Addicted to SELLING SUNSET

Skyscraper heels, astronomical commissions and jaw-dropping one-liners are enough to keep us hooked, but who exactly are the stars?

- FRANCES LEATE

I've just sold a $40 million house,’ grins Brett Oppenheim casually as he types on his laptop while his team looks on. Later, employee Christine Quinn totters into the office in five-inch Louboutin heels, her thigh-length blonde hair flowing behind her and her Balenciaga handbag hanging from her gym-honed shoulders.

‘I’m organising a Botox-and burgers-themed open house,’ she quips as she’s met with aneye-roll from her glamorous, designer-clad colleagues.

It’s just another day in the life of The Oppenheim Group, a real-estate brokerage based in the Hollywood Hills, run by twin brothers Jason and Brett. And it’s a world away from any estate agent’s here in the UK, providing a much-needed escape from the stress of the pandemic.

So is this why Netflix reality show Selling Sunset has proved so popular this summer, with fans admitting to all-night binges? ‘When we’re absorbed in a TV show – and especially during a binge – our minds are in a hypnotic state, and it’s easier for us to forget stresses, anxieties and boredoms that plague everyday life,’ says psychologist Natasha Tiwari (natashatiwari.co.uk).

Focusing on seven main agents – Chrishell, Mary, Davina, Maya, Heather, Amanza and Christine – Selling Sunset follows these ridiculously tall, stylish women as they make their way in the industry.