‘Million Dollar Listing Miami’s’ Samantha DeBianchi Explains Advantages of Being a Girl in Real Estate

The successful realtor wants to change minds about women in business and real estate in Magic City

Million Dollar Listing Miami - Season 1
Alex Martinez/Bravo

Some viewers may already recognize the feisty realtor from her numerous appearances as an expert on TV, including Fox News, as well as serving as a weekly real estate advice columnist for South Florida’s Sun Sentinel.

With all that ambition, it’s hard to believe that DeBianchi didn’t set out to get cast on the Miami spinoff of the series. She says that it was a mix of chance and her own planning.

“I guess it was kind of a mix of both, to be honest with you,” DeBianchi told TheWrap.

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“They essentially sought after the top agents. I was one of them and now I am here,” she elaborated. “They were also looking for something different.”

TheWrap spoke with DeBianchi about what sets women apart in the real estate game and her take on her male co-stars, Chad Carroll and Chris Leavitt.

TheWrap: Were you a fan of the Million Dollar Listing shows before you were cast?
Samantha DeBianchi: I have been a fan of the show since Day 1. I loved it and I’m obsessed with the show. I think it is awesome. Its funny, but you also see deals. I’m a big fan.

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Do you think your approach is anything like the guys we have seen on previous shows?
One hundred percent. Obviously it’s not always the situation but a lot of the time you go with the guy and the client says, ‘Well I don’t like the kitchen.’ The guy will say ‘OK, lets go to the next location, no problem.’ But, the girl will approach it emotionally and actually ask, ‘What don’t you like about the kitchen?’ or ‘What are you looking for?’ She’ll be a little bit more geared towards the senses rather then being like ‘OK, on to the next one.’ So, I think you really see that with my company my tagline, ‘It’s about people work, not paperwork.’

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve talked people out of buying things just because I don’t want them to call me one day and say, ‘Sam, you sold me the worst investment ever.’ I’m born and raised here, so I know everyone. I don’t want to run into someone who’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe you did this deal for me or that deal for me…’ It means a lot for me to be able to do the right thing, and I think realtors get a bad reputation with that, and I hope that when you watch the show, you’ll think differently.

Let’s talk about your co-stars. How would you describe Chris Leavitt?
Chris has been in the business for quite some time, very experienced. He’s great. I mean, he’s a really great guy.

And Chad Carroll?
Chad is like a brother, and we have that relationship, for sure. We actually have the same birthday and we’re the same age, so it’s a little bit weird. We literally finish each other’s sentences. It gets kind of weird. But Chad, I love him. He definitely has his ego and sometimes he needs to check it, but again, he’s extremely successful, so he has a right to be in a certain time and place.

Previously, you worked in the hospitality business and transitioned into real estate?
I’ve had my company for 3 years.

So, Chad has been in real estate for a longer time than you?
A lot longer. They’ve both been in it for a lot longer than I have, but I have a lot more exposure than both of them for the shorter amount of time that I’ve been in it. Again, I think it might be a female thing, I really like to educate people on the market, take the time to make sure that they really understand what they’re doing and some people are just about the deal. I’m not that way. I need to sleep well at night. And again, I think that’s something that you’ll see. I love educating people. It’s essentially why I created a college course when I was younger, because I just think there’s more than just selling. I think you really need to be genuine at what you do. And I love what I do, so that’s why I love even teaching it.

Will you and co-stars cross on any listings?
Oh, yeah. It’s going to be fun.

Why do you think Bravo honed in on Miami for its newest city in the franchise?
You think sun, fun, glitz, glamour, nightclubs, you know, the beach. Nobody really works. And, some of that is true. But, there’s definitely some hardworking people out here and a ton of hustle. And again, I think you see that on the show. I hope that people get a whole new idea and outlook on Miami. There is a very successful group of people that do have work ethics, people that do go out there and hustle and that are competitive and want to be bigger than, you know, anyone else and anything else.

“Million Dollar Listing Miami” premieres Wednesday at 9/8c.

Get to know a little more about Samantha by touring her home. Watch the video below.

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