Hawai’i Life Names Palo Luckett As Principal Broker

Leadership changes are underway at Hawai’i Life. On Thursday, the Hanalei-based firm announced that Kaua’i-based broker Palo Luckett had been named as the firm’s new principal broker. 

Luckett had been serving as Hawai’i Life’s co-managing broker, alongside Rhonda Hay. Luckett has over two decades of experience working in multiple markets across the state. He is also the immediate past president of the Kaua’i Board of Realtors. 

Hawai’i Life was founded in 2008 and currently has 23 offices and over 275 agents and support staff across the state. In 2024, Hawai’i Life recorded 1,136 transaction sides totalling $1.91 billion in sales volume, according to RealTrends Verified Data. This performance earned the firm the No. 153 rank nationwide for sales volume in the 2025 RealTrends Verified Rankings. 

“I’ve spent my career working alongside agents across Hawai‘i, and I still enjoy helping people through the situations that come with this business,” Luckett told Housingwire. “Real estate here is very relationship-driven, and when agents have solid guidance behind them, they can stay focused on taking care of their clients and building their business.”

More appointments for brokers and agent success

In addition to Luckett’s appointment, the firm also announced that Alex Abreu, the broker currently in charge of Hawai’i Life’s Maui operation, will also serve as the firm’s weekend broker. In this role, Abreu will provide contract review and guidance for agents across the state over the weekend. Abreu credits his contract training with senior brokers Hay, Roy Vandoorn and Jeff Simon for preparing him to take on this role. 

“In Hawai‘i we’re often working with clients across islands and time zones, so things don’t always happen during the workweek,” Abreu wrote in an email. “We have a great group of Brokers-in-Charge across the island chain, and my role is really about supporting them so they can step away when they need to.”

Hawai’i Life also announced the appointment of Adam Snyder as the company’s new director of agent success and innovation. According to the firm, in this role Snyder will work to support and provide training, tools and technology to Hawai’i Life’s agents.

“Hawai‘i Life puts a lot of effort into the marketing, technology and support available to agents,” Snyder, who is based in O’ahu, wrote in an email. “My focus is making sure those resources actually help agents do their work more effectively and stay focused on their clients.”

In addition to these leadership appointments, Hawai’i Life also announced that O’ahu-based agent Jovanna Giannasio-Fern was joining the brokerage. Giannasio-Fern is known for representing architecturally significant and historic homes on O’ahu. Prior to starting her real estate career, Giannasio-Fern worked in philanthropic fundraising. 

“Hawai‘i Life felt like the right place for me because it allows me to serve my clients even better. I’ve always been drawn to homes with strong architecture and a real sense of place, and Hawai‘i Life really understands that part of the market well,” Giannasio-Fern wrote in an email. “They’re the leader in Hawai‘i’s luxury market and remain deeply rooted here in the islands as a locally founded and operated brokerage. For my clients, having that kind of experience and support behind me really matters.”