Kendra Sells Hollywood, the real-estate reality series, returns for season two Friday on Max, and there’s a new castmember joining the ranks of the show.
Ranked in the top 3 percent of agents nationwide, Douglas Elliman’s McKenzie Ryan is the latest addition to the series, which follows former The Girls Next Door star Kendra Wilkinson as she builds a career in real estate.
Ryan has been based for years in New York —where she’s currently listing a Neo-Georgian-style townhouse on East 64th Street for $18 million— but is now going bicoastal. On the show, she is seen making her own foray into the equally hyper-competitive world of luxury Los Angeles real estate.
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“I play an incredible role on the show as this powerhouse New York broker,” Ryan tells The Hollywood Reporter. “This show really came about because I’ve been so successful in New York and I’m now expanding into other markets, Beverly Hills being one of them. I go out [to L.A.] and show what I’m made of and bring my New York energy and my talent to Beverly Hills. You see my interaction with all these L.A. agents who have never met me before and are kind of bracing for this new level of competition that I bring to Beverly Hills and to our Elliman office. We love a little competition around here.”
Ryan, who leads a team of five agents at Douglas Elliman, knows what it’s like to compete under pressure and with an audience. Named by THR as one of New York City’s rising stars in real estate in 2022, she’s a former ballerina and competitive rhythmic gymnast.
“Prior to selling real estate, which I started when I was 15, I trained for the Olympics as a rhythmic gymnast and competed all over the country and internationally,” says Ryan. “So competition and performance is in my DNA and it’s one of the aspects that really set me up for an incredibly successful real estate career. There’s nothing I love more than performing and winning as much as possible.”
However, as Ryan relates to THR, she found success after a childhood in New York where she had experiences that made her feel like an outsider. “A lot of people don’t know about my background and my past and what it’s taken me to get here. So in the show, I get to talk about that. I’m the youngest of three kids. My mom is Jewish and white and my dad is African-American and Scottish, and my siblings are both white with blond hair and blue eyes and green eyes. I really grew up feeling like an outsider in my world and in the landscape of New York City. In school, people always thought I was adopted and I never fit in anywhere.”
Ryan says she’s been able to channel that “pain of being excluded and being made fun of and turn it into an incredible strength. It has propelled me forward. I still feel like an outsider within the context of me going out to L.A. to expand my business,” she adds.
Agents of color can face numerous challenges in the real-estate world, as explored in a recent New York Times article which detailed incidents of discriminatory behavior in an industry where only 6 percent of real estate agents are Black and in which white counterparts earn incomes that are almost three times higher.
“We did a panel called Agents of Color with Douglas Elliman during Black History Month,” says Ryan, “and I spoke very openly and eloquently and, you know, broke down in tears on stage just talking about what it’s been like to make it to this level where I’m maybe one of three agents of color that sells luxury real estate in Manhattan and what it’s been like to be rejected or passed over because people think I’m perhaps inferior or don’t come from that same world of the type of buyers they are hoping to attract. And I spoke candidly about how I’ve had to fight my way through all of it and not let anything get in my way and keep my positivity and keep my faith in myself and in my future strong.”
Ryan is currently ranked in the top 1 percent of real estate agents of color in the United States with a social media presence that includes 65,000 followers on Instagram. Up next: Ryan, who got engaged last December, is working on a book that springs from her interest in historic preservation and the history of real estate in New York. Says Ryan, “I’m going to be publishing history books about the Vanderbilts’ and the Astors’ real estate empires in the coming year.”
FAQs
Ryan has been based for years in New York — where she's currently listing a Neo-Georgian-style townhouse on East 64th Street for $18 million — but is now going bicoastal. On the show, she is seen making her own foray into the equally hyper-competitive world of luxury Los Angeles real estate.
What happened with Kendra Sells Hollywood? ›
On November 17, 2021, Discovery+ premiered her new reality series, Kendra Sells Hollywood, which covered her new career as a real estate agent in Los Angeles. It was renewed for a second season on February 3, 2022. The second season premiered on May 26, 2023 on Max. The show was cancelled after two seasons.
What is the new HGTV show with Kendra Wilkinson? ›
Kendra Wilkinson is back with a new life, a new attitude and hopefully a new career as a real estate agent. Off to an awkward start, things heat up when she's uncertain if one of her leads is strictly professional or has romantic intentions.
