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- [00:01]
Cat Zamuto
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [00:03]
T-Mobile Spokesperson
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton.
- [00:04]
Eleonora Rugo
Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.
- [00:06]
Nutra Harmony Spokesperson
Santa.
- [00:07]
Cat Zamuto
Santa, did you get my letter?
- [00:08]
T-Mobile Spokesperson
He's talking to you britches.
- [00:09]
Cat Zamuto
I'm not. Of course he did.
- [00:12]
Eleonora Rugo
Right, Santa, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.
- [00:16]
T-Mobile Spokesperson
And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?
- [00:26]
Cat Zamuto
I'm Mrs. Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.
- [00:32]
Eleonora Rugo
Or give it as a gift.
- [00:33]
Cat Zamuto
And the best part, you can make the switch to T Mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
- [00:37]
T-Mobile Spokesperson
Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 device connection charge credits and imbalance due if you pay off earlier accounts. Financing agreement, 256 gigs, $830 eligible board in a new line, $100 plus a month plan without our PayPal taxes and fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com.
- [01:02]
Cat Zamuto
Oh my goodness, you guys, my guest today is such a kick ass, incredible woman. I could not wait to talk to her. If you guys don't know her, her name is Eleonora Rugo. Not only she's one of the top luxury real estate agents in New York City, she's also the star of the Netflix show Selling the City. If you guys haven't watched it, go for it. Because Leonora is a force of of nature. I really hope she inspires you to go after your dreams. Live your best life. She's a major overachiever, super, super nice, kind chick. And I was so honored that she took time off her crazy busy schedule to have this chat with us. I hope you guys enjoy it. But before anything else, let's talk about sleep. Do you ever toss and turn because you're too hot, too cold, or just can't get comfortable? I used to. But now I have the perfect solution. And you won't believe it. It's so amazing. Slee Dove is this new luxury comforter invented by an adorable real life couple who had the exact same problem. One of them was too hot at night and the other one wasn't as hot. But they wanted to continue Sleeping together. And they wanted a tech free solution, so they came up with this ingenious patent pending design. Each sleeper has their own windows. One at the midsection and one at the feet.
- [02:29]
Eleonora Rugo
So.
- [02:30]
Cat Zamuto
So you can open or close it to keep cool or cozy just where you need it. The comforters are made from luxurious 100% cotton that feel incredible on your skin. I'm super picky with my linens and I absolutely love the way the Sleeping Dove comforter feels. These are all luxury materials. It's on my bed right now and you know my dog is asleep right next to me. Right. I stay cozy all night and when I get too hot, I just open a window. It's so easy. You can choose down or down alternative. Both are cozy, breathable, and naturally smart. It's perfect for couples, hot sleepers expecting moms and yes, people that sleep with their pets. Right now, Sleeping Dove is offering a special discount for the month of June just for new customers. You get an extra 15% off your first order. Go to sleepingdove.com Treat yourself to the comforter everyone's talking about. You're gonna love it. And change the way you sleep. Fore. Eleonora, welcome to Cat on the Loose.
- [03:36]
Eleonora Rugo
Thank you for having me.
- [03:38]
Cat Zamuto
Thank you for doing this. I know how crazy busy you are. And before I get started, I have to say, I'm not a lesbian by any means. I don't like girls. But ever since the first time I saw you on your beautiful show, selling the city, I've had the biggest girl crush on you.
- [03:56]
Eleonora Rugo
Thank you. I appreciate it. I'm not a lesbian either. But I have heard that it's fun. I. I look, traditionally I have not had like a lot of incredible sort of women in my life, but since the show, that's really changed. And so I embrace it. But yeah, unfortunately not there for me either.
- [04:16]
Cat Zamuto
Exactly. But I have to say, when I saw the show, I was like, okay, let me watch. Because I love real estate shows. I'm not in the real estate world, but I think it's fascinating. And I saw. I'm like, who is this chick? She's a force of nature. And the outfits and the power and the work. I was like, oh, my God, I want to talk to her. So first, congratulations.
- [04:35]
Eleonora Rugo
Thank you. Well, you can see that the outfits are on every day. Here I am just sort of casual. It's a Friday.
- [04:40]
Cat Zamuto
With your fabulous body. Like, dream body.
