PadSplit 30 Under 30: Meet 10 Young Hosts Building Real Estate Businesses
What does it take to start building a real estate portfolio before 30?
For some, it starts with buying their first home. For others, it’s finding creative ways to finance a property, turning an unexpected career setback into an opportunity, or taking a chance on a different approach to real estate investing.
Meet PadSplit’s 30 Under 30: a group of young hosts who aren’t waiting for the perfect time to get started.
From first-time property owners to investors managing dozens of rooms, these hosts are building businesses, creating new income opportunities, and helping expand access to affordable housing through coliving.
In this three-part series, we’re sharing their stories, the lessons they’ve learned, and the advice they’d give anyone considering taking that first step into real estate investing.
Bryana Niemczynski, 27 | Austin, TX
Entrepreneur & Business Owner | 5 PadSplit rooms
Her advice: “Do it scared.”
Bryana Niemczynski didn’t think homeownership was in the cards for her yet. As a self-employed entrepreneur, she assumed she’d need a traditional career, a big down payment, or someone else to help her buy a home.
Then she learned about creative financing.
Bryana purchased her first home through a subject-to real estate opportunity, through which she took ownership of the property while leaving the existing mortgage in the seller’s name, with $5,000 down, plus closing costs. From there, she began house hacking it. One month later, she and her business partner bought a second property in Florida, this time as a dedicated PadSplit home.
Bryana handled roughly 90% of the renovation and setup herself, installing flooring, light fixtures and ceiling fans, assembling furniture, and designing the rooms. She wanted the finished property to feel less like a rental and more like a home. Within three days of launching her PadSplit, the first two rooms filled. Today, it’s at 80% occupancy.
With two properties under her belt, Bryana is looking for more creative financing opportunities and plans to keep growing her coliving business alongside her other projects.
Before 30, Bryana never expected she’d: “Own two homes, build businesses on my own terms and realize I was capable of creating the life I once thought I needed someone else to help me build.”
Every real estate journey starts somewhere.
Thinking about investing in real estate or exploring ways to earn income from a property you already own? Discover how hosting with PadSplit could fit into your plans.
Explore becoming a PadSplit host →https://www.padsplit.com/hosts
Will Holdren, 24 | Cairo, GA
Real Estate Owner & Willpower Podcast Host | 6 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Find the right business partner. It’s a marriage.”
Will Holdren graduated from college in December 2023 and moved to Atlanta a month later, set on building a real estate company. He zeroed in on coliving and PadSplit early, drawn by thestronger revenue it could generate relative to the cost of getting in. With little capital of his own,Will found a way to land his first investment property anyway.
While working a full-time job, Will put together a simple pitch deck and started reaching out to people he’d met through hosting the Willpower Podcast. That’s how he found Troy Hoffman, who agreed to partner with him on a PadSplit property. The two ran the numbers, found the right house, and executed.
It hasn’t always been smooth. They’ve dealt with member conflicts and broken property alongthe way, but they worked through it, and today the six-room home is at 100% occupancy. “Abusiness partner is really a marriage,” Will says. “You need someone who’s going to support you, in business and in life.”
That first house led to more. Will and Troy went on to take on the Silver Comet Motel, and they are now launching a real estate fund focused on ground-up workforce housing.
Before 30, Will never expected he’d: “Be launching my own real estate fund.”
Samuel G., 28 | Jacksonville, FL
Founder, Creative Owners Club | 22 PadSplit rooms
Follow: @ownwithsam
His advice: “A bank’s ‘no’ doesn’t mean you can’t buy property.”
When Samuel G. moved to Los Angeles, he had about $300 to his name. He sold tour tickets on the street, drove for Lyft, and walked dogs for $8 an hour before eventually building the #1 best-rated tour company in Los Angeles.
After the business shut down, Sam moved across the country to Jacksonville to pursue real estate instead. But when he tried to buy his first property, banks turned him down six times.
