If youāre like me, you were very excited to tune in to last nightās super sized premiere of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles. For me, the anticipation was even greater than normal, given Iād spent my afternoon chatting over tea and crumpets with the lovely David Parnes and James Harris. Both gentlemen were incredibly easy to talk to, complimentary, and gracious. I may create some kind of mix of their responses on my sound machine so that their lilting accents can lull me to sleep at night? Weird? Iām totally kidding thenā¦
Yesterday I shared my interview with James, and he filled us in on working the Malibu scene with Madison Hildebrand while refraining from dishing any dirt on his dear pal David. Did David return the favor? Youāll have to read and see. He does share some crazy open house shenanigans (Iām going to replay in my mind him excitedly stating āpandemonium!ā while figuring out how to work that word into my everyday vocabulary, using his accent when I say it, of course) and hints about difficult times in his personal life weāll be privy to this season.
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE! Ā
Sharing what fans can expect this season, David begins, āBig properties, we kick off with a big listing, which come to think of it, is the biggest of our career. Yes, it is, and itās really, really exciting. We have some ups and downs, with a little bit of drama, which comes organically. Itās just a great way to kick off the season, landing such a big listing, but it still demonstrates that even when you get a listing, it doesnāt mean itās going to be smooth sailing, it showsā¦the unexpected things that can happen.ā
David also joins in the Flagg fan club when asked who of his L.A. counterparts heād enjoy working with the most, responding, āThatās easy. We really like Josh Flagg. I think I can speak for both of us, and Iām sure James said the same. Heās a good guy, heās a friend. Heās very cool, laid back, and funny. Heās honest and easy to work with. Iād definitely say Josh Flagg, nothing against the other two, itās just heād probably be the top choice for sure.ā
I inquire whether weād be seeing more of his personal life this season, and David hedges around the question, āYes, um, there is, ah, some personal stuff. Itās not the best, but it is what it is. Itās life. Things happen, and thatās basically a part of life. So the answer in a nutshell, is yes.Ā I love my dogs, you know Iām engaged. Weāre getting married next year, which is amazing.ā
Well, if that wasnāt the perfect segue to change the subject! I had to know if we would be seeing yet another MDL wedding courtesy of Bravo.
David reveals, āWeāll have to see if thereās a season ten, wonāt we? We begin shooting in January, and weāre shooting eleven months of the year. Iāll pretty much have a better idea in January. Weāre getting married July 23rd, and weāre getting married in Europe. Weāre actually getting married in the South of France, so it all depends. James will be there, Josh Flagg will be there, and you know, hopefully the cameras will be there too. Weāll see how it goes. Itās very exciting and obviously a very important time in my life. We are moving into our house together because last season we actually sold it. We built it and sold it instead of moving in. This season we built another house and itāll be finished in four weeks, so we are definitely, definitely moving in. I am not NOT moving in this time. This house is not for saleā¦yet,ā adding, āI want to live there for at least two years and then Iāll probably keep it as a rental investment and build something else. You kind of get the bug from building, itās addictive. Itās fun and you make good money from it.ā
Discussing his craziest listing to date, David recalls, āI think crazy in a good way would actually be one featured last season, on Beachwood Canyon in Hollywood. It was just a really cool vibe. The owner actually ended up disappearing on us and we ended up dealing with his dad. It was just the most bizarre experience, but it was good. He was a proper burner, so he went to Burning Man and took it very, very seriously. So we held a Burning Man themed open house, and it was very effective. We ended up selling that for asking price, actually over asking price. It was crazy because of the way it went down and how much fun we had. It was just a great experience.ā
What kind of elaborate open houses will be featured this season? David gushes, āWe hold some crazy parties ā weāve got some really cool open houses this season. We held one in particular at one of our listings ā it was on the market with another agent, and they couldnāt sell it so we got it ā and there was drama surrounding this one as well, but the open house was incredible. It was a White Party, but it wasā¦when I say were expecting only about two hundred people to show up ā we had seven hundred people show up! It was insane. There was a traffic jam going all the way down to Sunset. People were fighting because the valet was all the way at the end of the road, and itās quite a long road. We had shuttles to shuttle the guests up to the house, and at the bottom was this fight and all this traffic. It was absolute pandemonium, but so worth it. It was an amazing party. We had cigar bars, we had a chocolate bar, and a tequila bar. We had daiquiri bars, just all sorts of bars. There were bongoĀ players and salsa dancers, a deejay. The house is amazing and the views are incredible. Itās one of those modern cool Hollywood pads with twenty-six foot ceilings and automated doors.ā
Avoiding the drama isnāt easy with this crowd, but David and James seem to do it well. David explains, āWeāre just trying to do what we do. Itās a very competitive environment, itās very cutthroat, and it affects every aspect of our lives. Itās important to stay grounded and remembering whatās important, what comes and what goes, and whatās thereĀ forever.ā
He continues, āMyself and Adrienne, we are planning a wedding, and we just put the deposit down on the venue in the South of France. We went wedding shopping, venue shopping. We kind of coincided that with our vacation we planned in the summer. I actually took my brother and sister, Adrienne brought her sister. We all went, all the siblings together, to Capri where I proposed to Adrienne last summer. With the wedding and personal issues that Iāve been going through with my family, itās pretty overwhelming, but you just do it. You get up in the morning and you donāt let it get the better of you. Itās just being able to realize, like I said, whatās important, and what needs to be done now. You know, I need to put time into my relationships, and I think itās really, really important. Taking it one day at a time and just kind of dissecting that day it comes.ā
When I requested a crazy story about James, David seemed game, asserting, āThereās so many, so I have to go through and think of what I can actually sayā¦.he was quite mischievousĀ back in the day.ā However, loyalty got the best of him, so Iām stuck having to imagine just how naughty James wasā¦David too. š Again, I am so appreciative that these two took the time to speak with me. They could not have been kinder or more delightful ā such an endearing duo!
TELL US ā WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE MILLION DOLLAR LISTING LA PREMIERE? WHICH BRIT MAKES YOU WEAKER IN THE KNEES?Ā
[Photo Credit:Ā Tommy Garcia/Bravo]