- [04:44]
Eleonora Rugo
But yeah, I mean, look, I say this often. I live with sort of a sense of pressure about time. And I always felt Like, I have one life to live. I want to live it feeling and looking my best. You know, I remember people when I was younger, people being like, oh, I'm always only going to get work done, like, after I've had kids and this. I'm like, I don't know if I want to wait. I'd rather just do what I want to do now and feel my best now. Oh, my God.
- [05:10]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah, 1 million percent. And you look stunning, by the way. So a million questions, not a lot of time. Let's do this fast and furious. You are in arguably, but I think it's the toughest place in the world in terms of selling luxury real estate. Crazy competitive, and you are at the very, very top of your career. What do you think helped you or made you get there? Do you, like, when you think about where you are, do you think there is one thing that was a big differential for you and pretty much almost everybody else?
- [05:45]
Eleonora Rugo
I come. Yeah, look, I come. A lot of people would probably say, oh, like, she's from New York. I don't know that that makes a difference. Some of the most successful agents in New York City are not from New York. Sure, there's a little bit of a learning curve that's prevented by the fact that, like, I walked these streets my whole life. But truthfully, I think I could sell real estate anywhere and I don't have the expertise that I have about Manhattan. I don't necessarily have, you know, in Brooklyn or the Bronx, things like that. I would say there, there is certainly the element of growing up here, though, where, you know, it's a, it's a global city in every sense of the world. I didn't grow up, grow up with one culture. You know, people laugh at me when I'm like, oh, I went to predominantly Asian high school, so I'm part eight Chinese. I really feel that when I say those things, I'm not, you know, I'm not crazy, but I do feel at one with all of the different cultures and people in New York. A lot of our buyers are international. I feel, you know, I've sort of always felt connected to so many people and even myself and my own identity as a mishmash of so many different regions and cultures. I really think, though, that for me, success at this level in New York comes down to, you know, a work ethic that is in line with a very sort of old school mentality that if you do not work one, you don't have a purpose. You, you know, you, you, you live to work and work to live. Those things work together for, for me, I don't. My desire to sort of like want more and do bigger does not mean I'm unhappy. It might mean I'm not satisfied. But I always want more. And that's, that's really what it is. Like I come from this mentality that if I am sleeping, others are working and that won't, that doesn't sort of align for me. And I don't know that like people really feel that way anymore.
- [07:43]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah, I think it's the same for me because, you know, I live in Beverly Hills and it's the same idea. The market here is insanely competitive and I hear a lot of women here in New York. I actually have friends that live in New York and they're like, oh my God, this real estate business is so tough. And they are really frustrated, especially after the TV shows. Right. Because they watch on TV and they think they're going to reach their level of success really quickly.
- [08:07]
Eleonora Rugo
Yeah, I agree. Like a lot of the criticism of the shows is that they put sort of an illusion out there of how easy it is. I certainly, you know, it is tv, there's a sense of editing, but I think social media creates that same illusion. I think it sort of goes both ways. And look, sorry, hold on. I'm having a crisis with a client, he keeps calling and so basically all I was going to say is that, you know, the shows have to edit things and they want to make it aspirational so they're going to do the fun stuff. But yeah, they definitely, like I would watch Million Dollar Listing and I would see there was a guy on there that would always be like, boom. And then I do this and I put this together and boom. And I'm like, huh, that's so not real. Like really for any business. I've never like done that and had a deal happen.
- [08:53]
Cat Zamuto
So yeah, lots of work. And that's one interesting thing about the, your show for people that didn't watch. I love that. I mean, you're the center of the show. You have an entire team of women under you. And I love that because for the longest time this was a male dominated market. Even when they started Million Dollar Listing, at least the one here in Beverly Hills, it was all guys and then they brought in Tracy. So when I saw your show and you're like commanding the show, you have your own team and I think the few guys on the show are kind of even. They are looking up to you and your success. Right?
- [09:32]
Eleonora Rugo
Yeah, I mean, I Actually, the guys, I would say that there's definitely a difference in sort of the experience and level of expertise of some of us on the show versus others. There's a range of sort of years in the business and success. I've known, the two guys on the show, I've known for a long time. They have a lot of respect for me. They certainly see me eye to eye as I see them. We've both. We think all of us have been in the business for a very long time and have gone through sort of different journeys, whether it was being teams, partners, companies. And so there's a. I think, a big respect, specifically with me and the men that were on the show.
