If you happen to love watching actuality TV, principally as a result of actual property runs rampant on the display screen and in your coronary heart, keep tuned to Actual Tea. Inman’s Dani Vanderboegh sits down along with your favourite celeb brokers to get the inside track on the latest releases, go behind the scenes, and spill the tea on all of your burning questions from final season.
Promoting the OC dropped on Netflix on Aug. 24, 2022, marking the introduction of the Oppenheim Group’s latest luxe brokerage in Orange County, the place the heels are excessive, the style is nice and the competitors is fierce.
Between all of the drama with all of the brokers named Alex (Alexandra Rose, Alex Corridor, Alexandra Jarvis) and proverbial pissing contests in Season 1, Gio Helou, the self-described “fucking rockstar” and “high canine” of the Oppenheim Group’s Newport Seashore workplace, had some candy moments along with his mother, Lisa Helou. Lisa Helou, who’s been an agent since 1976, in response to her bio, additionally hangs her license on the Oppenheim Group.
She began in LA however has been promoting within the OC for a very long time, Gio says. “Priding herself on her old-school strategy and ways,” she was fast to supply mentorship to Gio and his castmates.
Whereas there’s no official launch date from Netflix on Season 2 as of but, Season 3 is presently being filmed, “like proper now,” Gio Helou stated.
Get the Actual Tea on rising up with mother and fellow agent on the Oppenheim Group Lisa Helou, working with Jason Oppenheim and staying aggressive in immediately’s market. What follows is Inman’s dialog with Gio Helou, which has been edited for size and readability.
Not-so-humble beginnings
How did you get into actual property?
It’s form of an in-the-blood kind of factor. My dad is a builder. I truly began working with him. And it was actually nice studying the constructing aspect of issues and understanding how a lot issues value for purchasers in the event that they wish to rework or construct their dream residence from scratch. So it was nice to have the ability to carry that to the gross sales aspect after I joined my mother about 4 years in the past.
Since then, she’s taught me nearly every little thing I find out about actual property gross sales. We’re very completely different in that we each have very completely different kinds. And I feel that performs [in] our favor. I’m positively not a carbon copy of her, and I feel she loves and appreciates that I’ve grown into my very own, so to talk, however it was a household enterprise. Nonetheless is, and I simply naturally fell into their footsteps and by no means regarded again.
That occurs lots in actual property, and I like the household tales.
With that, although, there additionally come the challenges of household, that everyone knows and love. I imply it’s exhausting while you’re in work mode through the day after which, let’s say you’re at a household dinner, that doesn’t shut off. That work convo continues … My spouse seems to be at me typically at [family dinners], and he or she’s like, ‘Actually? We’re nonetheless speaking about that itemizing?’ … It doesn’t ever finish!
There’s a cute scene the place your mother compliments a colleague on door-knocking after which goes into how, again within the day, her dealer used to drop her off within the neighborhood to door-knock. They didn’t have a alternative. And also you evaluate it to the strolling uphill each methods in 6 ft of snow with no footwear trope that oldsters love to inform. Are there every other momisms she presents repeatedly?
Something below $3 million … it’s a really small sale [to me], and he or she’s like, “Again in my day … $3 million would have been like a $30 million sale now,” and I’m simply shaking my head on a regular basis to that.
No, the door-knocking one is form of distinctive. She simply doesn’t let up on that. Simply because I don’t love to do it.
I used to be going to ask that subsequent. Is door-knocking a part of what you are promoting?
It was after I began. The primary couple of years, I did fairly a little bit of it. And it’s very humbling … it’s numerous doorways thrown in your face. There’s something useful to it that I miss, and I feel sticking to the basics is at all times good.
It’s humorous, I used to be speaking to my spouse about this, and I used to be like, “You recognize, given the market now, perhaps it’s time to return to these fundamentals and simply begin doing issues like door-knocking once more.”
That’s what you see with a few of the finest top-producing brokers. They don’t cease on the basics, and I’ve gotten a little bit lazy, to be sincere. The present doesn’t assist as a result of it is vitally time-consuming, and it does monopolize (after we’re in manufacturing mode) all of my hours. In order that’s been a problem … However on the finish of the day, regardless of the drama, regardless of all that enjoyable a part of the present, it’s an actual property present.
You continue to must get listings and must make gross sales. And should you begin falling brief in that area, you’re gonna lose your respect and [storylines]. In order that’s the center of it.
Your castmates form of provide you with a little bit little bit of the enterprise about rising up in Newport. What do you say to that?
I feel if any of them may commerce locations with me, they’d have. As a result of rising up in Newport was simply superb. So I feel, it comes out of perhaps a little bit little bit of jealousy.
