Kauai realty firm becomes first to carry Sotheby’s brand

Sleeping Giant Realty will market all of its properties with the name Sotheby's

Sleeping Giant Realty Inc., a luxury real estate company on Kauai, announced yesterday that it will became the first firm in Hawaii to be branded under Sotheby's International Realty network.

The firm, which is owned by Debra Blachowiak, Monica Evslin and Diane Treskon, will now market all properties under the name Sleeping Giant Sotheby's International Realty. The company has been operating in Hawaii for more than 30 years.

Since 1976, the New York-based auction house Sotheby's Holdings Inc. has allowed a few Hawaii real estate firms to market certain properties using its name. However, Sleeping Giant is the first in Hawaii that can market all of its inventory under the brand, said Eric Mangan, Sotheby's senior public relations and communications manager.

The company has about 300 affiliated offices in its franchise system, he said.

Sleeping Giant's new affiliation with Sotheby's gives the firm the right to market all of its properties under the elite brand and access to Sotheby's marketing resources and business development tools.

"No other realty company in Hawaii has this advantage," Mangan said. Sotheby's partnered with Sleeping Giant because of the firm's positive reputation as well as strong client demand for Hawaii.

The networking and marketing offered through the Sotheby's International Realty network is a "fantastic advantage" for Sleeping Giant and its sales associates, said Blachowiak, who acts as the firm's principal broker.

"This affiliation greatly enhances the high level of service we provide to our clients," Blachowiak said. "The Sotheby's International Realty name is synonymous with luxury real estate and will help us attract the finest clientele to our property listings."

The firm has two offices on Kauai, with a main office in Lihue and a branch office in Kilauea, and offers real estate services throughout the islands.