- [10:12]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. So let me ask you about your team of women, because on the show, it's like, oh, my God, a lot of cattiness, a lot of, I feel, frenemy behavior. Like they're literally saying something behind your back. How do you deal with that? Because it's a lot of girls. In my experience as an entrepreneur, I have a really hard time working with big groups of women because of that, because I can't deal with the cattiness.
- [10:35]
T-Mobile Spokesperson
And.
- [10:36]
Cat Zamuto
And you are so chill and so nice to them no matter what they did to you. You're, like, very forgiving at the same time that you have to be a tough cookie because of what you do. But you were super nice and forgiving and. And understanding. How do you manage all that?
- [10:54]
Eleonora Rugo
I get it. I've actually been there. I've been hurt by women. I've actually been hurt by these women. I don't want people to think that I'm stoic about it. They have hurt me. I've certainly allowed it to hurt me. But being hurt by something and acting on it are very different things. And so I can be heard and I can cry and I can see people for who they are, but I'm certainly not going to let my emotions make me be reactive on them in any certain way. I think that, like, you then give people power when you allow them to sort of one, change who you are, change your belief system, or act in a way that is, you know, retaliatory in some capacity. I generally find that the people that talk badly about you have done a lot less in life. Oh, yeah. And that's like, what it is, is. I'm sorry, but, like, the people who take the time out to talk badly about me, it is not coming from someone I respect. It's not coming from my friend who's, you know, the mayor of New York or the chairman of my company who I totally idolize. It's not coming from women that I've admired like JLO or, you know, Hillary Clinton or Kim Kardashian. It is.
- [12:02]
Cat Zamuto
Or.
- [12:03]
Eleonora Rugo
Or billionaires that I love like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. It is literally coming from people that I couldn't care less about. And so why would I ever give them that energy? And so I try to think about how I'm going to use my time, and it's certainly not used wisely when I am thinking about how I can underscore what they are saying. I mean, I cannot tell you how many things were said on the show that were not accurate. And I have the arsenal of all arsenals to dig back. I mean, the shit that I could say about all of them is beyond the scope. But the minute I go there, I become like them. And I really waste time that I should be focusing on making money, doing other deals, making myself better and all of those things.
- [12:47]
Cat Zamuto
I love your attitude because I'm kind of the same. I think people that talk shit, especially women, I think it's heartbreaking when women talk shit about each other because the world is tough as it is. Just the fact that we're women, we have. I think we have to prove ourselves even harder. But when I see women that are working with you and for you and instead of being productive, they're saying something nasty about you when you're not in the room. It's something that they're frustrated with their own lives or maybe a little jealous of your success. I don't know. Maybe a combination, right?
- [13:16]
Eleonora Rugo
Maybe. But I don't really need to spend time figuring it out. It's not my job.
- [13:21]
Cat Zamuto
So. You mentioned you have a fantastic relationship with the big boss, right? Douglas Element, you created a team. You're the top salesperson there. I think they said on the show you sold like a $75 million property last year, which was a record in New York. Correct?
- [13:39]
Eleonora Rugo
It was a record. On a per square foot basis, it was a record for the year. That year was the highest sale. But the year after there was a bigger sale. There was one for 117 million. So I know there was one once for 240. You know, there are. People love that deal because it's a big number and it's an. It's exciting, but I truly. It's just another deal. You know, I don't think about it. I'm not, you know, I'm not worried about being a one hit wonder. There are Plenty of other deals that are more meaningful to me, that are more exciting, that are, you know, smaller or different, and I've broken records in other areas, so. No, I mean, there's so. So many exciting deals out there. The big number is fun, but it's not everything.
- [14:22]
Cat Zamuto
Well, it's amazing, your attitude to it, because you deserve to be super proud of your success. But I have to ask you, when Tay. Her name is Taylor, right? The blonde on your team, she goes behind your back to the big. I forgot. What's his name? I forgot the Howard.
- [14:40]
Eleonora Rugo
To my chairman Howard.
- [14:42]
Cat Zamuto
He's the chairman of the company. I thought, to me, if somebody did that to me, that would be the end of our relationship. Just because she did something so huge behind my back. When I saw the scene you had with her, you are so kind, and you're like, oh, I have your back. I don't want you to go through this. I'm writing you a chat. I was like, wow, she's being not just the bigger person. That's, like insane amounts of forgiveness and kindness. Like, how. I mean, can you tell me about that?
