Scholars argue the more you give, the happier you feel while boosting your self-esteem and confidence. It's a natural feeling of accomplishment that can also override your personal success - essentially an unwritten principle for life.
Real estate broker Lailan Bento has a big heart for charity.
She dedicated part of her career to giving back to the community that helped raise her to become the person she is today. Bento is co-founder and principal broker for Hawaiߵi Development Group, a top Hawaii real estate company. Through her leadership, the company has built a reputation for offering affordable and sustainable homes.
The Rookie of the Year recipient cemented her position in the real estate industry because of her unmatched strategies based in Hawaiian culture. Her exceptional work ethic, honesty, transparency, and dedication, make her stand out in the highly competitive sector. Bento also boasts a vast network of Realtors and other industry stakeholders, essential for her success in the market.
But it's her selfless personality and passion for giving back to the community that has everyone talking.
Since early on in her career, Bento has been called to help the less privileged in her community. Her previous work in the Hawaii governor's office exposed her to the real issues affecting the community, among which lack of proper education was top of the list.
Additionally, a majority of the communities she and her business serve lack access to affordable and sustainable housing. This moved her to do something to help. Bento was raised in these communities, and she understands the struggles.
She recalls her early days being a young, uneducated minority woman running a real estate company. Though it was a significant achievement, Bento points out her journey wasn’t without challenges. Many people often judged her on looks, age, skin color, and gender, which somehow prevented her from achieving her goals. She had to overcome her shyness, learn not to take no for an answer, network, and meet with different stakeholders to foster her courage.
Today, she is one of the top women investors in the Hawaii real estate industry, helping others find their success. Bento founded a nonprofit group that seeks to raise funds to send local keiki to private schools and colleges. She aims to help them acquire the best education available and make their dreams a reality. Bento is also working hard to become a developer. She wants to build sustainable developments while using her skills and financial gains to help her community.
Bento aims to do things differently while keeping her community at the forefront, ensuring it benefits from all her developments. This includes bringing transparency and authenticity to the Hawaii real estate industry. To Bento, everyone deserves the best chance of making their dreams a reality.