Netflix's Selling Sunset stars to open first Dubai real estate office

The real estate agency behind Netflix hit Selling Sunset is expanding into the Middle East with its first UAE office in Dubai, while a local version of the reality show could also be on the cards. 

According to UAE-based publication The National, which cited Omar Abaza, a friend and business associate of Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim, the Los Angeles-based Oppenheim Group, co-founded by Oppenheim, has chosen Dubai for its fifth international office. 

The firm's expansion into the Middle East is being led by Abaza, with recruitment already under way to build a team of estate agents who could potentially appear in a Dubai-based reality series. 

The Dubai office will join the agency's existing locations in Newport Beach and San Diego in California, alongside its Cabo San Lucas office in Mexico. 

The 6,500-square-foot Dubai office is expected to launch in December, according to The National.  

The UAE operation will initially comprise 20 brokers and feature a growing portfolio of luxury residential properties across Dubai, backed by the firm's international client network. 

The brokerage plans to grow its Dubai team over the coming months, while its agents are also expected to pursue opportunities in Abu Dhabi's property market. 

In a separate interview with People, Oppenheim confirmed that the company aims to increase its UAE workforce to as many as 40 agents, saying he wants “to keep the family atmosphere, and we want agents that are experienced and successful”. 

Oppenheim, who is currently filming the 10th season of Selling Sunset, also hinted that viewers could eventually see the franchise expand into the Middle East. 

“Let’s put it this way, the show covers the brokerage and the brokerage is moving to Dubai. So it could be that people will see it be discussed when season 10 comes out," Oppenheim told People. "Obviously, they won’t see the finished office,” he noted, as the season is already in production. 

Selling Sunset centres on luxury property agents operating in Los Angeles, Orange County and Tampa.  

The series is also known for its distinctive deal-closing bell, which agents ring after completing a sale.