That experience led Sam to creative financing. He purchased a fourplex without traditional income verification and began house hacking. In 2022, he discovered coliving and saw how renting by the room could help properties cash flow while providing more affordable housing options for working people.
Since then, Sam’s portfolio has grown to more than 30 units, including 22 PadSplit rooms. He has also founded the Creative Owners Club, a community focused on helping people learn alternative paths to homeownership.
He plans to continue growing his own PadSplit portfolio while introducing more people in his community to coliving.
Before 30, Sam never expected he’d: “Go from being denied by six banks to owning 30+ units and teaching tens of thousands of people how to buy a house without a bank.”
Jose De La Macorra, 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Investor & Home Renovator | 238 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Success with your first PadSplit starts with due diligence: choosing the right neighborhood and the right team.”
Jose De La Macorra wanted to own real estate for years, but every time he looked at the numbers for a traditional long-term rental, the deal didn’t make sense.
In 2022, he learned about how PadSplits were earning 2.5x more than traditional rentals and decided to try a different approach. He bought his first rental and converted it into a PadSplit.
Three years later, Jose owns and co-owns more than 30 rental properties with his partners, with his PadSplit portfolio currently at 90% occupancy. Along the way, he also began helping other PadSplit investors renovate, furnish, and prepare their properties for launch. So far, he’s helped more than 60 investors through that process.
Jose’s next project takes a different approach: Rather than converting an existing home, he plans to develop a property from the ground up, specifically with PadSplit in mind.
Before 30, Jose never expected he’d: “Be able to own and co-own with my partners over 30 rental properties.”
Jamila Sylvester, 29 | Houston, TX
Presales Engineer | 3 PadSplit rooms
Her advice: “Feel the fear and do it scared.”
Jamila Sylvester didn’t quit her day job as a presales engineer to become a real estate investor. She built her portfolio alongside it.
She started by buying a duplex and house hacking it, living in one unit while operating the other as an Airbnb. One property eventually became a portfolio worth more than $2 million, all while Jamila continued working full-time.
And she hasn’t let either career take over the rest of her life. Jamila still makes time to travel, volunteer as a soccer coach, and prioritize the people and experiences that matter to her.
Going forward, Jamila has her sights set on real estate development, with plans to build duplexes that create more attainable opportunities for both homebuyers and investors.
Before 30, Jamila never expected she’d: “Build my own real estate portfolio while empowering women to build theirs too.”
Alexia W, 26 | Houston, TX
Host | 39 PadSplit rooms
Her advice: “Don’t wait until you know everything to get started.”
Alexia W. got her start in real estate through short-term rentals, learning the business hands-on by managing guests, maintenance, turnovers, and the day-to-day challenges that come with operating a property.
As she gained experience, Alexia began exploring other rental strategies and discovered coliving through PadSplit. Two years later, she manages more than 10 properties and has learned that running a successful coliving home involves much more than renting out rooms.
From addressing member concerns and roommate issues to handling maintenance, compliance and property operations, Alexia credits those real-world challenges with teaching her how to problem solve, adapt, and become a stronger businesswoman.
At 26, she still feels like she’s just getting started. Alexia wants to continue growing her own portfolio and brand while eventually using what she’s learned to help other property owners find rental strategies that work for them.
Before 30, Alexia never expected she’d: “Be managing 10+ properties and 40+ rooms while building a business of my own.”
Mikhail D’Mello, 30 | Houston, TX
Business Systems Analyst | 10 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Start before you feel ready, then stay in long enough for it to pay off.”
Mikhail D’Mello started investing in real estate at 23, fresh out of college and, as he puts it, with “no real idea what [he] was doing.”
A few years later, he turned to PadSplit for a practical reason: He wanted to find quality roommates for his own home. The experience worked well enough that Mikhail began looking at coliving as more than a roommate solution and eventually brought his dad into the business.
