In the event you love watching actuality TV, principally as a result of actual property runs rampant on the display and in your coronary heart, keep tuned to Actual Tea. Inman’s Dani Vanderboegh sits down together with your favourite celeb brokers to get the inside track on the most recent 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 sweet 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 method 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 mentioned.

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 right now’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 type 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 shoppers in the event that they need to transform 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 thing I find out about actual property gross sales. We’re very completely different in that we each have very completely different types. And I believe that performs [in] our favor. I’m undoubtedly not a carbon copy of her, and I believe 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 appeared again.

That occurs lots in actual property, and I really like the household tales.

With that, although, there additionally come the challenges of household, that everyone knows and love. I imply it’s onerous while you’re in work mode in the course of 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 at me typically at [family dinners], and she or he’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 selection. And also you evaluate it to the strolling uphill each methods in 6 toes of snow with no footwear trope that folks love to inform. Are there some other momisms she presents often?

Something underneath $3 million … it’s a really small sale [to me], and she or he’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 your online business?

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 quite a lot of doorways thrown in your face. There’s something useful to it that I miss, and I believe sticking to the basics is all the time good.

It’s humorous, I used to be speaking to my spouse about this, and I used to be like, “You already know, given the market now, possibly 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 number of the greatest top-producing brokers. They don’t cease on the basics, and I’ve gotten a 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 if you happen to begin falling brief in that enviornment, you’re gonna lose your respect and [storylines]. In order that’s the center of it.

Your castmates form of provide you with a bit little bit of the enterprise about rising up in Newport. What do you say to that?

I believe if any of them might commerce locations with me, they’d have. As a result of rising up in Newport was simply wonderful. So I believe, it comes out of possibly a bit little bit of jealousy.

“Promoting Sundown” will launch Season 6 on Might 19. Search for an upcoming Actual Tea with model new castmember Bre Tiesi subsequent week.

On style, dressing for achievement and staying aggressive

The style in your present, nicely, each the Promoting Sundown exhibits, is next-level. It needs to be lots to maintain up with.

It’s, and I had no concept. 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 women put on, and rightfully so, however even for me this can be very time-consuming as a result of folks count on you to current your self a sure means on these exhibits, 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 realize, 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 contemplate myself an exception to the rule there … That’s one thing my mother taught me. From Day 1. You need to look fucking wonderful day-after-day. You don’t need your wardrobe to discourage any attainable lead or itemizing or sale. So after I go well with up day-after-day, it’s the identical actual factor that I might put on on digicam. There isn’t any distinction. It’s fairly seamless.

And I believe that could be a enormous oversight on so many brokers: They don’t give how they current themselves sufficient time and sufficient consideration … I believe folks not solely will respect you extra, sadly, based mostly on the way you seem, but in addition it provides me an additional enhance of confidence, and it permits me to essentially personal every 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 thing entering into your favor that you could management, like wardrobe.

I completely perceive. You probably did form of give me a bit giggle while you mentioned the garments provide you with confidence although. You didn’t strike me as someone who’s missing confidence.

[Laughing.]

No, and I take pleasure in that. And it’s not that I ever need to be cocky or something like that, however I believe this enterprise requires a sure stage of vanity since you’re coping with not solely out-of-this-world properties however shoppers who’ve achieved the height of success of their fields.

So it’s a must to match them on their stage … They need to know you realize your shit and you realize precisely the way you’re going to promote their home or precisely the way you’re going to seek out the fitting home for them to purchase. So vanity, for my part, is a part of the job description.

“That’s one thing my mother taught me. From Day 1. You need to look fucking wonderful day-after-day. You don’t need your wardrobe to discourage any attainable lead or itemizing or sale.” – Gio Helou

On Season 1

How has your online business 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 will have in any other case been closed.

It’s additionally been a chance to have some levity with potential shoppers who could have preconceived notions of how I’m off-camera / in actual life.

