Hawai‘i REALTORS®, a statewide professional trade organization for the real estate industry, has named Derek Lau as its 2021 President.

Lau has nearly two decades experience in the real estate industry, currently serving as president and principal broker at Real Estate Specialists.

He is a Certified International Property Specialist and a Certified Residential Specialist®, a designation given to the top 3 percent of REALTORS® in the United States.

Lau holds a number of industry designations and serves on several state and federal boards to represent REALTORS® throughout Hawai‘i, including the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® and as a federal political coordinator for the National Association of REALTORS®. He has also served on the boards of the United Cerebral Palsy Association and Hawai‘i’s Technology Development Corporation (HTDC).

Lau graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in computer and information sciences. He has more than 8 years of experience as a software design engineer and worked as a consultant for a top Honolulu firm.

Hawai‘i REALTORS® also chose Kelly Liberatore as President-Elect, Kalama Kim as First Vice President, Rachel Ball Phillips as Secretary and Julie Meier as Treasurer. Jack Legal is the Hawai‘i REALTORS® Immediate Past President.

Member Board Directors are Jenny Brady (O‘ahu), Julian Coiner (Kaua‘i), Gina Duncan (Maui), Kevin Inn (O‘ahu), Josh Jerman (Maui), Kevin Lewis (Hawai‘i Island), Kristin Moreland (West Hawai‘i), Lance Owens (West Hawai‘i), Hannah Sirois (Kaua‘i) and Dennis Yates (Hawai‘i
Island).