Christina Laney Mitre never set out to become a sustainable lifestyle guru. A self-proclaimed second-generation realtor, she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Yumi, whose 40 years of experience in the industry have guided Laney Mitre’s first 14. Together the mother-daughter duo have a unique ability to navigate an evolving intergenerational landscape.

“Over the years we’ve gotten to a place where we’re now equal partners,” Laney Mitre says. “She’s had her practice before I came on, and now it’s evolving into the new generation of how we do business and blending a lot of the old with the new.”

 

“If you can find a product or service that’s both lower cost and also energy efficient, then, hands down, you have a winner.”

 

In 2017, Laney Mitre created the blog Smart Living Hawaii to provide her clients with information on affordable housing, smart home technology and solar. From the latest solar innovations to hit the luxury market to advances in LEED certification requirements for affordable housing projects, her blog provides sustainability content relevant to a range of readers and audiences.

This foray into sustainability awareness in the residential arena quickly became the kindling for a passion project. “It’s evolved into more of a lifestyle brand,” Laney Mitre says. “Now not only do we cover smart homes and technology, we explore sustainability as a whole for Hawai‘i.”

Fascinated by the inherent complexity of sustainability, Laney Mitre is working to educate others about the disparate topics of agriculture, affordable housing and local culture. “It all ties together for Hawai‘i’s future,” she says. “That’s part of the awareness for the general public that I want Smart Living Hawaii to be, and that’s why I think it’s growing into something much more than just a blog.”

Laney Mitre currently serves as the brand ambassador for Bento Homes and hopes Smart Living Hawaii’s multiple platforms will provide necessary exposure for local small businesses, like-minded companies and nonprofits. In addition to the original blog site, the Smart Living Hawaii brand has grown to encompass Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as its own podcast.

“The more traction I get, the easier it is for me to get to know who the players are,” says Laney Mitre. “The more I learn, the better I can service my clients.”

Laney Mitre believes both real estate and sustainability are governed by the same principle: lifestyle dictates purchases. Just as someone desiring an escape from the city will choose different housing than someone seeking walkability to nightlife, valuing a sustainable lifestyle will dictate how a consumer uses their purchasing power.

“The first real estate entities that pushed lifestyle were the luxury market,” she says. According to Laney Mitre, it’s typically the luxury market that also serves as a testing ground for the latest and greatest innovations in smart home technology. It often takes several years and a government subsidy or tax break before middle-class consumers are able to utilize the same innovations at a price they can afford.

“But the younger generation cares about being a better person for society,” Laney Mitre says. “If you can find a product or service that’s both lower cost and also energy efficient, then, hands down, you have a winner.”

Based on her growing blog and podcast, it’s hard to imagine Laney Mitre ever feeling intimidated by the big players in her industry. But as a young realtor, desire to improve her networking skills catalyzed her to become a founding member of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s Young Professionals program.

The program seeks to prepare the next generation of Hawai‘i’s leaders through mentorship, professional development and networking. Over the past eight years, Laney Mitre has assisted with events, become a Chamber YP ambassador and served on the program’s steering committee.

“They were all in the same boat as me,” Laney Mitre says of her peers and fellow Chamber YP members. “You feel more comfortable [as part of the YP program], and then you’re able to dive into the deep waters with the Chamber and the C-suite executives. It’s neat to see that dynamic where you’re not just dealing with your own industry.”

Within her own field, Laney Mitre has noticed an increasing generational divide in how realtors view professional relationships. “The old-school realtors, they’ve always worked together,” she says. “They’re friendly competitors but are actually genuinely friends. I see [a new generation of realtors] becoming much more competitive and much less collaborative, where it’s about negotiating for your client and trying to gain the upper hand.”

As the incoming chair of the Honolulu Board of Realtors East O‘ahu Regional Group, Laney Mitre hopes to work within the Honolulu Board of Realtors to teach up-and-comers the value of a collaborative approach. “That’s a big thing I learned from my mom,” Laney Mitre says. “You want to find a way for everybody to leave the transaction happy.”