For years, Nēv Schulman’s name has been synonymous with his 2010 documentary “Catfish” and the follow-up series “Catfish: The TV Show” on MTV. Now the 40-year-old is adding real estate broker to his resume.
Schulman was born in New York City and grew up in the world of real estate, watching his dad, Robert Schulman, work as a broker at Coldwell Banker Warburg for decades. His grandfather, Lowell Schulman, also worked in the industry, but as a builder and developer, before he died in 2017.
“I’ve grown up in the city and have lived in so many different neighborhoods. Life in New York City is so much about your apartment and your neighborhood. You really want to feel good about where you’re going and your apartment becomes this sort of haven and place to recharge and I think that’s why I’ve always loved it,” Schulman tells CNBC Make It.
“I grew up watching my dad working and imparting his real estate wisdom on me and finding ways to translate what was happening in his real estate work life into life lessons for me.”
Schulman says his dad approached him about joining him at Coldwell Banker Warburg, and it made the “Catfish” star really start thinking about his future and what else he could do with his career.
“I thought this was the perfect time to give it a try, and here I am,” he says.
Schulman and his wife, Laura Perlongo, have three kids and lives in Brooklyn.
Taylor Hill | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Schulman started working as a licensed real estate agent in August and has yet to close his first deal, but already has plans for his first commission check.
“I have three young children, so I don’t even know if I’ll see that check. It’ll immediately hit my bank account and evaporate into the expenses of living in New York with three kids,” he says, laughing.
Schulman and his wife, Laura Perlongo, have three kids, all under the age of 10, and live in Brooklyn.
In addition to childcare expenses, Schulman knows he wants to spend some of the money on celebrating with his dad.
“I’d love to take my dad out for a fun dinner and do something like that,” he adds.
And when it comes to his new career in real estate, Schulman says he hopes to continue the legacy his father and grandfather have already established in the industry.
“If I could do that, I would be thrilled. It’s hard to imagine having an ambition higher than continuing the existing legacy of my family,” he says.
“I also really like the idea of people thinking of me as a friend and someone they can trust and I think I’ve done a good job of creating that for myself with the show. I’d love to have people when they think of me as a broker, they think they loved working with me, I was someone they trusted and someone who took the job seriously and did it well.”
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