Amazon Prime commissions glitzy Sydney real estate reality TV show

If you’re one of the people who binged Selling Sunset during lockdown, we have good news for you.

Australian fans of glitzy reality series Selling Sunset are going to froth over a new high-end real estate series being filmed in Sydney.

Commissioned by Amazon Prime Video, the unnamed local TV show started production this week and will follow three property agents – selling agents Gavin Rubinstein and D’Leanne Lewis and buyer’s agent Simon Cohen – as they wheel and deal luxury properties in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

The series promises to combine jaw-dropping harbourside properties worth millions upon millions with the intense drama of a competitive market fuelled by big personalities who’ll do whatever it takes.

If the popularity of Netflix series Selling Sunset (which features real estate agents selling luxury properties in Los Angeles) during the COVID lockdown will attest, that’s a formula which will appeal to a wide audience.

If nothing else, the Sydney-based show may offer some insight into how these homes are fetching the kind of outlandish prices that makes an average Sydneysider’s eyes pop before lamenting how overpriced the market is.

The ‘Queen of Queen’s Park’

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The three personalities at the centre of the series are well-known in high-end real estate circles.

Real estate agent Lewis is a principal at Laing+Simmons Double Bay, was once known as the “Queen of Queen’s Park” and has a record of well north of $100 million in sales.

Rubinstein runs his own firm within the Ray White Group (where he was top salesperson for many years) and one profile called him Australia’s most divisive figure in real estate.

Oh, and apparently, he quotes LeBron James and has his sunnies custom-made in Los Angeles – make of that what you will.

Cohen is the co-founder of Australia’s largest buyers’ agent firm, Cohen Handler, which he started in 2009 and now has offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Cohen’s website says he’s the highest grossing buyer’s agent in the country.

Simon Cohen is a buyer’s agent

The series is being produced by Eureka Productions, which also works on other reality franchises including Farmer Wants A Wife, The Real Dirty Dancing and The Amazing Race Australia.

Chris Culvenor, co-chief executive of Eureka, said in a statement: “Sydney’s real estate market is unlike any other in the world, it’s a brilliant mix of big personalities, spectacular properties and high-stakes deals.

“Sydney’s real estate sales continues to grow each year and at the heart of these multimillion-dollar deals is the outstanding local real estate agents.

“Amazon Prime Video is uniquely placed to share stories with audiences in more than 200 countries and territories, showcasing one of the world’s most stunning cities to a global audience, through the lens of our real estate dynamos.”

The series will be filmed on location around Sydney under COVID guidelines.

Gavin Rubinstein is a well-known Sydney agent

It’s the latest in a string of Australian productions Amazon has invested in since launching its Prime Video offering in this market.

Other local series including comedy competition LOL: Last One Laughing, which was hosted by Rebel Wilson and cricket docuseries The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team.

Upcoming is a Packed to the Rafters revival, Back to the Rafters and an untitled docuseries which followed the AFL season with behind-the-scenes access capturing the dramas of a COVID-affected competition.

“Prime Video has commissioned five Amazon Originals series in Australia since 2019,” Erika North, Amazon Studios Head of Originals Asia Pacific, said. “We are looking forward to continuing our work with talented Australian producers to showcase the beautiful backdrop Sydney provides and give customers a glimpse into the world-class real estate market in this iconic city.”

Last month, the federal government overhauled the system which previously regulated content quotas for local drama, documentary and children’s programming.

It also harmonised the producer offset at 30 per cent for TV and film productions – previously it was 20 per cent of TV productions and 40 per cent of film productions.

While it didn’t impose any local content quotas for international streaming services including Amazon, Netflix and Disney, the new rules will require them to report their Australian content investments.

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