Real estate reality TV is like ‘my life on steroids’, say celebrity agents
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The life of a famous real estate agent isn’t as glamorous as it seems, agents who have starred on some of the world’s most popular reality TV shows told Inman Connect New York attendees on Tuesday. ‘real estate. In fact, the schedules can be quite brutal.
“I love what I do, so I wouldn’t say [it’s] work harder, but it’s definitely my life on steroids,” Douglas Elliman’s Lisa Simonsen and future star of Kendra Sells Hollywood Season 2 told the audience.
“The thing is, we have to work two hours and the existing clients we serve have high expectations,” said Ernie Carswell of Douglas Elliman, who will also be competing in the next season of Kendra Sells Hollywood. “They want quality service and we still have to deliver that to them.”
When filming, Carswell explained, actors usually end up working 14-16 hour days to get everything done.
“We really want to convey that we care about the business, we care about our customers and we care about our representation,” Carswell added.
Douglas Elliman’s Kirsten Jordan, who was the first female cast member on New York Million Dollar Listing, said when she first joined the show, she would text colleague Ryan Serhant (who is now CEO of the eponymous brokerage firm Serhant.) to try to learn what the secret was to maintaining her energy levels throughout the day between filming, working with her existing clients and having a family. And she said she realized that part of the reason she was so tired was that she felt like she had to look a certain way while filming, especially under the pressure of to be the first woman on a male-dominated show.
“I was coming out of filming and I was so tired because I was just trying to be so funny and smart and prove to people…that I was Something“Jordan said.
Meanwhile, Kelly Bensimon, who appeared on The Real Housewives of New York for three seasons from 2009, admitted that her reality TV experience was probably very different from other agents, as she started her career in real estate after her previous careers in modeling, reality TV and fashion journalism.
“I’m so different,” she says. “I started working in TV like it was in the Ice Age where it was a totally different environment than it is now…. Just having connectivity in the real estate environment and [to] the new agents are so exciting to me [today].”
The five speakers advised the agents in attendance not to give up and to keep persevering when it comes to working in this industry.
“You have to love what you do and understand that the ‘no’ is part of the business,” Simonsen said. “Most deals don’t work out, so you have to be very persistent…. You also have to be absorbed in it, and I think about real estate more than I care to admit.
Kendra Wilkinson, who was previously a model, also opened up about her experience working on Kendra Sells Hollywood and how difficult the transition to real estate has been for her.
“There’s a whole other story to all of this,” she said. “And off camera for the past few months, Ernie and I have worked really hard to regain my confidence. And my advice is, don’t give up…. When I feel like giving up, I just push a little harder.
Carswell added that failure is an important part of real estate, and agents who feel defeated by their failures should understand that it’s just part of the process of becoming a great agent.
“[The public doesn’t] see how many failures we face on a daily basis,” Carswell said. “Defeat and some failures are part of what the best agents handle.”
Jordan’s advice was that agents should take ownership of their successes and not be afraid to share them with others. Earlier in her career, Jordan said she didn’t give herself enough credit, but now she’s taking to social media to show others she’s a smart, capable realtor – and a real person with a family, which she also often shares on social media.
“[At first] I thought, “Oh, that’s really silly,” Jordan said, of sharing more of his personal life on social media. “But the truth is, you can do so many things that show you’re an expert.”
Bensimon encouraged public officers to embrace a spirit of teamwork and community with other industry officers, rather than operating as competitors.
“My big takeaway is that one is more than zero, and you should really, really work with other people,” Bensimon said. “I think it’s super important for all of us to work together.”
In conclusion, Carswell noted that he strives to give an accurate depiction of the real estate industry to viewers, but that he hopes real estate agents who aren’t on TV will keep him and other agents who are on TV. honest television.
“Our responsibility here is to all of you, and we owe it to you to give fair representation,” Carswell said. “You should hold us accountable.”
Email to Lillian Dickerson