When Brandi Marshall first landed in Orange County, she wasn’t sold — she didn’t see herself as a “Housewife” type.
“I had been living here for maybe about three or four months. My husband’s job relocated us to Orange County, and I wasn’t very thrilled about it, because all I thought of was Orange County Housewives, and I was just like, ‘I don’t fit in with that,’” Marshall told Inman.
Like so many agents, she got licensed after buying her own home in 2017 with her husband, retired NBA player Sean Marshall. She was selling “regular,” “suburban” homes when her family was relocated.
That’s when she decided to go all in on high-end real estate, both for the flexibility it offered her two kids and for the paycheck.
“It was a very big goal at the time because I didn’t have a sphere of influence or people that I knew in Orange County. I didn’t really know anyone, but I was like, ‘You know what? I’m up for the challenge,'” she said. “So that’s how I ended up in Orange County luxury. I was with a much smaller brokerage, and I was hashtagging ‘OC real estate,’ trying to find clients. And I think one of the producers told me about the office opening and asked me if I wanted to interview for the job. And I did. Jason [Oppenheim] loved me, and then I got hired.”
With the job came a spot on Selling the OC. Marshall’s fourth season debuts on Netflix today.
In this season of the hit Selling Sunset spinoff, viewers see less of Marshall, who was heads-down except in rare moments when giving advice or coming to the aid of newcomer Ashtyn Zerboni after everyone in the office seemingly turned against her.
In a world where drama equals airtime, viewers learn very little about the more buttoned-up colleagues, who barely appear on screen. That’s why Inman sat down with the OG cast member to get to know her better off-screen. What follows is the conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Inman: When we talked previously, several of your castmates said that the show is very different from what you do off-camera. What’s the difference?
Brandi Marshall: Well, the difference is a lot of times we’re walking through, and we’re touring the home for TV. So we’re pointing out all of the like, sexy features, but we don’t really get into the nitty gritty, which is the numbers, or our negotiation or what we’re going to have to do to outbid someone … So you guys see a glimpse of a showing, which is a lot of times recreated, because I never do showings in full glam and like seven inch heels — ever — especially if it’s new construction, and they’re building still … That’s just an accident waiting to happen.
[In real life], you see the real suits. You see the olive greens, you see the blacks, you see things like that. A lot of times, you’re not seeing the hot pink and the little short mini skirts that we’re wearing.
That’s the TV part of it, and that’s fun. I love that part. But I do want to be taken seriously, so when I’m at a real showing, a lot of times you’re not going to see that.
The drama this season centers, perhaps unsurprisingly, around Alex Hall and newcomer Zerboni. Seemingly, you took Zerboni’s side, which you have done for other agents against Hall in the past. What’s your relationship with her today? How do you get through the day-to-day when you’re filming and working side-by-side with someone you’re feuding with?
Well, Alex and I don’t necessarily have a feud. To be honest, I just think she owes me an apology. I think that some people will avoid you at all costs instead of just acknowledging, ‘Hey, you were right.’
You know what I mean?
And that’s OK, because I know I was right. I don’t need her to apologize, but I think maybe that’s why there’s an awkwardness between her and I, but I can recognize that. I was just being a true friend to her at the time and telling her that I felt like she was putting herself in a bad situation [dating Tyler Stanaland] … there was never any ill intentions on my behalf, but I don’t have any feud with her, but I did really resonate with how Ashtyn felt because it’s almost like there’s an elephant in the room, and if anybody speaks on the elephant, then you’re a bad guy.
So that’s why I took her side … we’re filming a TV show, so we’re going to be honest, and we’re going to be frank. And I don’t understand why there are certain topics that just cannot be talked about. I think that’s weird.
What’s your take on the real estate market?
This has been the most frustrating year in real estate, and that’s another reason why [you see less of me on the show] — I can’t fake. And it just was a tough year … At the end of the day. It has been very hard, just the unknowns and the ups and downs of what’s happening.
I’d like to think that interest rates are going to improve by the top of the year. That’s my prayer is that we can start getting a little more activity going … [Buyers are] doing everything and making sure that every single box is checked before they pull the trigger on anything, even my wealthy clients. So it’s just a really frustrating space to be in for real estate agents.
Would you say that interest rates are the biggest barrier to business right now?
I think the interest rates, and I think the unknown situation on tariffs. I think because they don’t know what’s going on, they just want to sit back and kind of wait until it just resolves itself.
But right now, this is the market for people who are going through a divorce, who’ve had a death in the family, job relocation or actually need to sell real estate, not just want to. That’s just what we’re seeing. The people who actually need to move are the people who are making moves. If not, they’re not doing anything.
How has LA’s ‘mansion tax’ impacted your business?
If anything, it’s helped us because more buyers would like to purchase out in Orange County because of that tax. They don’t want to get involved in that. So I do hear [about it] in our meetings, Jason discusses it, but thank God we don’t have that out here, and we haven’t had to deal with it.
Aside from the external pressures on the industry, there’s also this private listings battle going on within the industry. What’s your take on that?
I don’t love the private listings thing. I just think that as a community, we all work better when we are working together … sure, [private listings] may look great to the client, and it’s an ego stroke for the brokerage. But as an industry, I think it sets us back. I think it sets us back many years, instead of us thinking forward, especially in the market that we’re in. Is this the best option for our consumers? I don’t think so.
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