Popping out of Season 1, had been you proud of the way you had been portrayed? Was it what you anticipated?

You already know, 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 might. And I believe, for that purpose, I used to be on cloud 9 as soon as I noticed Season 1 … Yeah, they could have exaggerated some facets 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 concerning the edit. I do know that a few of my castmates had been feeling the other. And you realize, I felt badly about that.

However everyone knows what we signed up for. We’re all massive girls and boys, so I don’t suppose it was actually honest for a few of them to complain as a lot as they did. A minimum of internally, that was the excitement.

What’s your pit and peak of the season?

You already know I believe my dealer selection was most likely my peak. I really like that scene, and I really like that property. It’s so unimaginable, pretty much as good because it appeared on digicam, in individual, it’s much more spectacular. Pit? I assume … when me and Alex Corridor form of had our second on the seaside. I believe that will most likely be my pit. It was much more dramatic off-camera than on, so I believe that will most likely 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 choice I’ve ever made. He runs his workplace in contrast to some 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 obligatory vanity 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 need to put them down, however they’re massive machines. And you realize, they’re simply pumping out, trying 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 night time, 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 shoppers.

I imply, the opposite massive takeaway with Jason is: Be actual. Don’t bullshit your shoppers, don’t attempt to inflate numbers or something like that to get an inventory. Be straight, they usually’ll respect you for it as a result of sellers all day lengthy hear what they need to hear. So typically while you inform them the tough fact, they clearly respect you for it.

Sure, I believe 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 an inventory, and I’ve discovered time and again, it’s not price it. As a result of on the finish of the day, it’s not about simply getting the itemizing — it’s about getting it offered. And if you happen to 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 prefer 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, have 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 stage.

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 have a good time each sale you get as a result of each sale on this market is a giant fucking deal … Each sale in coastal OC is price celebrating, and ringing that bell form of symbolizes, you realize, climbing Mount Everest for that itemizing.

And that seems like that little little bit of gamification among the many officemates actually works.

Oh, yeah. Once 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 identical time, I’m somebody who could be very — passive-aggressive has a really unfavourable connotation, however on the subject 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 instances tougher for a sale 5 instances larger the following time.

Who, once they ring the bell, does it drive you essentially the most loopy? Like, who do you need to beat essentially the most?

Frankly, they’re all equal. It’s all the identical. Actually, it’s not like I actually need to say I’m aggressive with one individual within the workplace as a result of, you realize, I’ve the very best gross sales numbers already … My blood boils after I hear that bell ringing and I’m not the one underneath it. So it’s simply, I believe that’s what you want, although. You could have that drive on this enterprise. In any other case, you’ll fizzle away.

You talked about the drama earlier. Definitely, there’s loads of drama, and there are quite a lot of opinions on the market amongst completely different forged mates. However one factor it looks like all people agrees on is that you just throw a imply dealer’s open. What’s your secret?

You already know, like every thing else, it’s a must to go all out. You possibly can’t half-ass something on this market. That features dealer’s open as a result of your shoppers will decide you for each little choice 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 realize, not likely giving it your all for no matter, then you definitely’re not going to get that itemizing extension if you happen to want it … or they’re gonna, you realize, discuss to their neighbors about you not likely giving it your all, so to talk.

So a dealer’s open, similar to ringing the bell, it’s a method to exhibit to your colleagues. I imply, like, that’s the purpose of a dealer’s open.

“Hey, come have a look at this baller itemizing I received. Hey, if you happen to can promote it, nice, however within the meantime, let’s have a good time me … getting that signed itemizing settlement.”

So it’s a bit little bit of [nudge, nudge] “Have a look at what I received. So what do you could have occurring?” And while you add a 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 count on with Season 2?

It will be a tremendous Season 2. It’s going to be higher listings, higher drama. It’s gonna be Season 1 on steroids in the perfect of the way … The true property porn in Season 2 goes to be off the charts.

Will mother be again subsequent season?

I hope so. I hope, fingers crossed!