Kelly Knight, Santa Barbara real estate broker and founder of Knight Real Estate, was spotlighted by Forbes for her role in the monumental sale of a 10-owner property in El Cielito that benefited the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara (SFSB).
A former attorney with a top law firm in Santa Barbara, Kelly Knight is highly experienced in navigating complex transactions including intricate contracts, and coordinating communication among many collaborators. Her unique skillset and talent allowed the Foundation to move forward with the sale following years of stymied efforts due to the challenges of the transaction.
The complex sale required extensive logistical strategy and increased communication, with stages such as title acquisition taking much longer than typical sales. Mary Dwyer, SFSB’s interim president and CEO, wrote, “Kelly Knight revived the interest in selling. Through it all, [she] was magnanimous in her efforts and extremely effective.” The eventual closing allowed for a nearly $400,000 endorsement to The Foundation.
“Everybody went the extra mile because the sale was benefiting the foundation. We were all in it to realize the donor’s wish and to serve the community.”
– Kelly Knight, Knight Real Estate Group
For Knight, her work encompasses much more than production numbers or multimillion-dollar properties. She seeks opportunities within the community to utilize her skills to benefit others – the El Cielito property exemplifies the scale at which realtors can implement philanthropic efforts within their communities. Knight saw the tremendous benefit the El Cielito sale would have on the Foundation and directed her efforts to see it through to completion, completely pro bono.
The Santa Barbara Association of Realtors awarded Knight with the Howard Gates Award for her tremendous contribution in the form of her pro bono work toward the completion of the property’s sale which the Association considered the most “challenging and intricate transaction” of 2023 that demanded “exceptional perseverance, determination, diligence, patience, and expertise.”
Knight is the founder and Associate Broker for Knight Real Estate Group, a boutique Santa Barbara real estate team and affiliate of Village Properties Realtors. Knight works with associate Gabe Grandcolas to deliver exceptional client advocacy, genuine professionalism, and unparalleled expertise in the real estate industry throughout the buying and selling process in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch, and Goleta.