Honolulu Realtor Jesse Kesolei earns Military Relocation Professional certification

Jesse Kesolei, a Honolulu realtor and U.S. Army veteran, has earned his Military Relocation Professional certification to help active-duty service members, veterans and their families buy and sell homes in Hawaii. The credential is aimed at serving military clients navigating relocation, housing and transition needs.

Why it matters: - Jesse Kesolei’s Military Relocation Professional certification is aimed at serving veterans and active-duty families who face frequent moves and unique housing needs. - The credential strengthens the service offering of a Honolulu realtor who has firsthand military experience and now works in Hawaii’s housing market. - Hawaii remains a major destination for military families and retirees, making relocation expertise especially relevant in Honolulu.

What happened: - Jesse Kesolei, a realtor at Estates Royal Limited in Honolulu, earned his Military Relocation Professional certification. - Kesolei is a U.S. Army veteran. - Kesolei said he wants to support veterans and active-duty families and believes clients may benefit from working with an agent who has served. - Kesolei also shared information about his background, military service and real estate career through the announcement.

The details: - Kesolei was born in Savannah, Georgia, and grew up in a military family that moved frequently because his father was a U.S. Army 1st Sergeant. - His family lived in Germany, New York, Hawaii, Korea, Texas and Alaska before he graduated from high school in Waipahu, Hawaii. - After deciding not to pursue phlebotomy, Kesolei joined the Army and completed Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia. - His Army role was Unit Supply Specialist, where he handled inventory, equipment, supplies, weapons and ammunition. - His first duty station was Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Light Infantry. - Kesolei participated in Eagle First Responder combat medical training, which focuses on combat life saver skills and advanced medical treatment. - He was deployed to Iraq, where he says he joined missions with infantry units, including dismount patrols, security operations, crater analysis and raids targeting bombs, guns, explosives and high-value targets. - Kesolei said he worked in the Triangle of Death, where near-daily mortar, gunfire and roadside bomb attacks created extremely dangerous conditions. - He returned to Ft. Campbell, then trained at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, with the Black Hearts. - Kesolei said three friends were kidnapped, tortured and beheaded, and that his unit tried to rescue them with support from Delta Force. - He was later deployed back to the Middle East for 15 months with the 101st Infantry Regiment, working at Camp Taji and the Joint Security Station in Hurriyah in northwest Baghdad. - After returning to Ft. Campbell, he retired from the Army. - Kesolei later moved to Arizona, served as lead instructor at Elite Taekwondo Academy and then returned to Hawaii. - He earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Hawaii and the University of Phoenix using his G.I. Bill. - Kesolei worked as a contract specialist at Pearl Harbor, buying material for ships and nuclear submarines. - He now works as a contracting officer at Wheeler Army Airfield and oversees an $800 million missile defense contract in Kwajalein Atoll as part of the U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein team.

Between the lines: - Kesolei’s military background gives him credibility with military clients who may prefer an agent familiar with deployment cycles, PCS moves and service-member housing concerns. - His career path also shows a shift from military service to government contracting and then to real estate, which can broaden his network among military and defense communities. - The certification fits a larger Honolulu market story: local agents who understand military relocation may have an edge with buyers tied to Pearl Harbor, Wheeler Army Airfield and other nearby installations.

What's next: - Kesolei plans to use the certification to serve veterans and active-duty families looking to buy or sell in Hawaii. - He is positioning himself as a military-friendly real estate agent for clients relocating to Honolulu and other parts of the islands. - More information is available on Estates Royal Limited, Kesolei’s Realtor.com profile and an Army article referenced in the announcement.