If you didn’t already know, Selling Sunset’s Bre Tiesi is the ultimate ‘It’ girl. Bre joined the cast of Selling Sunset in season 6 and has since shown she’s a force to be reckoned with.
In the Q&A below, Bre tells Spotlight everything from her challenges to her boss babe moments to balancing motherhood and her favorite Selling Sunset memories.
You began your career in modeling. What made you decide to transition to a career in real estate?
I knew I was not a 9 to 5 type of girl. I had all of these resources and people that I knew. I’ve always loved interior stuff—I thought I was into interior design at first. I was sort of all over the place. But, when I saw the commissions you could make [in real estate] I was like “Oh, ok! This is what I’m going to do. This is my way of working smarter, not harder.”
I was definitely wrong with that—it is way harder than I thought it was going to be. I just naturally transitioned due to my connections.
You’ve stated that you denied appearing on Selling Sunset in the past. What made you decide to join the show?
Leading up to the show, I was very private about my life. When I got divorced—even when I got married—my life became a lot more public. Over the years I grew a bit of tougher skin. I started to really transition and not take things to heart—I thought “These people don’t know you.”
Nick [Cannon] was a big part of my life for so long but I never shared him. I knew doing a show would be completely all-indulging—people are going to dig into you. I wasn’t ready for that, but once we were having a baby came out—and it was exposed before I even had the chance to tell the world I was pregnant—I kind of felt like “Alright. Well, f*** it!”
At this point, I can share everything. I just want to live outwardly and not hide anything. I was at a different place of my life when they [Selling Sunset] approached me again. Nick was a big supporter because this is his industry and we’ve both been in it for so long. It was just good timing.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a new member of the Selling Sunset cast?
Joining a show that’s as huge as Selling Sunset in its later stages of development, there is a level of expectation. I feel like I fit in great though. The only thing that’s happened and has been really hard is that having my son changed my entire life.
It changes the way that I work, it changes the way I think of things, it changes the way I deal with people. I was already a no B.S. type of person, but now I’m like “I don’t even want to hear you speak.” I don’t have the energy.
When the boys said something last season about me “not pulling my weight,” I was like “I’m sorry. I literally just made a human and haven’t slept. I’m up all night with him and then I’m filming 12 hour days, sourcing my clients, closing deals, and trying to look semi-decent and work out.”
For me, that was the hardest part. I felt like I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t on top of my game. But at the same time, my priority is my son. It was a very hard two seasons for me to be honest. Now, I feel like I’m balancing out a little bit, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to work as hard as I used to because I don’t want to put my son last. I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage this—it’s been difficult for me.
You have appeared on television before. How is being on Selling Sunset different from your prior TV appearances?
It’s very different. Being on a reality show, people like to think you’re a character, but you really are you—for most of us. We can’t help any sort of editing or the amount of things that people see surrounding a topic and certain things like that. But, when it comes to your personality, I feel like you get to show who you are which gives people more of an opportunity to bond with you.
I feel like when I was doing stuff like Wildin’ Out and some movies here and there, I wasn’t able to bond with an audience the way I do with Selling Sunset—they have such a big support system. I am very lucky to be on such a show.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
It’s all rewarding at the end of the day. You get to see it all come together; we know how hard we worked, how many hours we were there, how many hours go into setting up glam and picking out your outfits, and doing the scenes, and getting clients.
We have a job within a job. We have such high standards to meet. We have to outdo ourselves every season. A lot of the other girls compete but I am not somebody that believes in competing—except with myself. There’s a lot that goes into it and once you really see it, that’s a reward.
You get to be like “Oh, ok. I did that s***! Now it’s out out.” I’ve been really lucky and haven’t been dragged the way I thought I would be.
I feel that it establishes us more as businesswomen. As a woman, that’s hard to do. Even in my case, everyone wants to chop it up to my partner or people I’ve dated. Though I lean into that and embrace those things, it doesn’t make me who I am. It’s not how I got here. I hope that we give women more support and nip the narrative in the bud that women can’t do the same things as men. We are a bunch of boss b******. We work our a**** off.
What is your favorite memory with the cast of Selling Sunset thus far?
I have so many good memories with the girls. Every time we get together it’s just some sort of stupidity; somebody runs into a door; we fall down the stairs. We just have so many fun moments. I think for me my favorite was the Noah’s Ark moment.
The girls were killing me—they had no idea we were talking about Noah’s Ark from the bible. They thought we were talking about a scene from a movie. Moments like that—especially with Emma [Hernan]—are so entertaining. I love all my moments with the girls—they are the best.
What advice would you give to those looking to begin a career in real estate?
When starting real estate, it’s not so much about tests and stuff like that. It’s about your network and your reach. You really don’t learn until you’re in the door and closing deals, you’re in a listing and doing the marketing, and all of those things.
Having a mentor or somebody who shows you the ropes helps. This is a job a lot of people think they can come into independently, and even though I did, I still had a lot of help from my brokers on my first transactions and things like that.
Don’t be afraid to have support or work under someone and build your way up. At the end of the day, this [real estate] is the biggest purchase most people will ever make in their life—they’re really trusting you. That is something that people need to be aware of and take pride in.
It’s helpful if you learn other things like home materials and the neighborhoods. Some people have areas that they know really, really well and they work out of those—that can be really beneficial. It’s a lot of work. As long as you’re ready for that, it’s so rewarding.
You were born and raised in southern California. What does a perfect night in Beverly Hills look like for you?
We used to get all dressed up, go to Mastro’s, and have dinner there—they always had live music. Sometimes afterward we’d go to Nice Guy or Delilah—more of a chill vibe. I’m not someone who stays out super late, I never have been. I want to be home by 1:00 AM. That is my favorite type of night.
You’ve been recognized for your style. What’s one piece in your wardrobe you can’t live without?
Honestly, I have these Givenchy boots that are so old. They are knee-high boots and they’re the best thing I’ve ever bought. I wear them if I don’t feel like wearing a heel but still want to get dressed up.
They’re more of a wedge—which I’d never actually wear in real life. They’re so fashionable, comfortable, durable, and cute as hell. Those are my absolute go-to.
You’ve stated that fitness is a big part of your life—you even have your own fitness program. How do you stay motivated to work out while juggling being a real estate agent and member of the Selling Sunset cast?
I’ve made it such an important part of my schedule—I schedule my entire day down to the minute. I get up every morning and 6:00 AM is my workout or 8:30 AM is my pilates. I schedule everything around that and make sure I don’t miss it.
Once you fall off, it’s so hard to get back on. Even taking vacations and things like that, I would work out regardless and stick to my schedule—hungover or not. Keeping myself accountable is the biggest thing because if you’re not holding yourself accountable, who’s going to?
What can we expect from you in the new season of Selling Sunset?
A lot. A lot more of Bre than should’ve been shown. It’s a whirlwind—this season [season 7] was just crazy. We didn’t see a lot of it coming. There are some really funny moments and some sweet bonding moments with me and the girls. This season I spent a lot of time with everybody. I feel like I spent a lot of time with Heather specifically in season 6. It’s a whirlwind of emotions.
*All images courtesy of Bre Tiesi.