His dad converted one of his own properties, and together they’ve grown to three properties and 10 rooms on the PadSplit platform, with 90% occupancy. For Mikhail, the experience has brought more than financial returns. He points to the friendships he’s made and the opportunity to provide people with quality housing at a lower cost as some of the unexpected benefits.
Building on what real estate has taught him about creating something of his own, Mikhail plans to pair that experience with his technology background to help families with the technology they rely on at home.
Before 30, Mikhail never expected he’d: “Be providing housing for upwards of 10 people.”
Olajire Akande, 30 | Atlanta, GA
Cybersecurity Analyst | 2 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Start where you are, use what you have, and keep moving forward.”
Olajire Akande was 29 when an unexpected job loss pushed him to rethink how he earned an income.
Real estate wasn’t entirely unfamiliar territory. Both of his parents have real estate portfolios of their own and served as mentors as Olajire looked for a new path forward. He decided to start with one property, focusing on providing a quality experience, being responsive, and learning from the challenges as they came.
His PadSplit has since maintained full occupancy, giving Olajire both an additional source of income and the confidence to keep pursuing real estate. More importantly, the experience changed how he thought about the setback that brought him there in the first place.
Olajire plans to continue growing his real estate portfolio while pursuing broader goals in law, business, and community leadership.
Before 30, Olajire never expected he’d: “Lose a career, build a business, and find a bigger purpose in the process.”
Fitz Light, 30 | Charlotte, NC
Tech Sales | 9 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis. Action is what gets you to the next level.”
Fitz Light got his start in real estate with a traditional rental that only made about $200 a month after property management fees.
When he was ready to rent out his next home, the numbers were even tighter. With a traditional rental strategy, he would be losing about $50 a month. When his realtor suggested PadSplit, Fitz was skeptical that renting by the room could really work. But his realtor had seen the model work firsthand, so Fitz decided to give it a try.
Fitz launched his first PadSplit in November 2025. The home was converted and listed in under a month, reached full occupancy within 45 days, and has consistently produced more than $1,000 in monthly cash flow.
Less than a year later, he bought a second property, which was fully rented within two weeks of launching. He now has nine PadSplit rooms across two homes while continuing to work full time in tech sales.
Looking ahead, Fitz is focused on building relationships with investors and exploring larger conversions to grow his portfolio.
Before 30, Fitz never expected he’d: “Be building a real estate business and partnering with investors to grow it.”
Yoni Kaszynski, 27 | University Place, WA
Real Estate Agent | 13 PadSplit rooms
His advice: “Just get started.”
Yoni Kaszynski got his start in real estate with a triplex, renting out rooms in one of the units on his own.
When PadSplit expanded to Washington, Yoni brought his rooms onto the platform and found it made managing his coliving properties much simpler.
Since then, he’s continued to grow his portfolio. Today, Yoni has more than 50 rooms on and off PadSplit, including 13 PadSplit rooms at 100% occupancy, and manages more than 40 rooms for other owners. He plans to eventually bring all of his rooms onto PadSplit.
Looking ahead, Yoni is focused on finding creative deals, raising capital, and continuing to grow his portfolio.
Before 30, Yoni never expected he’d: “Own three homes.”
More from PadSplit’s 30 Under 30
From first-time investors to hosts already growing their portfolios, these 10 stories show just how many paths there are into real estate. And for those considering their own journey, they offer a little inspiration to get started.
Could your real estate journey be next?
Whether you own a property or are exploring your first investment, discover how coliving could fit into your plans. Learn more about becoming a PadSplit host and connect with our team to explore your options.
Know a young host making moves?
We’re just getting started! Come back next month for Part 2 of our 30 Under 30 series, where we’ll introduce 10 more PadSplit hosts and share their journeys.
Are you a PadSplit host under 30, or know someone who deserves recognition? We’d love to hear your story. Nominate yourself or someone else for a chance to be featured.
