Securing His Future
For Kyle Sant, 28, taking risks comes naturally. After a chance meeting during college with Silicon Valley real estate pro Billy McNair, Sant stayed in touch and later let McNair know he was eager to join his practice. McNair told Sant he was welcome to move to the market but stopped short of a job guarantee. “I think he was trying to be nice. He didn’t think I was actually going to show up.” But Sant showed up, driving from Seattle to Palo Alto, Calif., after graduating from the University of Washington. “I’m comfortable being uncomfortable,” he explains, having experienced housing vulnerability growing up. Sant already had a solid business venture under his belt; in college, he started an event security services company that grew to 33 staffers. McNair was quickly impressed. He paid for Sant’s license, taught him the fundamentals, and today, couldn’t be prouder.