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Let me take you behind the velvet ropes of LA’s most exclusive properties. While you might see the glossy final cuts on Netflix, the real drama of luxury real estate happens between “action” and “cut.” As I reveal in my new book “Selling Sunshine,” every multi-million dollar deal has a story that would make even the best reality TV seem tame.
The Hollywood Hills Game-Changer
“In luxury real estate, timing is everything. Add in a production schedule, and suddenly you’re juggling time zones, camera crews, and demanding clients – all while trying to keep your lipstick perfect.”
Remember that stunning $12M Hollywood Hills property from Season 4? The one with the infinity pool that seemed to float over the city? What viewers saw was me confidently showing the property to qualified buyers. What they didn’t see was me sprinting to my car between takes, juggling three international offers while trying not to sweat off my makeup in the LA heat. In “Selling Sunshine,” I share the full story of how that deal almost fell apart when a competing agent tried to swoop in during our filming breaks – and how I managed to close while keeping both my cool and my mascara intact.
The Beverly Hills Breakthrough
There are some deals that change your career trajectory forever. For me, it was a particular Beverly Hills estate that tested everything I knew about real estate and reality TV. As I detail in Chapter 11 of my book, this was the listing that taught me just how crucial it is to maintain your authenticity, even with cameras rolling.
Picture this: It’s midnight, I’m in my kitchen still in full glam from filming, negotiating with buyers in three different time zones while production waits to capture the moment I get the offer. The twist? The buyers had no idea they were about to be part of a Netflix show. The way that situation unfolded (fully revealed in “Selling Sunshine“) still makes me laugh – and cringe – to this day.
The Sunset Strip Surprise
“Sometimes the biggest deals come from the most unexpected moments – like when your mic pack falls into a luxury pool during a critical negotiation.”
Let me tell you about the sale that never made it to air. It was a stunning Sunset Strip modern that had everything – views, privacy, and more drama than an entire season of Selling Sunset. While I can’t share all the details here (you’ll have to read Chapter 13 for the full story), let’s just say it involved:
An impromptu midnight showing, a very particular international buyer, a power outage during filming, and Jason coming to the rescue in ways that would surprise even our most devoted viewers. What could have been a disaster turned into one of my biggest sales to date – and taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance in both real estate and television.
The Bel Air Bidding War
“In luxury real estate, discretion is everything. Try maintaining that when there’s a boom mic hovering over your head and three cameras catching every angle of a $30M negotiation.”
One of my most intense deals happened during Season 5, though most of the real drama never made it to air. Picture this: I’m standing in a Bel Air masterpiece, trying to handle five competing offers while production begs me to “look more excited” for the cameras. As I reveal in “Selling Sunshine,” that particular sale taught me everything about the delicate balance of reality TV and actual reality. The property itself was stunning – floor-to-ceiling windows, infinity pool, the works – but it was what happened behind the scenes that really tested my skills as both an agent and TV personality.
The Midnight Negotiation
“Sometimes the biggest deals happen in the smallest moments – like negotiating a $14M offer while hiding in the powder room during filming breaks.”
You know those glamorous scenes where we’re all dressed up at a broker’s open? Well, during one of those events, I was simultaneously handling the biggest negotiation of my career. While the cameras captured champagne toasts and cocktail conversations, I was ducking into every quiet corner I could find, trying to close a deal that kept slipping through my fingers. The full story in Chapter 15 involves three different time zones, a very particular buyer, and me trying to maintain camera-ready composure while millions hung in the balance.
The One That Got Away
“In real estate, like in life, sometimes the best lessons come from the deals that don’t work out.”
Not every story has a happy ending, and in “Selling Sunshine,” I open up about the one listing that still keeps me up at night. It was a stunning Hollywood Hills compound that seemed like a sure thing. The sellers loved me, the property was perfect, and even production was excited about featuring it. But what happened next taught me more about this business than any successful sale ever could.
The Real Drama
Between the property tours you see on screen and the deals that close off-camera, there’s a whole world of luxury real estate that even reality TV can’t capture. Like the time I had to:
– Handle a $25M offer while getting my makeup touched up
– Coordinate with international buyers during filming breaks
– Manage a crisis when a property flooded right before cameras arrived
– Navigate a particularly sensitive client who didn’t want to be on TV
– Close a deal via text because we were mid-scene and I couldn’t leave
The Learning Curve
“Success in luxury real estate isn’t just about making the sale – it’s about making it look effortless, even with a camera crew following your every move.”
