS access, advocacy, and member services to California licensees. Highly comparable in operating model (membership + MLS + advocacy) to HBR but at vastly larger scale.
• Hawaii Association of REALTORS: The state-level REALTOR association that all HBR members automatically belong to. Operates as the tier directly above HBR in the three-tier (local/state/national) REALTOR association structure, with overlapping advocacy and member-service functions.
• Miami Realtors: Large metro REALTOR association serving the Miami/South Florida market. Comparable as a coastal, geographically concentrated trade association operating an MLS and serving a high-value residential market analogous to Honolulu.

Broad incumbents

• Zillow Group: Dominant national consumer-facing real estate search portal that competes for end-user attention against HiCentral.com. Comparable in serving property-search and market-data needs, though it does so at national scale and as a for-profit enterprise rather than a membership association.
• National Association of REALTORS: The national umbrella trade association that HBR members automatically join. Operates the federally registered REALTOR trademark and sets the Code of Ethics, making it the structural counterpart and governing body for HBR's local chapter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hicentral
• Facebookfacebook.com/hicentral
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/honolulu-board-of-realtors-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Honolulu Board of Realtors