Exclusive: Nicole Young of ‘Selling Sunset’ Hunts for a Bigger House—for Herself

On Netflix’s “Selling Sunset,” luxury real estate agent Nicole Young is used to giving fans glossy glimpses into her career and private life—and she’s about to get even more personal between seasons as she prepares to put her own home up for sale.

Young’s big reveal to Realtor.com® about her Woodland Hills, CA, property comes on the heels of the hit reality show’s Season 8 release earlier this month. Her forthcoming move proves that all the drama and real estate action doesn’t stop once the cameras cut.

“We love our home, but we just need more square footage,” Young explains. “It will be a fun journey, and we’ve already started looking.”

Excited to hear how the selling and buying experience is going so far, we got Young to tell us which home improvement projects she’s completing before listing her place and what upgrades she wants in the next house. Her expert insight and practical tips are eye opening, whether you’re jumping into the market yourself or just watching it play out on TV.

What is your personal home like?

We own a home in Woodland Hills. Single story, four bedroom, three bath, about 2,800 square feet. The best part of our property is we’re on a 28,000-square-foot flat lot, so we have a pretty fun backyard paradise which we spend a significant amount of time in. We did a pretty extensive renovation about two years ago.

We were planning to stay here quite a bit longer, but we are actually going to be putting our home on the market sometime this year or early 2025 and upgrading to a bigger house. It will be exciting to see where we end up.

How is the home search going so far?

This last weekend, I’d been eyeing this property that had been on and off the market for a few months, which is not abnormal for the current market that we’re in. We went to go see it, and we absolutely fell in love with it. I don’t know if that will be the exact one, but it definitely encouraged us to really get motivated and get our home in the market months sooner than we had initially expected.

What upgrades do you have planned to prepare your home for sale?

We’re going to be painting the exterior of the house. That’s a major curb appeal aspect.

We’re going to be doing an extensive amount of little tweaks here and there to really make it as picture-perfect as possible. Even down to—I mean, listen in Woodland Hills in particular, it’s been extremely hot the last month—so taking out plants that maybe got a little sun-scorched and replacing things here and there.

I’m a very detail-oriented person, and we’ll be doing a lot of last-minute finishes to get everything just perfect. I would say probably a good month’s worth of things we still need to do. I would say that’s pretty indicative of any home that’s going to go on the market. You really want to give yourself at least a few weeks—if not a month—to just do all of those last-minute things that really make a difference in the end.

What’s your best advice for buyers and sellers in today’s market?

For buyers—particularly the buyers who are going to be getting a loan—I would really recommend speaking to several lenders and or a mortgage broker. Shopping around, not just getting one quote, but really doing your due diligence. I would recommend doing that several months before you’re ready to start seriously looking, so you have time to get your financials in order [and] make any recommended financial changes so you’re really ready to hit the ground running. Because what you don’t want to do is find yourself in a position where you start looking, you find the perfect home, and then realize your financials aren’t in order, preventing you from making an offer. So preparation on the financial side is definitely key.

For sellers, I’d also say preparation is of utmost importance. For me, I give all my sellers a very detailed handbook that I created, which goes over all the key elements of getting your home ready to be put on the market because first impressions are everything, and you only get one chance to nail it. So, two different sides of preparation, but those things are key on both sides.

What missteps do you see buyers and sellers making these days?

For buyers, on the financial side, for example, I have a client who was like, “We’re going to pay off our car loan” and I go, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t make any big changes right now.” You want to show consistency. You don’t want to have any big purchases or even paying off any debts. Go through the process first; get that all settled. But a lot of people think, “Let’s clear the deck,” and that’s not necessarily something that’s going to help you in terms of obtaining the best condition for getting a loan. That’s why I always say speak to professionals beforehand so that you’re fully ready and prepped when you want to get out there and start seriously looking.

What was it like filming Season 8 of “Selling Sunset” during a generally tough time in the real estate market?

I was happy that we were able to show the ups and downs of the real estate market. Sometimes with “Selling Sunset,” we just show the very glamorized side of real estate, which, it’s just not indicative of real estate as a whole. Being able to show that there are plateaus and peaks and valleys, that was a much more realistic side of what we do day to day.

But also, an ongoing challenge that we have with filming is finding clients—in particular sellers—who want to film or want their property shown because some people want privacy and confidentiality. However, with a tougher market, I think a lot more clients—and again, sellers—are more willing to film because they’re able to reach a much wider and international audience. The benefits of filming were much more apparent.

Can you share an example of a client who started off as a viewer?