“Promoting Sundown” will launch Season 6 on Could 19. Search for an upcoming Actual Tea with model new castmember Bre Tiesi subsequent week.
On trend, dressing for fulfillment and staying aggressive
The style in your present, nicely, each the Promoting Sundown reveals, is next-level. It needs to be lots to maintain up with.
It’s, and I had no thought. I imply, I’m a man so it’s a lot much less concerned, and nobody actually cares almost as a lot as they do about what the ladies put on, and rightfully so, however even for me this can be very time-consuming as a result of folks anticipate you to current your self a sure approach on these reveals, and it’s a part of the enjoyable, however geez, I see what my feminine castmates undergo, and it’s lots.
I imply, I’ve to carry three or 4 wardrobe choices to set each time we movie simply in case, you understand, they’re clashing with one another or one thing like that. And that’s a full-time job simply in and of itself.
Do you’re feeling just like the expectation is completely different on actuality TV than it’s simply being an agent in your market?
Not for me, however I take into account myself an exception to the rule there … That’s one thing my mother taught me. From Day 1. You wish to look fucking superb daily. You don’t need your wardrobe to discourage any potential lead or itemizing or sale. So after I swimsuit up daily, it’s the identical actual factor that I might put on on digicam. There isn’t any distinction. It’s fairly seamless.
And I feel that may be a enormous oversight on so many brokers: They don’t give how they current themselves sufficient time and sufficient consideration … I feel folks not solely will respect you extra, sadly, based mostly on the way you seem, but in addition it provides me an additional increase of confidence, and it permits me to actually personal every little thing that I’m speaking about.
Not that I wouldn’t with out the garments, however you need each little edge when it’s so aggressive. You want every little thing stepping into your favor which you can management, like wardrobe.
I completely perceive. You probably did form of give me a little bit giggle while you stated the garments provide you with confidence although. You didn’t strike me as someone who’s missing confidence.
[Laughing.]
No, and I take delight in that. And it’s not that I ever wish to be cocky or something like that, however I feel this enterprise requires a sure degree of conceitedness since you’re coping with not solely out-of-this-world properties however purchasers who’ve achieved the height of success of their fields.
So you need to match them on their degree … They wish to know you understand your shit and you understand precisely the way you’re going to promote their home or precisely the way you’re going to seek out the precise home for them to purchase. So conceitedness, for my part, is a part of the job description.
“That’s one thing my mother taught me. From Day 1. You wish to look fucking superb daily. You don’t need your wardrobe to discourage any potential lead or itemizing or sale.” – Gio Helou
On Season 1
How has what you are promoting modified (if in any respect) for the reason that present aired?
In actual property, you might be your personal model, so the present has exponentially elevated my private model as a luxurious Realtor, and that publicity has allowed me to stroll in lots of breathtaking doorways that may have in any other case been closed.
It’s additionally been a possibility to have some levity with potential purchasers who could have preconceived notions of how I’m off-camera / in actual life.
Popping out of Season 1, had been you pleased with the way you had been portrayed? Was it what you anticipated?
You recognize, after I signed up for this, I knew that I had zero management on how I used to be going to be portrayed and the way the edit would go. So I went in with as open of a thoughts as I may. And I feel, for that cause, I used to be on cloud 9 as soon as I noticed Season 1 … Yeah, they might have exaggerated some elements of my character, however I didn’t thoughts.
It’s a TV present. It’s leisure as nicely, on the finish of the day, so I used to be thrilled in regards to the edit. I do know that a few of my castmates had been feeling the other. And you understand, I felt badly about that.
However everyone knows what we signed up for. We’re all large girls and boys, so I don’t assume it was actually honest for a few of them to complain as a lot as they did. Not less than internally, that was the excitement.
What’s your pit and peak of the season?
You recognize I feel my dealer alternative was in all probability my peak. I like that scene, and I like that property. It’s so unbelievable, nearly as good because it regarded on digicam, in individual, it’s much more spectacular. Pit? I suppose … when me and Alex Corridor form of had our second on the seaside. I feel that may in all probability be my pit. It was much more dramatic off-camera than on, so I feel that may in all probability get a low level for me.
What did we miss off-camera?
Simply extra of the identical. It was extra of the identical.
On working with Jason Oppenheim
What’s it like working with Jason?
Greatest enterprise determination I’ve ever made. He runs his workplace in contrast to every other workplace that I’ve been part of, and I used to be at two different brokerages earlier than the Oppenheim Group. And what I used to be so drawn to was how Jason not solely is, the place I discovered lots about how needed conceitedness is in his enterprise, but in addition the way you deal with your fellow brokers. He runs his workplace like a household. And he says it, however he truly means it and he acts on that intention.
