Jason Oppenheim learns all about ‘Selling the OC’
On Wednesday, Netflix will release first season of Oppenheim Group boss’s real estate reality series
With the real estate market cooling amid rising mortgage rates, Jason Oppenheim doesn’t hesitate to say that an agent’s experience matters more than ever before.
Marketing and outreach matter more than ever before.
“The process of getting that property ready to sell and staged and photographed, all the things that we do best, matters more than ever before,” adds the 45-year-old president and cofounder of the luxury real estate brokerage company The Oppenheim Group. It has offices in West Hollywood and Newport Beach’s Corona del Mar neighborhood.
And it isn’t his only bragging right.
For Oppenheim, real estate is in his blood. The origins of The Oppenheim Group go back to the early days of Los Angeles, when his great-great-grandfather Jacob Stern launched The Stern Realty Co. in 1889.
Along with his twin Brett, Oppenheim has taken the company to new heights thanks to his business acumen and the hit Netflix reality series “Selling Sunset,” not to mention the spin-off “Selling The OC,” premiering Wednesday. On that day, Netflix will release all episodes of the first season.
The new series centers on the personal and professional lives of a group of agents at The Oppenheim Group’s Orange County office that opened last year. They include Alex Hall, Alexandra Jarvis, Alexandra Rose, Austin Victoria, Brandi Marshall, Gio Helou, Kayla Cardona, Lauren Brito, Polly Brindle, Sean Palmieri, Tyler Stanaland and the Oppenheim brothers. Though the cast offers no shortage of drama, it also takes viewers into high-dollar luxury homes along the coast. That includes a fivebedroom, 11,000-square-foot home in Corona del Mar’s upscale Irvine Terrace listed by Oppenheim and the Alexandras (Jarvis and Rose) that sold in May for $19.5 million, plus $1 million for the art and furnishings.
Filming already has wrapped, but Southern California News Group caught up with Oppenheim by phone to discuss the series, Orange County real estate and the cooling market. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q
Whose idea was it to take the show to Orange County?
A
I had raised the idea of a second show with the production company and Adam DiVello (the creator of “Selling Sunset”). I also discussed it with Netflix. They were interested, but they don’t just pick up a show. So, in the meantime, I came down to Newport Beach and found a space. It took me many years to figure out where I wanted my second office. Interestingly, I wrote an offer on a much smaller place up the street. It fell apart at the last second. Then I walked by this place. It’s three times as big as I wanted and three times as expensive, but I fell in love with the brick building, the open floor plan, the parking lot and its presence on the street. I didn’t have a single agent at the time, but I knew that if I build it, they
will come. So I built it out.
Q
You made it fun, too, right?
A
Oh, yeah. No brokerage spends $1 million-plus building out an office nor does it like a living room with a bar, kitchen and gym. But I want to be excited to come down here. I want to have happy hour, work out and play pool because I love playing pool.
QIs “Selling The OC” entertainment or a showcase for Orange County real estate?
A
It’s all of it. But, yeah, it’s extremely entertaining. It’s got a very young, dynamic group of men and women. It was so fun to film with them. Especially the men. In “Selling Sunset,” it’s just me all alone in a bowl of estrogen.
Q
Is the young cast reflective of The Oppenheim Group’s Orange County presence?
A
No, we have some people in their 50s and 60s that work. I would say about 80% of the brokerage is in their 20s and 30s. But not every agent is cast for the show.
Q
Has the show already brought in new business?
A
It’s not so much the show yet because it’s not out. Although I’m sure the show will add fuel to the fire. Right now word of mouth is what is spreading our reputation.
Q
Even in this housing slump?
A
This is a time when relationships matter most, when detail and work ethic matter. I love that because this is where we excel. I’m excited about the next couple of years. There may be less volume, but I think we will have a larger share of that volume.
Q
Do you have plans to take your brand to other markets?
A
I’ve considered Las Vegas and Cabo San Lucas. I like the idea of Montecito or Santa Barbara and maybe potentially San Diego at some point. Even maybe another place in L.A. like the Valley. But right now I don’t have any definitive plans to expand. I also couldn’t expand somewhere too far because my brand is to be involved. I’m very intertwined with my brand and the brokerage. I truly partner with my agents, so it’s very collaborative. It’s not like a normal brokerage where you’re on your own. I work on every single deal with all of my agents, so it would be impossible to grow a brokerage in the sense that Sotheby’s could where it’s every man for themself. And I’m also quite happy.