- [15:17]
Eleonora Rugo
Look, I was obviously upset. Look, I was upset. I was upset because, one, it's embarrassing. I believe that, like, when you go to your chairman for favors, there should only, you know, there should be a few, and they should be big ones or for, you know, for an ask. I think this is very important business advice for anyone. When you go to your boss, it should be limited a few times a year. You should be able to back it up. And, like, I would much rather ask for the opportunity to be like, on a new development, for example, than to borrow a couple thousand dollars. Like, there are other ways to do that and certainly in your life and when you need to borrow money or you have a cash flow problem, as she was calling it, I think that you should look at so many other people in your circle and close friends before you bring it into the workplace. But it was something that happened. It was a very real moment that I had to deal with that was caught on camera. It was not intentionally meant to be. I didn't want this to be a storyline on camera, but it was a real phone call that I got when I was shooting that scene with Steve, and I had no way around it. And look, ultimately I kind of felt like I had to give her the money. You know, I kind of felt like, you know, I couldn't really say no. Could you?
- [16:31]
Cat Zamuto
Why didn't you kiss? So? Why didn't you kick out of your team?
- [16:34]
Eleonora Rugo
Because if she is really struggling, I mean, look, she looks. She was a high performer. She was a good agent on the team. And that's even more why I was surprised. But it put me in a very bad position because, truthfully, I'm not here to give these women financial advice or tell them how to spend their money, but it is odd for me that they would say, I had a lot of them be like, I don't even have money for gas to come into the city for meetings. But then I see you at very expensive restaurants. So, again, none of this is within the purview or my scope is there. Team leader. I can't tell you how to spend your money or what to do with it. I can only look at what I'm receiving from you. And if you're not coming to meetings, you're not. You know, everyone would like to use whatever life circumstance they have for as an excuse, whether it's fertility issues, having a child, unforeseen medical expense, your husband lost his job. Like, I've heard it all, but, like, I have them, too.
- [17:29]
Cat Zamuto
That's what I was going to say. Yeah. Like, exactly.
- [17:35]
Eleonora Rugo
And I've never used it. I've never once gone and asked for money or an advance or, you know, and in advance, there. There are companies, commission companies that give you an advance with an interest, a penalty that you can do. And I've been there. I've been broke. Like, I don't understand how people can't realize that they have to support themselves. Like, you can't just go and ask people or expect that people will, like, save you and hand you a check every time, take you out to dinner, pay for your car rides. But that is what these women came to expect from me.
- [18:06]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. And it's interesting you said that because you're very open about your personal struggles on the show because, like, they're making all this excuse. Yeah, the husband doesn't work, and I want to have kids. And I was like, how the hell is any of your business? Because you've been through the same and more, and you're a single one. Like me, You're.
- [18:22]
Eleonora Rugo
But I don't need to compare whether you have a kid. You know what I mean? I don't understand. Everyone has their own struggles.
- [18:28]
Cat Zamuto
Totally.
- [18:29]
Eleonora Rugo
My parents never owned a home, never went to college. Like, I have to help who I'm not telling you who I'm supporting or paying for. It's absolutely not relevant to the workplace.
- [18:41]
Cat Zamuto
So what would it take for you to. What's the breaking point to Work with you. They'd be like, you know what, I don't want to break.
- [18:47]
Eleonora Rugo
I hit a breaking point. The breaking point is like, look, there's one thing that I do which is I show up every single day regardless of the level of success. I have someone that's worked with me on an administrative level that is paid extraordinarily well. They show up every day, I show up for them, I work on their schedule, I go to the gym every day, I stop by the office every day, I answer my clients every day. I go out at night to meet more clients, I support them at their events. I really do feel that I do it all. If at the bare minimum my team can't show up for meetings because they have, whether it's a chiropractor or pilates or, you know, I've heard every excuse in the book. Or again, medical or cold or child care, again, I don't need to have to decipher every single one. It just came to a point where if it's the team shows up half of the time and or less than half of the time, then it's a breaking point. At the year and a half mark. I sort of did an evaluation on it financially and that's it. You just sort of financially look at it and you see how much in terms of leads you give them and then how much business they generate themselves and does it pay off, does it even cover your general expenses? And, and that's how you make an assessment about people. It's as, it's as stoic as that. It's not personal, it's not about going behind my back or anything that happened on the show or was said on social media. It really just comes down to the business and is it, you know, is it working or not?
