Kasima Knight-Hodge. Photo Credit: V.I. LEGISLATURE
On Thursday, realtor Kasima Knight-Hodge received a favorable vote from the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for her second nomination to the Real Estate Commission in the 35th Legislature. This comes after her initial nomination was overlooked during the 34th Legislature. The final decision now rests with the full legislative body, which will cast its vote on her nomination.
Before consideration of Ms. Knight-Hodge’s nomination could proceed on Thursday, Committee chair Senator Diane Capehart had to seek an opinion from the Legislature’s legal counsel on whether elevating her to the Commission would be a conflict of interest with her current role as member of the St Thomas/St John District Board of Realtors. Noting possible concerns over her working relationships with local realtors, including three who provided testimony on her behalf, Ms. Knight-Hodge promised lawmakers that when it came to the execution of her duties as board commissioner, “the rules are the rules [...] if I give a pass to one person, it's only a matter of time when I have to give a pass to someone else.”
Her focus in the post, Ms. Knight-Hodge said, will be on instituting “procedures and guidelines that protect the public and foster professional and ethical real estate agents.” On her mission to support a Commission with a “genuine commitment to the Virgin Islands community,” she promised to eliminate the current culture of working in silos, and instead work collaboratively across departments to streamline the various processes involved in real estate transactions. “My vision for the real estate commission is to implement up-to-date policies and procedures for property management, real estate consulting, real estate investors, title companies closings, closing processes and buyers and sellers,” said Ms. Knight-Hodge.
Responding to Senator Carla Joseph’s query about her top priorities, the Real Estate Commission nominee said that she is interested in creating simpler methods for the public to file complaints should the need arise. Addressing Senator Angel Bolques Jr., Ms. Knight-Hodge shared that she wants to introduce new processes beginning with property manager licensing. “Anything that requires you to take [control of] someone's most prized possession should require you to complete some level of education and be held to a particular standard,” she shared.
Knight-Hodge’s other ambitions include educating and inviting young people to join “the most rewarding profession,” particularly as the “real estate market is high in demand yet very few Virgin Islanders see it as an attainable occupation.”
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