So each different brokerage I’ve been with, and I’m not going to call them as a result of I don’t wish to put them down, however they’re large machines. And you understand, they’re simply pumping out, wanting on the backside line.
The place Jason actually does care, and he treats every of us like equals. If any of us name him day or evening, 1 within the morning or 1 within the afternoon, he solutions, and he’s current … He’ll drop what he’s doing and simply be there for you. So working for him has been a godsend. I imply, I’ve discovered lots. I’ve discovered the way to talk with purchasers.
I imply, the opposite large takeaway with Jason is: Be actual. Don’t bullshit your purchasers, don’t attempt to inflate numbers or something like that to get a list. Be straight, they usually’ll respect you for it as a result of sellers all day lengthy hear what they wish to hear. So typically while you inform them the tough reality, they clearly respect you for it.
Sure, I feel you see that lots with Jason on digicam, particularly when the subject of overpriced listings comes up.
He’s a straight shooter. And it’s so tempting on this enterprise to attempt to do or say no matter it takes to get a list, and I’ve discovered time and again, it’s not value it. As a result of on the finish of the day, it’s not about simply getting the itemizing — it’s about getting it bought. And should you stroll into an appointment with a bunch of humorous numbers, and also you get the itemizing and also you don’t promote it, then what was the purpose?
Nice level. However we have to know: What’s it wish to ring the bell?
It’s form of an in-your-face second to your fellow brokers. I imply, frankly, that’s what it’s. It’s “Hey all people, take a look at me. I made a sale, and I would like you all to lose your listening to for the remainder of the afternoon due to it” … It’s a really satisfying feeling … There’s one thing about that deafening noise that motivates me on some bizarre degree.
It’s a privilege, and it additionally makes gross sales … a lot extra enjoyable, too. I imply, once more, no different place I’ve been in do they rejoice each sale you get as a result of each sale on this market is a giant fucking deal … Each sale in coastal OC is value celebrating, and ringing that bell form of symbolizes, you understand, climbing Mount Everest for that itemizing.
And that seems like that little little bit of gamification among the many officemates actually works.
Oh, yeah. After I hear another person ringing that bell, Dani, it lights a hearth in my stomach. I imply, I’m glad for them, however on the similar time, I’m somebody who could be very — passive-aggressive has a really unfavourable connotation, however in the case of competitors, I’m very passive-aggressive. I received’t outrightly say it, however I would like nothing greater than to ring the bell 5 occasions tougher for a sale 5 occasions greater the subsequent time.
Who, after they ring the bell, does it drive you probably the most loopy? Like, who do you wish to beat probably the most?
Frankly, they’re all equal. It’s all the identical. Actually, it’s not like I actually wish to say I’m aggressive with one individual within the workplace as a result of, you understand, I’ve the very best gross sales numbers already … My blood boils after I hear that bell ringing and I’m not the one below it. So it’s simply, I feel that’s what you want, although. You’ll want to have that drive on this enterprise. In any other case, you’ll fizzle away.
You talked about the drama earlier. Actually, there’s loads of drama, and there are numerous opinions on the market amongst completely different forged mates. However one factor it looks as if all people agrees on is that you simply throw a imply dealer’s open. What’s your secret?
You recognize, like every little thing else, you need to go all out. You possibly can’t half-ass something on this market. That features dealer’s open as a result of your purchasers will choose you for each little determination you make.
In the event that they really feel such as you’re going low cost for a dealer’s open otherwise you’re, you understand, probably not giving it your all for no matter, then you definately’re not going to get that itemizing extension should you want it … or they’re gonna, you understand, discuss to their neighbors about you probably not giving it your all, so to talk.
So a dealer’s open, similar to ringing the bell, it’s a option to exhibit to your colleagues. I imply, like, that’s the purpose of a dealer’s open.
“Hey, come take a look at this baller itemizing I bought. Hey, should you can promote it, nice, however within the meantime, let’s rejoice me … getting that signed itemizing settlement.”
So it’s a little bit little bit of [nudge, nudge] “Have a look at what I bought. So what do you’ve got happening?” And while you add a little bit little bit of pizzazz on high of it, like after I added the sushi factor in Season 1, that’s all of the extra like, “Geez, Gio’s killing it.”
On Season 2
What ought to we anticipate with Season 2?
It’ll be an incredible Season 2. It’s going to be higher listings, higher drama. It’s gonna be Season 1 on steroids in the most effective of the way … The actual property porn in Season 2 goes to be off the charts.
Will mother be again subsequent season?
I hope so. I hope, fingers crossed!
