Netflix’s property porn reality show Selling Sunset, devised by the man behind The Hills Adam DiVello, has been one of our TV saviours of 2020. With its cast of absurdly good-looking real estate agents (all female bar the founder and director of the Oppenheim Group, Jason Oppenheim and his brother Brett), the show is ostensibly about the team's professional exploits as they try and sell multi-million dollar homes around Los Angeles, for six figure commission cheques. But the actual drama lies in the fact that most of the office really can't seem to stand one another.
The star of the show is, without doubt,Christine Quinn. With her dominatrix Barbie style and effortless one-liners, Christine has won legions of fans.
Most of us have now sped through all three series of the show, so when can we expect season four to land? Grazia caught up with Christine via Zoom just as the third series landed, to discuss the Oppenheim rivalry, her $1 million wedding and the future of the show thanks to the Covid crisis.
Was your work wardrobe always so on point, or did you get a stylist for the show?
All of the wardrobe is all me, no stylists, so I'm flattered when anyone ever says that. I do my best to just curate a bunch of really cool looks throughout the week. I kind of line up and know what I'm shooting and where I'm going to be and what it looks like. I am pretty extra and over the top, you know whether cameras are there or not. Every time that I'm out of the house, I love to dress up and I have so much fun with my fashion. I’ve loved putting more time and money into my wardrobe for the last two seasons which I really wasn't able to do as much in season one. It takes a lot of money to look this cheap! If someone says, ‘You look like a stripper’, I'll say thank you.
The Oppenheim Group is populated with extremely attractive and slim women. Would there even be any point applying for a job there if you don’t look a certain way?
That’s a very interesting question, but, you know, I would say there is a very specific look to the group and you're not wrong about that. But obviously, everyone is welcome. You know Jason has dated most of them, not me of course. I don't mind if they're short, as long as they're tall when they sit on their pocketbook. That's really all that matters.
Your wedding to Christian [Richard] looks very extra in the trailer for season three...
Yes! I arrived in a gothic horse carriage. I also had this fabulous wall when you walked in, and it completely blended into the environment and there were slots with hands that came out with glitter gloves and champagne and champagne glasses. It was winter so we had ice couches and ice chairs made of literal ice, gargoyle ice luges, and fur throws everywhere. It was really really spectacular. Also the room started all white, and we got married and then everyone moved outside and we had cocktail hour outside for about an hour and then we had 80 people transforming the room to complete and total black. When they came out they were in a totally different environment with wicked trees and there was huge LED projector showing a storm and it was actually snowing. We had white swans at the altar and after we got married, we switched them out to black swans. It was just over the top.
Would you think if it wasn't being filmed that you would have invited everyone from work?
God no.
Who wouldn't you've invited if you weren't filming?
All of them. You know, I am very selectively answering that question. But, there were definitely people that were just there for the camera time. Yeah, and definitely people that were there because they are genuinely my friends.
You became a real estate agent, not knowing that you are going to become famous. Is it strange negotiating that new aspect of your life along with your former life?
It's super strange now, because I had a listing appointment the other day with this elderly couple. They were probably in their Seventies, and it was really interesting because I did the whole listing presentation and saw their beautiful home and I was like, great, I'm so excited. We're gonna list it in December. And they're like, by the way we've actually watched your show - our daughter loves it. I was thinking, ‘Oh God these people have heard me talk about getting a spider bite in my like vagina and now I'm having to sell their home.’
Have you noticed an increase in people getting in touch with Oppenheim to list their homes or to look at properties, just because they're fans of the show?
Yeah, definitely. I would say people are reaching out more, there is definitely more interest for sure. But I think that comes with the fact that I have this great audience now and there's a lot of marketing that I can do with the show and with my social media too.
Part of your job is working with celebrities on their listings. Did you hear anything about Meghan and Harry when they were looking for their home in LA - was that big news on the property market in Los Angeles?
Big news. It's all that people could talk about. My mom called me and said, ‘You know they're looking for a home, maybe you could help them.’ I was like, “Sure mom, I’ll give them a call.” But yeah, there were so many contributing aspects that went into finding Meghan and Harry a home because they needed a large home, they needed privacy, security, so a gated community. So it was this huge checklist that they had to check off.
Is it true that you didn't have a social media account before the show at all?
Yeah I never had a social media presence growing up. I didn't have social media till the show started so it was all new to me. So I just never really got into it. Believe it or not I'm quite an intellectual. I love to read books and stay in and even though it looks like I'm like this super extroverted crazy person I never really like wanted to put a lot of it out there. So that is new for me, but I'm having fun with it.
Do you think it's tough for a woman in the public eye to be outspoken?
One hundred percent, I know for a fact that if I were a male in my industry acting the same way that no one would think twice and no one would say anything, but because I am a very opinionated, ‘bossy’ woman, you know, I'm referred to as a bitch. That’s just so unfortunate in business, especially for women that we have to be labeled. But you know, the same words that come out of my mouth come out of my boss's mouth and other associates of mine who are male, and we do get treated differently. I look forward to kind of changing that narrative.
Have you already started filming for season four, or has it been affected by COVID?
Unfortunately it has been affected. So usually we get picked up after the show airs, you know, we'll hear some information, some rumblings. With season two being in the top ten [on Netflix], I think we're definitely going to get picked up. But everything has been setback due to COVID. We’re going to shoot next year, now, I'm hearing. We have such a big production, there's so many people on our crew. I don't think we'd be filming this year.
You said that Cruella de Vil had been someone that had inspired you, who are your other icons?
Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wears Prada is a huge inspiration to me. She's fabulous.
READ MORE:
Why Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn Is A Gift From The Reality TV Gods
Selling Sunset: Everything You Need To Know About Chrishell Stause