A Day in the Life of Celebrity Real Estate Agent Fredrik Eklund as He Prepares to Become a Dad

"Million Dollar Listing New York" star Fredrik Eklund is the top agent in U.S.

ByABC News
April 16, 2015, 4:18 PM
Fredrik Eklund is shown here talking with ABC's Rebecca Jarvis for "Nightline."
Fredrik Eklund is shown here talking with ABC's Rebecca Jarvis for "Nightline."
ABC News

— -- Fredrik Eklund has already made a name for himself as the top ranked real estate agent in New York, a reality TV star and an author -- but now he is excited to take on a new role as “dad.”

The “Million Dollar Listing New York” star and his artist husband Derek Kaplan are planning to start a family -- and Eklund already has their baby girl’s name picked out.

"I think the biggest goal of my entire life has been to have a family, and that’s something that’s happening now. That’s going to change everything,” Eklund, 37, told “Nightline.” “But I’ve just always known I’m going have a daughter and her name is going to be Milla.”

Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 12:35 a.m. ET

Eklund, who has a new book out called “The Sell,” has sold homes that run the gamut from multi-million dollar townhouses to glittering condominiums with panoramic views in the sky. He has even sold units still under construction.

He and his team sold $1.1 billion worth of real estate last year, making him the No. 1 agent in New York City. “Million Dollar Listing New York” is now in its fourth season, and Eklund admits it had helped his success.

“It’s basically tripled,” he said. “But you never know what comes from the show or what doesn’t.”

Eklund’s high-profile business has drawn the attention of celebrity clients. He just sold Sarah Jessica Parker’s townhouse, which had a list price of almost $20 million. He has also been spotted house hunting with Jennifer Lopez.

“The boring answer is [celebrities are] people just like you and me,” Eklund said. “They’re trying, on a very different budget, to find a home that works for them.”

For every apartment he sells, Eklund and his team take a 2.5 percent commission, which he said may seem like a lot of money, and their commission can range into the millions, but he added that they don’t get paid until an apartment or a building closes.

Even still, his charm and ambition have helped make him a very rich man and he enjoys the fruits of his labor. Eklund’s main mode of transportation is a chauffeur-driven Range Rover.“It is luxury but it’s also a necessity,” he said. “I am with clients all day long, i take them around. I can do a lot of deals and negotiations.”

He owns an apartment in Manhattan, which he would only say ranges in $5 to $10 million in price.

He dresses impeccably. “I think 10 percent of your income should to go clothing,” he said. “This coat was $3,000."

And he says he gets a $275 haircut every three weeks.

“The haircuts are expensive, but it’s a piece that you wear every day of your life, and everyone is going to see it,” he said.

Eklund insists he is just like the rest of us, and his success is hard won. Originally from Sweden, Eklund said he came to the United States “with nothing.”

“I had never done a real estate deal in my life,” he said. “When I first came to New York and became a real estate agent, my first apartment was $550,000 that I sold. I mean that was a big price point for me.”

He also briefly experimented with doing gay porn for a week, a fact he has always been open about.

"I got an email, and I was very young, and I said, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’ I tried it and I was done,” he said. “It’s not something that I’m proud of, but I’m not ashamed of it, either. I’m very neutral to it. I never really think of it anymore. I was worried when I did it that I would meet someone that I would fall in love with someone who would say uh-huh. So thank goodness I met Derek who doesn’t care. He loves me.”

Now as a luxury real estate agent, Eklund is trying to pass on the secrets to his fame and fortune in his new book, “The Sell,” a guide book on how to best the best, no matter what field of work you’re in.

“Selling is universal,” he said. “We are all selling. When you go on a date you are selling. When you go on a job interview, you are selling. In my job, selling real estate is just selling. I sell real estate, but it’s no different than selling insurance or cupcakes or gym membership. It really isn’t, because it’s about people.”