Ryan Oda

With the Super Bowl a few days away, I started to think about the parallels between real estate and football. As it’s been reported in the news, the Atlanta Falcons’ offense runs a West Coast Offense scheme. The West Coast Offense is a ball control, timed passing offense, that heavily incorporates multiple personnel packages to stretch the defense horizontally. The offense was created by Bill Walsh. Unlike other modern day offenses, the plays in the West Coast Offense can con

I recently had lunch with my friend, Robb. During our conversation, Robb asked me if I saw the TEDx Talk about “making big talk.” Interested in what this TEDx Talk was about, Robb asked me three questions: 1. What do you want to do before you die? 2. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do? 3. What’s your biggest fear? Here are my responses. I want to live a happy, compassionate, and joyful life. I believe that true happiness comes from helping others. F

I was recently contacted by my former college professor. He’s redesigning his Sociology of Work course and he asked me if I could submit something regarding my profession. This is what I wrote. I am a Real Estate Adviser. There is nothing sexy about my job. This is a big ego, big money industry. In Hawaii, there are thousands of real estate agents. When you think about it, I bet you can name at least 2-3 friends who have their real estate license. The barrier to entry is rela

I recently informed my client that his offer was rejected. Going into this process, my client knew that he would be competing against multiple offers. Knowing the odds could be stacked against him, my client and was not rattled at all. My client put his best foot forward and he instructed me to submit his offer. One the biggest challenges in life is having the courage to pursue things that make you happy. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really. For many people, the fear of fail

If I can host a dinner, here is my dream lineup... 1. Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso. Also known as the Dalai Lama. I'm striving to live a life of compassion and happiness. 2. The "Oracle of Omaha" himself, Mr. Warren Buffett. Ever since my high school personal finance class, I've often been intrigued with Warren Buffett. 3. Coach Eddie Hamada. If you're not an Iolani graduate, you just won't understand. 4. Brandon Stanton. A writer, photographer, and blog

I recently took my relative to the emergency room. I remember being sound asleep and my phone started to ring. I quickly recognized the number and said, "Uncle, is everything okay?" "Ryan, I don't feel good. Take me the to ER." My mom and I rushed over. In a few minutes, we were already heading to the hospital. Sitting in the car, it was quiet. You could hear a pin drop. My Uncle grabbed my hand and said, "I think I'm going to die." My Uncle started to rattle off a bunch of t

When a play is called in, the quarterback must know what his progression is. After breaking the huddle, the quarterback must ask himself, “Who is the primary receiver? Who is the secondary receiver? Where’s my check down if “one” and “two” aren’t open?” In every play, one receiver is designated as the “alert.” This player is not part of the primary progression. Do you remember Jon Gruden scolding Andrew Luck about wrongfully throwing the alert on on Spider 2 ‘Y’ Banana? The a

I was watching Hook on TV the other day. I caught the part when Robin William’s character, Peter Banning, became Peter Pan. This moment of the movie marks when Peter believed in himself. Peter Banning was no more. He became The Pan. Prior to this moment, Tinkerbell and The Lost Boys were trying to convince Banning who he really was. Banning was in denial; he refused to listen to and trust in his peers. There are moments in my business when I feel down-and-out. I love being a

The ancient Chinese proverb, Sai Weng Shi Ma, translates to, “Mr. Sai loses his horse.” The proverb is used to explain how an unfortunate event can be a blessing in disguise. The story goes: Mr. Sai’s horse ran away. His horse came back with a stallion. Mr. Sai’s son broke his leg, while riding the stallion. Since Mr. Sai’s son had a broken his leg, he wasn’t sent off to war. After graduating from high school, I “attended” Seattle University. I wasn’t there for a semester. Th