- [20:21]
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- [21:20]
Cat Zamuto
So let's talk about Jade really quickly. What's up with her? Because she wasn't on your team. She's on the show, and she claims, like, in the beginning, a few episodes, like, oh, I love Leonora. I'm great. I thought she was the biggest frenemy in the world. She's talking trash behind your back. Like, the minute you get out of the table at the restaurant, I'm like, what's up with her? What happened, like, at the last episode?
- [21:42]
Eleonora Rugo
Literally cannot answer for her. She says that this was her truth. She spoke her truth on the show. And so I guess if that is her truth, the world sees who she is. I'm not quite sure. She was someone that, you know, we were friendly, and then we were not. And I was pretty good. This was not like, a friend that I missed or wanted in my life. To be completely frank, it was. She wasn't. In my opinion, the two times that we had tried a friendship wasn't a particularly good friend. But when the show came up for me and they said, find us other women who are crushing it in real estate, I thought, you know what? There is this girl, Jade, in new development who does really well. And even though we haven't gotten along historically, like, there's no way that I can have a conversation about women who are doing well in real estate and not have her in that conversation. Oh, wow. So I wanted to bring her to the show, and, you know, through that experience, we reconciled, and we were fine. I didn't think, you know, there was no bag. You know, maybe her expectation was that we would be more like partners on the show, like Brett and Jason or something. But our businesses are completely different. They're also incomparable. I'm not sure. I'm not. I honestly, I watched it like everyone else and saw her reaction and was completely shocked. But you can see I never. I say I've known her a long time. I say that it was complicated, but I never say she's my best friend or, you know, I'm pretty careful about the language that I use.
- [23:10]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah, well, spilling the tea that you put her on the show, and I'm thinking here now in my head, oh, my goodness. If anything, she should have been grateful and kind. You know, I can't imagine somebody doing that for you. And you. You treated the person like that. This caddiness really bothers me when women do that to each other. And it's amazing to me that, like, you don't let it affect you as much. You know?
- [23:31]
Eleonora Rugo
I mean, look, I'm not made of steel. I'm certainly, I, you know, it really hurt me. But again, I really have to think about who's saying it. Is someone that I really respect in my. Receiving criticism from someone that I respect and admire and want to emulate and. Or not.
- [23:54]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah, totally. So are you guys doing season two? Is it coming back?
- [23:59]
Eleonora Rugo
I don't know at this point, like it's, they, they don't say anything. They're very tight lipped. It's been a few months. I'm not so confident in it. But I would love to. Yeah, you know, if the opportunity presented itself, I'd love to come back. I'd love for there to be some changes if we came back. Who knows, you know, I hope it.
- [24:19]
Cat Zamuto
Does because it's fantastic. Let me ask about the dating scene in New York because I live in la. Everybody here, it's even around the magazines. I don't know if you follow. They're like, oh, LA is the shittiest place in the world to date and nobody wants anything serious. La, la, la, la, la. And then I have girlfriends in New York that like, it's impossible to find a good relationship in New York. And how do you feel about it? How is the dating scene out there?
- [24:41]
Eleonora Rugo
I think New York is actually pretty hard. I don't know about. Actually I find LA pretty good. L A. I get that. Everyone's like, wow, you're so smart. I'm like, oh, really? Okay, cool, I'll take it.
- [24:51]
Cat Zamuto
Maybe they like the New York chicks here. I don't know.
- [24:54]
Eleonora Rugo
I'm not like, look, I'm not actively like dating or looking. I just sort of like live my life and see what opportunities present themselves. So I don't know, you know, I don't know what it's like, you know, if you're actively like on the hunt for a boyfriend or for marriage. I'm not, that's not me.
- [25:13]
Cat Zamuto
But I like, I don't know.
- [25:15]
Eleonora Rugo
There's like nice restaurants to go on dates too. But yeah, the sort of, the circle I guess is pretty small.
- [25:21]
Cat Zamuto
So you're not on dating apps? Like no guy would find you on any dating app. Not even Raya, Nothing.
- [25:28]
Eleonora Rugo
I mean, I was on Raya when I first like wanted to reenter the dating world. I joined Raya in 2019, 2018. Now it's been six years, but like, so I might still have a profile. But no, I'm not, I don't know. Actually it's deactivated, I guess. I have no idea. But no, I don't use it.
