Jason Oppenheim wasn’t in the hunt for a TV series when Netflix producers first approached him about doing a reality TV show centered around his real estate brokerage firm, the Oppenheim Group, which he founded with his twin brother, Brett, in 2015. “We’d been approached by networks before, but the Netflix producers were persistent,” says Jason Oppenheim, who is also an attorney. He enjoyed a notable law career that included successfully arguing a case before the Supreme Court before diving into real estate. Oppenheim eventually agreed to meet with Netflix producers, and then, to work with them. “Selling Sunset” premiered on March 21, 2019.
To give you a quick synopsis, the series follows Oppenheim’s largely female group of licensed real estate agents as they navigate their personal and professional lives. But it’s much more than that. You get to see super- luxury properties with big commissions at stake, celebrities, attractive people, great clothes, cars, hair, and big personalities, all in unscripted setting. “Selling Sunset” was a hit. In 2021, the show was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. It has been renewed for a sixth and seventh season. The brainchild of the show is Adam DiVello, a former MTV executive who helped develop the series “Laguna Beach,” among others. After leaving MTV, he formed his own production company, Done and Done Productions.
In 2015, Done and Done Productions signed a multi- year, overall deal with Lionsgate to develop and produce unscripted programming. From there, DiVello created and produced a reality version of the hit ABC drama “Nashville” for CMT called “Music City.” Like most creative people, he was always on the lookout for the next great show. A lifelong fan of real estate, DiVello found the spark in magazine ads for the Oppenheim Group. “It’s the two of them, and then about five or six female employees they have working for them. And I thought, that’s the cast of a show right there. They’re super attractive and they’re the No. 1 Realtors selling in the West Hollywood and Sunset Strip area. They’ve got billboards up and down the strip, and it seemed like a no-brainer,” DiVello told Variety’s Michael Schneider in 2019. Based in West Hollywood, the firm’s headquarters is located on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Sunset Plaza Drive and has become the preeminent brokerage firm in the Hollywood Hills, the Sunset Strip, and Jthroughout Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Bel Air, Malibu, and beyond.
The firm has more than $1 billion in total sales and more than $300 million in active listings. It also has offices in Orange County, San Diego, and Cabo San Lucas. Netflix producers thought the Orange County office in Newport Beach would make a great spinoff. “Selling the OC” launched its first season in August 2022 and a receptive audience applauded. Filming for the second season began earlier this year in Newport Beach. It has reportedly been renewed for a third season. The show features the Oppenheim brothers, along with a team of licensed real estate agents all jockeying for posi- tion. Cast members portray themselves, showing gorgeous homes, attending parties, and taking part in, or sometimes starting, drama born of conflict. Fans loved the spinoff im- mediately. “It’s been really fun,” says Jason Oppenheim, who took a break from filming season 2 to take part in a photo shoot with Inland Empire Magazine and his business partners, Mike and Maureen Parniani of Riverside. The Parnianis, who are Realtors, recently joined the Oppenheim Group and are based in the La Jolla office, though they sell properties throughout Southern California. “We met Jason through a mutual friend,” says Mike Parniani, who, along with his wife, Maureen, has been selling real estate for more than 25 years. While colorful drama makes for good TV, it’s not always a top selling point in business.
In fact, other attributes sold Jason Oppenheim on the Parnianis. “They’re hard-working people who have an incredible re- lationship as business partners. They have good marketing ideas and are intelligent. I’ve even met their daughter and the whole family is great. It’s one of those things where the sum is greater than the parts,” says Oppenheim. Like many of the cast members on “Selling the OC,” neither Mike nor Maureen Parniani set out to be Realtors. Maureen had her eye on a nursing career and Mike’s education was in mathematics and computer science. He worked at Microsoft in its early years and as a space and defense contractor out of Norton Air Force base for many years. “Maureen’s real estate career was going very well, and she was at the point she needed help. She asked me to obtain my license and work as a team,” says Mike. “I quickly realized I enjoyed selling real estate, quit my 9-to-5 job, and never looked back. I still utilize my skills from my tech days, especially in digital, Internet, and social marketing.” While most people don’t have multi-million dollar man- sions to sell, their homes are huge assets.
One of the first things the Parnianis do is take sellers to view the competition “so they can see first-hand what is selling in their area and how their home will stack up against the others,” Maureen says. “Sellers need to look at their homes impersonally as if they were the potential buyers. Pay attention to your curb ap- peal. Pressure wash the exterior and boost curb appeal with colorful flowers in a pot placed on the front porch near the door.” Inside, declutter. Make repairs and do some serious clean- ing, including the screens and windows. If your paint has seen better days, try to have it painted. Poor paint or outdated paint colors can deduct from your home’s overall value and desirability. Is there any deferred maintenance that needs to be done? Try to do it. If you’re on a budget, deep cleaning your home and exterior will go a long way.
If the home is vacant, they like to stage it. “Staged homes sell faster and usually for more than homes that were not staged, which is why builders stage their models. A sale is a transfer of enthusiasm; if the buyer is enthusiastic after viewing your home, this usually will end up with the buyer submitting an offer,” she says. The Parnianis note that buyers today “are choosier. The pendulum has swung from a hot seller’s market. Buyers are looking for homes that don’t require costly repairs or remodel- ing. If you can’t afford to fix your home before placing it on the market, you should price it accordingly,” Maureen says. When choosing a Realtor, the Parnianis offer the following tips: • Ask how long they’ve been in business. • What type of experience do they have? • Are they familiar with the area? Do they know what makes your neighborhood or home unique? “Ask questions. Ask the person you’re interviewing about your home’s positive and negative features from their view- point.
Listen for honest answers, not someone who will tell you only what they think you want to hear. They should also be asking you questions and listening hard to your answers. They should ask you about what time frame you need to sell. They need to find out what your concerns and needs are,” Maureen says. Ask where and how are they going to market your home? Ask for samples of their marketing. And ask for references from past clients. “After the interview, you should feel heard, enthusiastic, and confident about working with them,” Maureen says. Whether or not we see the Parnianis on future episodes of “Selling the OC” remains to be seen. In the meantime, you can watch “Selling Sunset” and “Sell- ing the OC” on Netflix. If you don’t subscribe, some episodes are available on YouTube.
