There’s something about luxury houses that people just can’t resist. Even if the thought of living in anything other than a studio apartment is far fetched at the moment, it can still be entertaining to see how expensive homes are bought and sold. That’s exactly why the series Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles is such a success. The show, which aired in 2006, follows a group of real estate agents in Los Angeles who exclusively work on multi-million dollar properties. But like any other reality show that depicts a glamorous lifestyle, many people wonder just how real Million Dollar Listing L.A. actually is. After all, reality TV is notorious for creating exaggerated scenarios and story lines. Continue reading to find out if Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles is real.
Are The Cast Members Really Real Estate Agents?
One of the first keys to uncovering whether or not the show is real is to determine whether or not these people are actually real estate agents. The good news is that they are. Each agent on the show has years of experience with selling homes in the Los Angeles area. Josh Flagg, for example, is one of the top real estate agents in L.A. In the process he has built up a very impressive clientele that includes celebrities and professional athletes.
Not only do the cast members on the show make big bucks by selling expensive homes, but being on the show can definitely help boost their careers in other ways. Many people who have appeared on the show have become very popular on social media. When/if they decide to leave the cast, they’ve already built up a fan base that could potentially result in business leads.
What’s The Real Deal?
We’ve established that the cast really consist of real estate professionals. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the show is real. I have good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad so we can end on a positive note. Unfortunately, there are definitely elements of Million Dollar Listing L.A. that aren’t all that real.
In 2015, the show posting a casting call on Backstage looking for background models. According to The List, “Among the “types” the show was looking for were “yoga participants and instructors,” in addition to “bikini models” who would be situated poolside. While all ethnicities would be considered for the yoga participants and bikini models, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles was also looking for a “housewife model,” and the demand for that model’s ethnicity was very specific: Only those of “white/European descent” would be considered.” This makes it very clear that the show is definitely going after a certain image, and will do what it takes to curate it. To top it off, people brought on the show to fulfill these roles wouldn’t receive any financial compensation.
Additionally, some of the cast members may purposely do things to add to the excitement of the show. For example, they may throw parties or have other gatherings to try to stir the pot a bit.
Now, on to the good news. Most of what you see on the show is real in terms of the deals. However, all of the details and facts about the deal aren’t always shared on the show. It’s also important to note that sometimes the deals can fall through before completion. When this happens after filming has been complete, viewers obviously won’t get the entire story.
Cast member, James Harris, also supports that the show is real. He told Global News, “our show takes 11 months to shoot a season. If I’m not mistaken, our show is the longest TV show in the world of reality TV to shoot a season because they follow the deal from start to the middle to the end. When you see something that’s truncated into a one-hour episode, you’re not seeing the other 15 scenes that we’ve actually shot because we only have so minutes in an episode. Everything we do on the show is absolutely real.”
The Future Of Million Dollar Listing L.A.
The show has recently entered it’s 12th season and viewers are in for a treat. Cast member James Harris says, ” Yes, there is lots of drama out; there seems to be a lot somehow every season. There’s actually amazing properties this season.” Whether people think the show is real or fake, millions of people continue to tune in, and to be honest, it’s easy to see why. Real estate and drama have proven to be one of the most dynamic duos on TV.
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