- [25:47]
Cat Zamuto
Okay, so you're out and about at an event or restaurant, something. Do guys come and approach you or do you feel. Because that's my opinion. Okay, tell me if you agree. I think most men are super into guys. I never thought I would say this, but this Black Friday. Instead of buying more stuff I don't need, I decided to invest in my sex life instead. We all know Black Friday is about deals, but what would you rather do? Spend hundreds of dollars in stuff you don't need or 69 bucks on improving your sex life? Yes. @baducated.com Real Talk no one ever really teaches us how to be amazing in bed. We're just supposed to figure it out somehow, right? Well, that's exactly what I thought. I found educated. I started exploring their courses because I wanted to understand not just pleasure, but connection. And it completely changed how I see intimacy. I learned simple, real techniques that make you more confident, more in tune with your partner, and honestly more empowered in your own body. Beducated is a safe space for all. And that's my favorite part. No matter relationship status, sexual orientation or gender. So if you're ready to level up your love and sex life solo or with a partner, go to beducate me cat 69. That's my code. Cat K a T69 to get 65 off the yearly pass. That's their biggest discount of the year and it's completely risk free. 14 day money back guarantee. So go to beducate me cat69 and give yourself a gift that will last. Intimidated? When it comes to powerful, successful women with strong personalities, is that the case with you or do you get approached?
- [27:30]
Eleonora Rugo
I have heard this theory for many, many years that men are intimidated. I call bullshit. I don't think men are that intimidated. Men are way more able to handle rejection than others. No, men don't usually come up and hit on me. I mean, I guess some do, but not necessarily anyone that I've ever been interested in. And no, I don't know about this whole theory that men are intimidated. I think maybe men look at their lives and ultimately want someone who is maybe softer or stay at home or not so career oriented. But I don't know if I buy the theory about being intimidated. I think men know how to shoot their shot.
- [28:10]
Cat Zamuto
I think in the beginning they say, oh yeah, no, I'm super supportive of your career, everything you do. And then as they go, unless it's a guy asking powerful or more powerful than you are, I think a lot of them, if they are not at the level of success that you are. They chicken out a little bit.
- [28:25]
Eleonora Rugo
I don't.
- [28:25]
Cat Zamuto
At least for me, my experience. So what kind of guy would you date? Would you, you know, go on a date with?
- [28:34]
Eleonora Rugo
I have no idea. I had one guy asked me on a date. Since the show came out, we had a very nice, fun date. We ended up just sort of saying friends, I guess. I'm trying to think who else, what kind of guy? I have no idea. Probably, like I said, I like guys who are very entrepreneurial, have their own job, work for themselves, own their own company. Not necessarily. I don't know if I could be with someone who's like, oh my, you know, I got my bosses calling. You know, I'm. I'm sort of the boss. I'd like to be with someone else who's sort of in control of their own day and destiny. That's really, I would say, like.
- [29:13]
Cat Zamuto
I.
- [29:13]
Eleonora Rugo
Don'T know, stronger characters. I'm not like really into like sidekicks. Yeah. More into like main character energy.
- [29:20]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. So you, you obviously want to date a guy who's successful, at least as successful as you. Right.
- [29:28]
Eleonora Rugo
If you're talking about money, the answer is no. Just sort of good at what they do. Like someone, if they care about what they do and they're the best at it, then that means a lot to me. And not all success is measured monetarily.
- [29:45]
Cat Zamuto
No. Yeah, I totally agree. Now, you said a phrase. I think it was the first episode of the show or the very beginning that stuck in my head. And I don't think I can quote exactly the phrase you said, but it was something about your. When you were becoming more and more successful, a lot of people ask, like, who's paying for it? Is there a guy behind it who helped you? And then you end up and you say, no, it's all my work. It's everything that I do. And I agree because I think it happens to me all the time as well. So many women, when they become crazy, success for everybody assumes that there is a guy behind them helping them.
- [30:25]
Eleonora Rugo
Right.
- [30:25]
Cat Zamuto
You are self made for people that.