I don’t remember the property that piqued their interest, but a current client of mine from Australia was a huge fan of the show, reached out to me and was like, “Properties in L.A. are so stunning! My husband and I really want to move over.” They are currently in the process of moving to L.A., and it was “Selling Sunset” that actually initially piqued their interest to make that move. It’s exciting for them and for me, and they’ve both become great friends.

That wider international audience can be a huge selling point for buyers and sellers alike and also for people around the world to see what L.A. has to offer.

Were any of the properties you checked out on the show a good fit for your clients?

For Huntley [Drive in West Hollywood, CA] specifically, I was previewing that for a client who actually owned a home about a block and a half away. She’s a designer, and she’s always looking for her next project. I sold her last home to her like two years ago, and she did a complete renovation inside and out. Made it absolutely beautiful. She was looking for something in that very specific area that she can start a new project on.

I quickly determined that that wasn’t the exact right fit for her mainly because the interior. She wants to be able to add value—not necessarily adding square footage because that’s hard to do in that specific area of West Hollywood with smaller lot sizes—but whether it’s adding a pool or reconfiguring the layout interior-wise, it just wasn’t quite the right fit.

But even though it wasn’t, it’s really good for me to be able to communicate to her what’s on the market and what’s happening. Just really keeping my finger on the edge of everything that’s going on, which is why it’s so important for realtors to always go and see homes in person and check them out—whether you’re specifically looking for a client or just to keep your finger on the pulse of the market and everything that’s coming on.

I’ll say, too, for inventory as a whole, we’ve seen a lot more inventory hit the market in the past two months, which is great because it was slim pickings for a while. But even still, supply is still a bit short of what economists say is truly needed for a balanced and healthy market, but we’re making strides in the right direction.

In the finale, a colleague called you the highest producer in the office. How does it feel to hold that title?

When it comes to sales, I’m always most competitive against myself. There’s always more properties out there to sell, there’s always more clients to get. I think it’s a good motivator, but I think the biggest person you can have competition with is yourself. Like, there’s no top. You can always do better and produce more, and I hope one day I’ll look back and have 10 times the amount of closed sales that I currently do.

Do you have a current listing you’re particularly excited about?

I have a listing on Doheny. It’s a traditional estate, and it’s just oozing with Old World charm and meticulous details. It’s pretty stunning.

I have that one currently on the market, and then I have an upcoming listing—it’s not on the market yet, it will be in about a month or so—but it’s in Malibu. Unobstructed ocean views from every room in the house, custom walnut finishes throughout, 20-foot ceilings, and it’s just in pristine condition, so I’m really excited to bring that one to the market in a few short weeks as well.

What’s the most recent sale you were proud to close?

Two clients of mine, they’re both doctors, first-time homebuyers. Working on the luxury side or first-time homebuyers, it’s generally two very different experiences, but there’s just something that feels so good about getting someone into their first home, particularly in a very challenging market like L.A. They had a very specific needs and wants list, and I was very happy to blow away their checklist and find them exactly what they wanted. They couldn’t be happier, and it’s a great feeling.

Did you ring the famous office bell for that one?

Funny enough, it wasn’t aired, but this season was actually the first time I’ve ever rang the bell. I normally don’t. I don’t know why. I think mainly just because it’s so loud. If you were there in person, you’d fully understand; but like, your ears just ring for quite some time afterward. Some people love it, some people, it’s not high on the importance list, and that’s kind of where I sit on that.

The fashion featured on “Selling Sunset” is as much of a draw as the trophy properties. Do you step it up for film days, or is that how the cast dresses normally?

For sure we step it up for the cameras. It’s definitely a big part of the show. We always dress professional with clients, but it’s on another level for when we film, and it’s an aspect that the audience really loves. But certain outfits you’ll see, they probably wouldn’t be things that you’re going to put on if you’re going to be in front of clients.

Looking back on your career so far, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned?

The biggest thing is always having my client’s best interest no matter what. I see myself as my client’s advisor rather than a salesperson. Especially when I’m representing a buyer. I walk into a home, and I want to point out every red flag [so] they go into a situation eyes wide open.

For transactions in general, I would say particularly beginner realtors, a lot of times they’ll see the agent on the other side of the deal as an adversary. You’re going up for battle, you’re trying to challenge each other, and having your client’s best interests. When in reality, yes, you always honor fiduciary duty above all else and always have their best interest, [but] it really is in everyone’s best interest to realize the agent on the other side of the deal, you guys are both working towards the same goal. When you can work together as a team, it benefits everyone: It’s a simpler transaction, a lot of pitfalls can be avoided, communication is better, and it’s just an overall better experience for everyone. So seeing that other agent as someone you should work with is a huge benefit, and I think that’s something that agents learn after a couple deals.