4 Money Lessons From the Stars of Selling Sunset

**Jason Oppenheim** (0:00)
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**Nicole Lapin** (0:01)
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I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.
It's time for some Money Rehab.
Selling Sunset is one of the top shows on Netflix. And I know for some people, it's a show all about real estate or the drama or the outfits. But to me, it's a show all about money. And you know what? I have had a front row seat. Over the past couple of years, I've had four cast members of the Selling Sunset universe on Money Rehab, Jason Oppenheim, Emma Hernan, Mary Bonnet and Polly Brindle. And today I'm going to be pulling out four moments from those conversations that I have not been able to stop thinking about. My takeaway from my conversation with Jason Oppenheim was unsurprisingly about real estate. But the tip itself was a huge surprise. Here's the thing about Jason. He is one of the most successful real estate brokers in Los Angeles. He founded the brokerage that Selling Sunset is all about. His firm has about $5 billion in total sales. And when I sat down with him, he said something that put my jaw on the floor because I have never, ever heard a real estate broker admit this. Okay, so let me set the scene for what was happening in the interview. We were talking about renting versus buying. As you know by now, I do believe that renting can make more sense for some people than buying depending on your situation. The idea that renting is throwing away money makes me insane. So I was ready for Jason to come for me and argue with me, but he didn't. People come for me so hard when I say that renting is not throwing away money.

**Jason Oppenheim** (4:05)
It's not at all. I never understood that argument that buying and first of all, renting is, I would argue, is throwing away less money than buying.

**Nicole Lapin** (4:17)
Well, because you throw away money somewhere. You give the bank interest.

**Jason Oppenheim** (4:20)
You're either giving it to interest or you're giving it to your landlord. I don't think it. Why don't you just call the bank president your landlord? Then it's the same thing.