What they don’t show you on Selling Sunset is the sheer complexity of managing high-end real estate transactions while maintaining the glossy veneer that television requires. In my book, I detail the exact moment I realized that being good at real estate wasn’t enough – I had to be good at real estate on camera.
The French Connection
Speaking of cameras, one of my favorite stories (fully detailed in Chapter 17) involves Romain inadvertently saving a massive deal during a particularly tense filming day. His construction expertise caught something during a casual property tour that ended up being crucial to the negotiation. Of course, the cameras caught his “gotcha” moment, but what happened after they stopped rolling is what really makes the story interesting.
The Price of Fame
“Try explaining to a $40M client why their private showing might end up on Netflix. Actually, try explaining it to their security team.”
The reality of selling luxury real estate on television is far more complex than most people realize. In “Selling Sunshine,” I share the unvarnished truth about:
– Managing client privacy in a public forum
– Balancing actual sales with entertaining television
– Maintaining professional relationships under pressure
– Handling sensitive information on camera
– Creating authentic moments in produced situations
Evolution of an Agent
“From my first $1M sale to breaking $140M in total volume, every deal has taught me something. But doing it all on camera? That’s a master class in itself.”
The Off-Camera Success Story
Let me tell you about a deal that never made it to Netflix, but changed everything for me. It was a modern farmhouse in Pacific Palisades – not the typical glass-box mansion viewers are used to seeing on Selling Sunset. As I share in Chapter 19 of “Selling Sunshine,” this sale came at a crucial moment when I was questioning everything about balancing real estate and reality TV.
The buyer was a high-profile tech executive who explicitly didn’t want to be on camera. While production was following me for Season 6, I had to orchestrate entire showings around our filming schedule. There I was, changing outfits three times a day, racing between on-camera showings and off-camera negotiations, trying to keep both my clients and producers happy. The way this deal finally came together (detailed in my book) proves that sometimes the best real estate moments happen when the cameras aren’t rolling.
The Jason Factor
“Having your boss be both a real estate mogul and a reality TV star adds an entirely new dimension to office politics.”
Working with Jason at The Oppenheim Group isn’t just about selling houses – it’s about understanding the delicate dance between entertainment and expertise. In “Selling Sunshine,” I reveal how our dynamic has evolved from my early days as a new agent to becoming Vice President. There’s one particular listing (you’ll have to read Chapter 21 for the full story) where Jason’s intervention during filming actually helped me land one of my biggest deals.
The $30M Negotiation
Remember that stunning contemporary in the Bird Streets? What viewers saw was the perfectly staged final product. What they didn’t see was:
– The 3 AM panic call about a water leak
– My emergency team of cleaners racing against filming schedule
– A last-minute staging crisis solved by Romain
– The buyer’s unexpected demands mid-filming
– A nail-biting negotiation during our lunch break
The Reality Check
“In luxury real estate, every detail matters. Add Netflix cameras, and suddenly you’re not just selling a house – you’re creating television history.”
The Modern Masterpiece
One of my proudest moments (captured in “Selling Sunshine”) involves a particularly challenging Hollywood Hills contemporary. The property was architectural perfection, but what happened behind the scenes tested everything I knew about real estate and television:
The previous agent had listed it for a year without success. I took a risk by suggesting a complete repositioning – new staging, new marketing, new everything. What the cameras captured was the gorgeous final product. What they missed was the 48-hour marathon of:
– Coordinating with international buyers
– Managing a complete staging overhaul
– Handling multiple offers during filming
– Navigating client expectations
– Maintaining my composure under pressure
The Future of Luxury Real Estate
“Success in this industry isn’t just about selling houses anymore – it’s about creating moments that resonate both on and off screen.”
The intersection of luxury real estate and entertainment has forever changed our industry. Whether it’s:
– Managing social media expectations
– Balancing privacy with publicity
– Creating Instagram-worthy moments
– Maintaining authenticity on camera
– Building lasting client relationships
The key is remembering that at the end of the day, we’re not just creating television – we’re helping people find their dream homes.
What are your favorite homes I’ve sold on Selling Sunset?
