eXp Realty
Member Spotlight: Max Aiona
REALTOR® Max Aiona is deeply involved in feeding and nurturing his community.
“As REALTORS®, our responsibility is to grow the community in the best way we can…to be right there in the middle of helping others, not only for the roof over their heads, but the ability to enjoy the community we work in,” he said.
Max, who has eight grandchildren, works with the Waimea Community Association and the Waimea Resilience Hub (funded by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Richard Smart Fund), which directs residents and ensures hotels and restaurants are ready to receive them if they must evacuate their homes due to a natural disaster. The organization is a natural fit for him, since he came to real estate by way of the restaurant business.
Max has owned a total of five restaurants on Hawai‘i Island, where he resides, including two that he still operates with his wife and their middle son, Chef Ippy. (You might have heard of “Ippy” Aiona from when he was a finalist on “Food Network Star” at age 23.) When locals begged Max to open one of his eateries island-wide, he decided to get his real estate license so he could do the legwork for his next location. From there, he went to work for Sotheby’s and expanded his real estate career.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Max’s restaurants prepared and distributed food to 160 seniors twice a week. In late 2025, he hosted three “grab and go” events for schoolchildren who would have missed meals due to the gap in SNAP benefits.
He also narrates the annual Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade and is a member of Discover Your Kuleana, which bridges the gap between island newcomers and established residents.
“We collaborate with nonprofit organizations to help them get volunteers,” Max said. “When people move here to the community and want to get involved, the best way is to volunteer.”
Inclusion in Member Spotlight does not imply endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee by Hawaiʻi REALTORS® of any individual member, business, or services.