- [30:28]
Eleonora Rugo
I think that's. I don't know if that was really the point of that. Certainly, I think that is, that is the case. There's certainly the accusations that they have sort of been or slept with someone to get to where they are or that they have a support system or they were born wealthy with a, you know, whatever. But it was more the point that, you know, when they realize that none of those factors are true, then There start to be character assassinations. And you know, where it's like, I hate. This is the number one thing I hate when women say about each other crazy psycho mental health issues, like, are you a fucking doctor? No. So shut the fuck up and go back to like, you know, this, this shit would never fly. These, like therapy words for like, me, my family, immigrants around the world, like, we don't like, it's. Come on, it's like laughable. But I do think too oftentimes this is used to describe other women and it's really sad. And just because I have an opinion and, you know, have a reaction, can express emotion, does not mean that I don't have control over those things.
- [31:35]
Cat Zamuto
Oh, my God. Yeah, I totally agree with you. Let's talk about the fashions because you're. I mean, I think that's one of the number one things people notice at the show because you look like you kill it every day. Like one more spectacular super high fashion outfit after the. Do you dress like that like on your everyday life or did you spice.
- [31:57]
Eleonora Rugo
It up for the show? I do, I dress. I mean, when I go out at night, I do dress like that. I love to put looks together. I care about what I wear, how I look. I dress for my body. I, you know. But no, during the day, I don't. I'm usually pretty comfortable during the day. I'm going to the gym, I'm at the office. When I'm with clients, I'm usually just wearing sort of maybe what you, you saw me wearing on the show, but with sneakers instead of heels. But yeah, that would be sort of how I would dress up for any sort of night out or event or a special meeting. Absolutely.
- [32:28]
Cat Zamuto
How about when you're showing apartments, do you kind of dress like that? Like when you guys were doing shows?
- [32:34]
Eleonora Rugo
I would say a little bit of a toned down version of that. But yeah, if I'm actively showing, I look good because today I'm just at the office. So, you know, oh my God.
- [32:44]
Cat Zamuto
Because your outfits are like one more beautiful than the next. And I think you guys got a lot of criticism online. Like, I saw a lot of comments online like, ah, nobody dressed like that in New York and everything, but I think girls in New York in general really care about the way they dress and they look, right? Yeah.
- [33:01]
Eleonora Rugo
I mean, maybe not to the degree that they do in la, but yeah, New York women are maybe a little more understated. And whoever said that is, you know, foolish and also can't, like, loosen up a bit. And enjoy selling Sunset. Sunset as a franchise has become so much about the fashion.
- [33:17]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah.
- [33:18]
Eleonora Rugo
That I think to go on the show and not bring high fashion and high, like New York dark fashion would have been stupid. You know, maybe a little less colorful than the LA version. The LA can be a little more ready to wear, a little more revealing. It's summer here, you know, I focused on trying to be a little more modest and a little more sort of like high fashion.
- [33:40]
Cat Zamuto
Everything was yours, all the clothes were yours.
- [33:43]
Eleonora Rugo
Everything. I didn't borrow anything. Can't speak for the rest of the cast, but for me, everything was mine.
- [33:48]
Cat Zamuto
Everything was. We know you spend a fortune on close now, before I let you go, somebody listening out there. I know all my girlfriends are going to listen from New York and la. And a lot of people think it's easy to get into this business or maybe they want to give it a try and get into real estate and become hopefully as successful as you are. Any tips? Any advice?
- [34:10]
Eleonora Rugo
Yeah, number one, it is easy to get into the business. Getting your license is relatively easy compared to other businesses.
- [34:17]
Nutra Harmony Spokesperson
Right.
- [34:18]
Eleonora Rugo
Don't have to go to medical school for seven years. Staying in the business is very difficult. So, you know, to try to set yourself up for success from the start, I would say most importantly is like, know your market, be out on the field every day. You know you're not going to get anywhere sitting at the office. You need to go to like every single open house you can familiarize yourself. You're walking down the street, take a picture of a sign, Google the building or the house later. And yes, when you're not out on the street, go to the office where there are other successful agents. Hear them, listen to them, immerse yourself with what's happening at that office and so on that notion. Immerse yourself in trade magazines, for example, online. Read the Real Deal or curb drill cranes. You want to know the lingo, you want to know who the power players are. Those are all very important things. And then lastly, I would say join a team if you can. I think a team is a great way to sort of look at it as an apprenticeship. Maybe not a way to make money, but to sort of like learn as you go. It's funny, I hate the team because it's like I feel like I'm paying you to train you from my perspective. Like, why am I paying someone to also teach them how to do it? They should be paying me.
