AK Kauai

The AK Kauai Team is led by Sean Ahearn & Jim Karlovsky, two of Kauai's most seasoned and prolific Real Estate Brokers.

Accomplished, affable, keen and inexhaustibly conscientious, Sean and Jim are a breath of fresh air for anyone seeking an elevated real estate experience on Kauai. Individually acclaimed professionals empowered through a collective enterprise, Sean and Jim collaborate to deliver a dynamic and seamless sales experience for Kauai Buyers and Sellers.

Each independently recognized by Hawaii Business Magazine as a Top 100 Realtor multiple times, Jim and Sean share the experience of more than 350 combined career transactions and over $350 Million in combined Kauai real estate sales. Two top-tier Kauai Real Estate Brokers, leveraging their insight, knowledge and savvy to their clients’ benefit.



Meet Sean Ahearn

Sean Ahearn has been committed to providing professional real estate service for Kamaaina and mainland-based clients alike for the past fifteen years. Real estate transactions can be complex and time-consuming; in most cases these require experienced guidance, local knowledge and efficient execution. Regardless of all the information available to prospective Buyers and Sellers, you are well advised to align yourself with a real estate practitioner who has the proven ability to manage the process such, that exposure is reduced and value is maximized.

Sean comes to real estate after a fifteen year career in Software Sales and Executive Sales Management in the San Francisco Bay Area where he had the opportunity to work with some highly regarded technology companies including IBM, among others.

Like many longtime visitors who have always wanted to enjoy the island lifestyle, Sean moved to Kauai in the early 2000's and initiated his real estate practice with Hanalei's Coldwell Banker Bali Hai Realty in 2003. Sean joined Elite Pacific Properties in 2014 as a Broker/Partner representing Kauai. Elite Pacific Properties is one of the top firms on Kauai and across the State with approximately $1.4B in 2018 sales. Sean has been recognized as a Realtor of the Year recipient by the Kauai Board of Realtors and a Hawaii Business Magazine Hawaii Top 100 Realtor designee on multiple occasions, including 2018 and 2019 - a result of his professionalism and production resulting in 170 successful transactions and $185 Million in sales.

Sean has served on the Board of Directors for Hawaii Information Services, the MLS provider for Kauai and Hawaii for the past ten years where he works closely with the organization in a strategy and policy setting role. Sean also serves on the Princeville I & Princeville II Design Review Committees along with previous Director and various committee roles with the Kauai Board of Realtors. Sean has been active with Kauai Habitat for Humanity, Hawaii Community Foundation, Kauai Humane Society and a number of other charitable endeavors.

"I’m a reluctant self-promoter, it makes me uncomfortable – but I am accomplished and very fortunate to have a slew of appreciative clients or “frients” as I call them; clients who’ve become friends. I truly do get great satisfaction from taking care of folks who entrust me with their significant real estate transactions, it's what drives me. Many clients are based elsewhere and can’t be present for the various inspections and minutia present in a real estate transaction – I am. I’m a “dog person” if that helps or is important. Oh, and I’ve also found that it helps to have a sense of humor during these trying times – I hope you do too."



Meet Jim Karlovsky

Having worked as a licensed real estate Broker in 3 states over a 15-year span, with more than $6.7 Billion in real estate advised upon, and with the experience of more than 150 completed transactions involving luxury residential, vacant land, retail, office and industrial property types, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the real estate advisory and sales services he provides to his clients on Kauai.

Jim’s roots on Kauai date back more than 30 years, though many of those years he spent on the mainland achieving high levels of education in economics (UCSD) and law (Loyola University Chicago School of Law), as well as obtaining 8 years of big-city, high-end real estate sales experience in Chicago and San Diego. In 2014, with numerous educational and professional accolades under his belt and with his wife, Rachel, by his side, Jim relocated his professional real estate practice to the island of Kauai.

Jim now specializes in high-end residential, condo and land sales throughout the entire island of Kauai, with particular emphasis on the north and south shores. Supported by his diverse array of professional real estate experiences, Jim is able to successfully serve a diverse range of clients. From retirees looking for a new full-time oasis, to current successful business professionals seeking the luxury of a part-time second home in paradise, to investors aiming to transition the underlying asset behind their investments from the ordinary to the extraordinary, Jim embraces them all, offering each an invaluable perspective and guidance in their pursuits.

Regardless of whom Jim is serving, certain characteristics of his services remain unwavering: his professionalism, attention to detail, honesty, trustworthiness, and his dedication to placing the interests of his clients above all else. A quick perusal of the dozens of available past client reviews of Jim serves to highlight a consistent thread relating to Jim’s dependability, wisdom and delivery of valued counsel absent any undue pressure, allowing for a stress-free home buying and selling experience.

When Jim is not working, you may find him with his wife, Rachel, and his two young boys, Luka and Koa, out and about on any of Kauai’s great beaches, hiking trails, rivers and playgrounds.



Meet Aafke Zietz

Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands and raised between Amsterdam, New York & Kauai, Aafke has experienced multiple cultures and climates in her life, and brings more than 20 years of real estate experience to the team. Aafke has worked on Oahu and Kauai as an Office Manager, Receptionist, Transaction Coordinator, Advertising Specialist, Event Planner, Property Manager and Personal Assistant.

Aafke has developed a thorough understanding of how a successful real estate business should be run. Organization, dedication, attention to details, and a friendly personality are only a few of the qualities that make Aafke a great Realtor Salesperson with the AKKauai Team at Compass.

When not working, Aafke enjoys spending time with her family, horseback riding, dancing, hiking, photography & filming her kids surfing, which has allowed her to explore all the beaches, trails and neighborhoods on the island.



Meet Eric King

Originally from Texas, Eric first visited Hawaii with a group of friends after graduating college, and it was love at first sight. The beaches, weather, and lifestyle made a lasting impression, and just two years later he bought a one-way ticket and never looked back!

After spending four years on Oahu working in the corporate world, he knew it was time for a change. Kauai’s vast natural beauty and slower pace of life had been calling to him, so he made the move and started selling real estate.

Eric is committed to providing outstanding service from the very first meeting all the way through to closing. Building lasting relationships with his clients is his favorite part of the job. His focus is working with investors, relocations, local and off-island sellers and he’s committed to making each transaction as smooth as possible.

In his free time, Eric maintains an active and healthy lifestyle. You can find him surfing, practicing yoga, and exploring Kauai’s many trails.

Meet Jim DeVille

Prior to starting a career as a Realtor in 2001, Jim was strategically buying, improving and selling residential properties in New York, New Mexico, Texas and New Orleans. Jim began his career in Santa Fe NM at Sotheby’s where he advised buyers and sellers on a wide variety of properties from historic and contemporary adobe style homes to vacant land and condos. Jim with his partner, Scott, were recognized by the Santa Fe Historic Design Review Board with awards of excellence and even featured in House Beautiful Magazine for an historic kitchen remodel.

After falling in love with Kauai on their first trip, Jim and Scott relocated to the Garden Island as a series of serendipitous events helped speed up the process landing them in paradise sooner than expected in 2014. Jim has since become a practitioner of hula which has impacted his life in the most positive way.