Why Mauricio Umansky Doesn't Think Selling Sunset Is Totally Real
There's been plenty of speculation over the years about just how authentic the Netflix reality show "Selling Sunset" really is. If you've never seen the show before, allow us to catch you up. The series follows a group of very glamorous real estate agents in Los Angeles who work with the uber-rich to put them in some of the most lavish houses you've ever seen in your life. The likes of Chrishell Stause, Heather Rae Moussa, and Emma Hernan work for brothers Jason Oppenheim and Brett Oppenheim at The Oppenheim Group, but most of the show's airtime is actually taking up with the behind-the-scenes fallouts between the agents, which was usually instigated by Christine Quinn before she departed "Selling Sunset" ahead of Season 6.
But is it actually all real? Well, someone who knows a thing or two about reality TV and real estate is Mauricio Umansky (yes, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star and husband to Kyle Richards Mauricio Umansky), and he has a little something to say about the authenticity, or lack thereof, of the streaming hit.
Mauricio Umansky claimed not everyone on Selling Sunset is an authentic real estate agent
Mauricio Umansky threw a little bit of shade at "Selling Sunset" in October when he admitted there was one big thing setting his own Netflix reality real estate show, "Buying Beverly Hills," apart from "Selling Sunset." The cast! Speaking to Fox News, Umansky suggested Netflix may have roped in talent based on factors not related to their real estate skills in order to make things more interesting. Stating that everyone on his show was already worked for the company before the cameras started rolling, he admitted, "I think that's kind of what separates it from 'Selling Sunset,'" adding, "Some of the cast seems like they're not real estate agents, they were cast, for the show. I think ours would just be very, very real behind the scenes." As "Selling Sunset" fans will remember, the pilot episode began with Chrishell Stause joining the company.
Umansky shared a similar sentiment to E! News, stating that "Buying Beverly Hills" is much more authentic. "We put ourselves out there with a lot of vulnerability. The relationships that exist are old. You know, my daughter, my relationship with her is 26 years old. There's a lot of history on it. It all starts with a really tight relationship," he shared.
Don't think there's bad blood here, though. As you can see in the snap above, Brett Oppenheim even turned up to support Umansky at the Netflix launch event for his show!
Chrishell Stause proved her real estate credentials
Notably, "Selling Sunset" has been called out before over its authenticity and the legitimacy of its real estate agents. In fact, Chrishell Stause was forced to hit back at the naysayers in 2020 after some viewers suggested she was brought onto the show as an actress (she previously appeared in "Days of Our Lives") and not a legitimate real estate agent. "People keep trying to hate on the show, which means it's a huge success! Lol! This post is still on my IG proving I have been licensed and working before being approached about #SellingSunset," she wrote in an Instagram Stories post (via Cosmopolitan), directing fans to an old ad promoting her real estate skills shared to her grid earlier. "Working all day showing clients properties... & writing up my new listing to hit the market tomorrow! Busy!," she added, noting, "I am so grateful to have been able to do acting AND real estate."
Two years later, she spoke out again about how real the show actually is, admitting to W that she doesn't focus on that side of her career full-time and actually only takes on real estate jobs if she knows the "Selling Sunset" cameras will capture it. "I obviously could be doing a lot more if that were my sole focus, but it isn't. I try to only take the jobs that are going to be filming on the show, or involve people I've worked with in the past," she explained.