How much do the 'Selling Sunset' cast earn from selling houses?
'Selling Sunset' follows real estate agents who work at the Oppenheim Group in Los Angeles. The fifth season of 'Selling Sunset' is about to premiere soon and much like the previous four, we are highly anticipating the show’s return. While many fans tune in for the drama, Mary Fitzgerald, Christine Quinn, Chrishell Stause, Heather Rae Young, and more agents are raking in very real money for their work.
We've got to know the 'Selling Sunset' cast pretty well over the last few years. It’s no secret that the Netflix reality series cast are all absolutely loaded with money. They have far more glamorous clothes, homes, and lives than you could ever possibly dream of. But how much do these agents earn and where do they even get their money from?
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Oppenheim Group doesn’t pay them salary
Surprisingly, the real estate agents don't actually receive a salary from The Oppenheim Group, instead, they make their money just from the commission, meaning they only receive a pay cheque if they actually sell a house. Viewers of the Netflix show can see the multimillion-dollar homes the agents try to sell around Los Angeles. After the listing price appears, it’s common for the commission amount to also flash on the screen. However, a cut of that amount goes to the Oppenheim brothers as the brokers. That leaves each realtor with two-and-a-half percent – but they still don’t get to keep all of that. Because Jason owns the brokerage, he gets a cut of the commission, which is around 30 percent. This leaves the person who sold the house with around 70 percent of the two and a half percent commission – which they then have to pay tax on. For example, Mary Fitzgerald recently sold a property worth $8,000,000 and earned a commission of $240,000, which is three percent of the cost of the listing.
Mary Fitzgerald has previously spoken about the commission saying “it’s not as big as you think!” She said the commission is usually around five percent of how much the house sells for, which is then divided in half between the person who represents the seller and the person who represents the buyer.
“I think the hardest thing in real estate is working for commission only. Spending months sometimes with a client and then they change their minds. “The best part can also be when a client finds something they love immediately and I make a huge commission with very little effort.” That being said, she noted that is “not normally the case.”
But the agents can earn six-figure sums of commission
The percentage of commission the agents receive varies from property to property, but given the kinds of mansions they’re selling, it’s a six-figure rate almost every time. Mary is the most successful agent having earned an estimated $1.8 million in commission from her listings in seasons one to four of the Netflix show – including $419,850 for selling French Montana’s house. Christine and Chrishell have also both earned $1 million in commission over their time on the show. The 'Selling Sunset' cast are real realtors and they apparently often work outside of the Oppenheim Group office, either working from home or out with clients at listings. The girls have also created their own opportunities and side hustles which they also earn from too. They earn an ample amount of money as social media influencers also.
'Selling Sunset' Season 5 premieres on April 22, 2022, on Netflix.