Real brokers. Your sale, your terms.

Ronald Kooitje

Co-founder, Real Estate Agent & Appraiser

27 years

as a broker and appraiser

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Values your home, sells it or helps you buy — and knows the Dutch buyers looking at Bonaire.

Originally from Friesland, Ronald has worked in housing and financial services since 1993. After starting his career as a mortgage and insurance adviser, he became an independent real estate agent and appraiser in 1999 and founded Kooitje Makelaarsdiensten in 2006. He specialises in residential sales, purchases and valuations, combining professional expertise with a personal, practical and down-to-earth approach. Ronald is a member of Vastgoed Nederland, an NRVT-registered residential appraiser and an MMCEPI professional. He also brings an established network among Dutch buyers, sellers and people considering a move to Bonaire. Committed, straightforward and genuinely interested in people, Ronald is a down-to-earth Frisian and family man. Away from work, he enjoys snowboarding, windsurfing and music.

DT Diepstra

Founder & CEO, Development

Since 2017

on Bonaire

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Builds the appraisal engine, the contract generator and the tools that make a fixed 0.5% possible.

DT has been an entrepreneur all his life — from call centres and debt collection to 3D AutoCAD, before moving into the digital world through marketing and, later, software development. Entirely self-taught, he went on to teach software development in Portugal, then moved to Hoofddorp to join YoungCapital as a software developer. In 2017 he moved to Bonaire, founded Dushi Blue B.V. and converted an old art gallery by hand into four short-stay studio apartments, now let through Airbnb. A side passion for barbecue turned into Holy Smoke Bonaire, his smoked-ribs take-out. In 2021, still drawn to marketing and development, he started Bonaire Brokers — convinced the island's real estate market was stuck in 1995 — and found Bonne and Ronald to join him in changing that.

Bonne Zijlstra

Co-founder, Real Estate Agent

34 years

in real estate

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The Real Estate Veteran

More than 30 years of real estate experience, put to work your way. My name is Bonne Zijlstra. I was born and raised in Groningen (the Netherlands) and have lived on Bonaire since 2014. I am married to the love of my life, and I am the father of three wonderful daughters and a great son. My career in real estate began in 1992 in Utrecht. In 1995 I opened my first brokerage in the centre of Groningen, followed by a second office in Leeuwarden. From those offices I handled the purchase and sale of property, valuations and property management. After moving to Bonaire I worked as a sales agent at RE/MAX Paradise Homes. In the end I decided to start my own brokerage: BonneBonaire. Over the years I have built up broad experience of the Bonaire property market and a wide network of local and international contacts. Why Bonaire Brokers? In my work I have found that not every owner needs the same thing when selling a home. One wants to hand over the whole process, while another prefers to stay in charge but still be able to draw on professional knowledge and support. With Bonaire Brokers we give owners the option to sell their home themselves, without automatically having to sign up for a full, traditional brokerage process. As the owner, you present your home on the platform and decide for yourself which parts you want to outsource. Only want to get your home noticed? You can. Need professional photography, advice in the background, help with viewings or support during the negotiations? Then you can add those services. You decide what you do yourself and where you want professional help. The fee follows the services you choose and the work you outsource. Stay in charge, with professional help when you need it With my experience in real estate, I am glad to help owners make well-considered choices during the sale. I think it matters that you understand which steps are needed, what your options are, and where you might want to bring in professional support. That makes Bonaire Brokers an alternative for owners who want to be actively involved in selling their home, but don't have to do it all alone. Whether you want to arrange a lot yourself or would rather leave certain parts to a professional, the starting point stays the same: a transparent approach, clear agreements and the freedom to choose what suits you. Your home. Your choices. Your way of selling. Bonne Zijlstra