Does Kendra have a new show? ›
About The Show
Kendra Wilkinson embarks on a new career in real estate with only eight weeks to land a spot on one of the most prestigious property firms in the world. She must rise above her old party-girl past to prove she's got what it takes to sell Hollywood.
Is there a season 3 of Kendra Sells Hollywood? ›
In an interview with People, she said that it was scary to learn that the show wouldn't be getting a Season 3. The show focused on Kendra, 38, being a real estate agent and try to sell houses in the competitive Los Angeles market. Kendra Sells Hollywood aired on Discovery+ and Max.
Why are Holly and Kendra feuding? ›
Why Doesn't Kendra Wilkinson Get Along With Holly Madison? Kendra and Holly's falling out seemed to occur when the Kendra Sells Hollywood star accused Holly of “rewriting history” in her 2015 memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole. Additionally, Kendra took jabs at Holly on her show, Kendra on Top.
Are Hank and Kendra still friends? ›
Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett have come a long way since their divorce in 2018. The former Playboy model, 38, says she and her ex-husband, 41, are on great terms and thriving in their co-parenting journey.
Are Holly and Kendra still friends? ›
During a podcast interview in 2021, Holly confirmed she doesn't have a relationship with Kendra.
Is Kendra Sells Hollywood coming back for Season 2? ›
She's previously known as one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends and for her appearance on the E! reality series, “The Girls Next Door.” Now, she's on a new journey selling homes in Hollywood and viewers get a front-row seat to it all. “Kendra Sells Hollywood” Season 2 premieres on Max on Friday, May 26.
What channel is the new Kendra show on? ›
Kendra Sells Hollywood - HGTV GO.
At the time, she was taken to a hospital for observation, and E! reported she suffered minor injuries, including possible whiplash, but was soon at home, "resting and doing fine." Now, E! reports that Wilkinson also suffered a "minor stroke" during the crash. But she's fine, says E!
Where can I watch Kendra Takes Hollywood? ›
Watch it on Max, discovery+ | Jetzt streamen, Food Network GO, Destination America GO, Cooking Channel GO, TLC GO, Travel Channel GO, Science Channel GO, Discovery Life GO, Watch OWN, HGTV GO, AHC GO, Animal Planet GO, ID GO - Watch with TV Provider, Discovery GO, DIRECTV, Philo, Sling TV - Live Sports, News, Shows + ...
When did Kendra have her second baby? ›
Kendra Wilkinson's priority is always her two kids: Hank Randall Baskett IV and Alijah Mary Baskett. The former model and her ex-husband, Hank Baskett, welcomed their first child, Hank IV, in 2009 and grew their family again when Alijah was born in 2014.
Did Kendra get married at the mansion? ›
Take a look inside the former Playmate's fairytale wedding to NFL star Hank Baskett at the Playboy Mansion!
Who married Kendra? ›
Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett in June 2017. Wilkinson and Baskett tied the knot at the Playboy Mansion in June 2009. Among the guests in attendance was Hugh Hefner, who the former NFL player said "is like a father to [Wilkinson]." Their romance was showcased on WE tv's Kendra on Top, which ran from 2012 to 2017.
Was Holly in Kendra's wedding? ›
2009: On June 27, Kendra married Hank at the Playboy Mansion. Both Holly and Bridget were bridesmaids.
Is Kendra Sells Hollywood coming back for season 2? ›
She's previously known as one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends and for her appearance on the E! reality series, “The Girls Next Door.” Now, she's on a new journey selling homes in Hollywood and viewers get a front-row seat to it all. “Kendra Sells Hollywood” Season 2 premieres on Max on Friday, May 26.
What does Kendra Wilkinson do now? ›
As real estate agent at Douglas Elliman, she covers some of Los Angeles' most coveted properties, such as Malibu, Calabasas, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
How to watch season 2 of Kendra Sells Hollywood? ›
Watch Kendra Sells Hollywood - Season 2 | Prime Video.
Did Kendra make it in real estate? ›
Kendra Wilkinson Gets First California Listing as Real Estate Agent: Take a Look Inside. Kendra Wilkinson has gotten her first listing after becoming a real estate agent. The 36-year-old former Girls Next Door star's new Discovery+ series Kendra Sells Hollywood airs Wednesday.