- [35:27]
Cat Zamuto
But wait, so you pay them to be on your team even if they don't sell Anything I thought they were.
- [35:33]
Eleonora Rugo
I pay them on leads, but they're. They're leads that I could close myself. Right, right, right. So, so, so why is it worth.
- [35:39]
Cat Zamuto
It for you to have the team?
- [35:41]
Eleonora Rugo
It's. It is worth it to have certain people on the team depending on how you pay them. So if I can pay them less, it's worth it. Now I have people on my team that are far more experienced in the business and so they bring, they can self generate their own business. At the time that I started the team, half of them could not. Didn't have much of their own business, but you know, listing here and there, whatever, but it doesn't pay. But I would say if you can join a team, it's sort of like an apprenticeship and then. Or some sort of platform, you know, like if you don't have a team that you love. I'm now doing, getting into sort of the coaching space. Everyone after the show asked me if I would do mentorship and this and I would love to talk to every single person individually and I couldn't. So now I've come up with a platform where they can. I'm going to start after the 4th of July where we'll have a weekly call that'll be just like my team meeting at the office, going through tracking my organizational systems, going through leads, tips, techniques, sort of everything that's going on in the market at any given point. So I think you can either do something like that or join a team where you can have that in person, one or the other.
- [36:53]
Cat Zamuto
Oh my God, I love that. And patience. Right. Because sometimes when you're getting started, it takes a while to make your first sale. How long did it take you?
- [36:59]
Eleonora Rugo
It takes. My first meaningful sale took about six months, I would say. Before that I was sort of doing like closing deals for my team leader at $500 a pop. The first time I was able to convert someone and have it be my own buyer, it took about, I want to say, six to eight months in. Yeah. And it can take. It takes time. If you really, really believe in it, don't give up. But also you really, if, you know, people come to me who say they've been doing it for two years and haven't done anything. You have to do a real evaluation about whether or not you are doing everything properly, actually care about the business and if you're just sort of like chasing big things rather than starting small.
- [37:42]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. Are all those girls from the show that were on your team, are they still on your team?
- [37:47]
Eleonora Rugo
No. None of Them are on my team.
- [37:49]
Cat Zamuto
Oh, none of them. So you started a brand new team?
- [37:54]
Eleonora Rugo
No, I always had a team. Sorry, let me clarify. There was always a team that existed outside of what you saw on the show. So there are people that worked for me. There were always three people there that you never saw on camera.
- [38:05]
Cat Zamuto
They didn't want to be on camera.
- [38:08]
Eleonora Rugo
They just weren't part of. I mean, they were both like Netflix. It's not just. If you look at selling sunset, there's. There's eight people on that show. They have 60 people that aren't on the show. Right. So it's not about wanting or not wanting. They're just not part of it.
- [38:23]
Cat Zamuto
Okay, so Taylor is gone. Taylor is gone.
- [38:28]
Eleonora Rugo
Yep. Taylor, Jordan, Giselle, and Abby are all gone.
- [38:33]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. They didn't look like they were gonna go too far with you. I don't know. Just my vibe from watching the show.
- [38:40]
Eleonora Rugo
Listen, I tried and I tried probably more than any other boss would ever try you did. And at least I don't know about the rest of them. I know Jordan at least is pretty grateful for the skill set that she picked up and, you know, the time. The rest of them. I wish them luck.
- [38:58]
Cat Zamuto
Yeah. Anybody that watches the show can. Is going to see what I saw that you're like one of the most patient, kind bosses that I've ever seen. I don't think I would be that.
- [39:09]
Eleonora Rugo
Thank you.
- [39:09]
Cat Zamuto
Thank you so much for your time. I know how busy you are. I'm very grateful. Congratulations on all your success. And if you come my way to la, Beverly Hills, let me know so.
- [39:18]
Eleonora Rugo
We can let you know.
- [39:20]
Cat Zamuto
Let me know. I'd love to take you out the of for a drink and meet you in person.
- [39:24]
Eleonora Rugo
Sounds good.
- [39:25]
Cat Zamuto
Thank you, my love. You're gorgeous. I'm very grateful. Have a great weekend.
- [39:28]
Eleonora Rugo
Thank you.
- [39:29]
Cat Zamuto
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- [41:54]
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