Born and raised in Queens, New York, Hanif Ratansi has always been a people person with a sense of humor and an appreciation for architecture and human endeavor. How did Hanif start selling homes? While working in it at Microsoft, he attended a Real Estate interview with a friend on a whim. The conversation sparked his interest and the feeling was mutual. He took the Realtor® exam in 2002 and went from tech to Real Estate overnight.