Richard Cricchio wasn’t planning on a life in Hawaii or a career in real estate but the two things ended up being pivotal to where he is today, which is consistently at the top of our list of top performing broker offices.
After his parents made a retirement move there in 1989, Richard soon followed to check it out. Attracted by the natural beauty of the island and outdoor lifestyle the temperate weather has to offer, he decided to make a life for himself there, also.
He spent some time working for other real estate companies before making the leap to Help-U-Sell in 2000. Like many good start-up stories, he was initially operating on a shoe string budget and credit cards until all the pieces fell into place. Once his marketing efforts were in full force and his presence was made known on the island, business started picking up, and fast. Which is music to any entrepreneurial ear.
The downside was picking up criticism from other realtors in the community, who were not happy with the competition of a different, successful business model. “When I first started with the set fee model from Help-U-Sell, I got a lot of pushback. I was even told that what I was doing was illegal, which was, of course, completely untrue. The good news is, Honolulu is a small town. When people got to know me, I was eventually invited to join the Professional Standards committee by the Hawaii Association of Realtors and was accepted,” Richard shared.
Regardless of whether the market is good or bad, the name recognition, extensive knowledge and great service makes it easy for the Help-U-Sell name to rise to the top. In Richard’s experience, “Other set-fee real estate companies love opening up when the market is booming. The difference between Help-U-Sell and would-be competitors is that when the market goes bad, we truly excel, whereas others fold up shop. Help-U-Sell remains a resource for home sellers because we can say we’ve been through these downturns before, and we’re especially equipped to help people navigate through it.”
While bringing home sellers savings is a big draw, there a joy in being able to help people through exceptionally trying circumstances as well. “I knew a couple that had gotten themselves into trouble by buying a $700,000 house. They were balancing it against running a struggling business and the stress of the situation was driving them both towards divorce. The market was in a tough spot, but I asked them to not get divorced and let me help them sell their house, which I did. I’m happy to say they are still married,” Richard added proudly. “It’s great helping people in general, but a chance to make a difference to someone on a very personal level is a better happy in my book.”
Success is a happy ending most people can appreciate.
