Buying London – houses, flats and lots of Jews
Jews have long been drawn to the world of real estate. The new Netflix show takes us through the front door
Whether you’re buying or selling you should definitely be watching and as the format has proven time and time again, audiences just can’t help getting sucked into reality tv drama. Following the success of US smash hit Selling Sunset (now in its seventh season), Buying London is one of the hottest Netflix listings, featuring property mogul Daniel Daggers and his DDRE team, focussing on the luxury global real estate market.
Nosing inside ostentatious homes? Tick. Office drama? Tick. Rich buyers? Tick. Jews in all of those scenarios? Tick, tick, tick. The agents provide us with much opportunity for an snoop inside of pristine properties and a south-facing view of the office antics that always seem to occur when there is a fierce mix of personalities involved. And as well as the property inspo, there’s also some fabulous gastronomy options for a Saturday night as we see the team out and about at client meetings and hosting swanky gatherings in private dining rooms.
Buying London might be its name, but the show has a far bigger reach as viewers are invited into homes in Radlett, Sandbanks, Stanmore and even Dubai. They weren’t messing around when they said they wanted to take over the global market.
So, from office flirting to home furnishings, let’s focus on the Jew-crew of the show and play spot the mezuzot at the properties seen on screen.
At the entrance we have Daniel Daggers, the self-proclaimed ‘Mr Super Prime’, who is immensely proud of his growing team of super agents at DDRE Global. From humble beginnings at JFS, he was always a go-getter and hungry for business from the age of 17 when he started out with one of the OGs in the property game, Vickers and Company. It’s no surprise that Daniel eventually set up on his own and has racked up 25 years in the industry, his reputation preceding him.
He has a knack of building long-term relationships with a warm and chatty demeanour, so it stands to reason that he represents some of the most successful entrepreneurs and organisations. And somehow Daniel doesn’t seem to have fallen foul of the de rigueur veneered bright white smile and all the bling; he’s just a well-groomed nice Jewish boy with all his own teeth and hair who wears a real man’s watch. Whilst his parents Naga and Derrick are immensely proud of their bubbelah, they don’t mince their words over dinner when they tell him to slow down and find a match.
In contrast to all the drama that unfolds around him, Daniel seems pretty unflappable and has no time for office antics – “you can’t let your emotions get the better of you”. He checks in daily with his 89,000 Instagram followers (@daniel_daggers) with general musings as well as sound advice for those wishing to break into the luxury property market: “You have to create content around it and put in a huge amount of effort into it.”
Just next door (almost literally) with his own property company is Alex Bourne, co-founder and director of London House with over 25 years in the business. Alex grew up in Woodside Park and is perhaps best known for being the ex-husband of Rachel Stevens of S Club7 fame . Just as every superhero needs a nemesis, Alex fulfils the ‘villainous arch enemy’ role, but he is old friends with Daniel, who says of his mate: “Alex is a puppy and I’m a big dog.”. Alex means (big) business and has an unparalleled knowledge of London and its neighbourhoods, having lived North, South, East and West. He admits that it’s tricky to be friends whilst rivals as it does bring up some serious tension His previous acting experience comes across, and this career change into the prime property sector has brought over a colourful contact list of clients who place huge trust in his discretion and ability to buy and sell for their discerning eye.
Top floor fabulousness comes in the form of familiar face Olivia Wayne, no stranger to being in front of the camera, but this time she’s behind it. A well-respected former Sky Sports journalist she now has a key role at DDRE, working alongside the team to orchestrate the all-important social media reels that clients are sent in advance of a potential viewing – time is money after all. Olivia is there at every initial viewing to scope the place out and mark every camera angle to ensure the best footage is collated. She often brings in potential buyers, including a close friend who in Episode One came to peruse the fairytale Halcyon Hall property in Radlett, owned by a Jewish family, that many viewers have passed by and pondered ‘I wonder what it’s like inside?’ (£15 million and it’s yours.) Whilst Olivia is very job-focussed, she also has the right disposition to diffuse office dramas, ready to mediate when things start bubbling over, often the one delivering the last line and putting everyone back in their place.
In episode three we enter Eaton Place, home of husband-and-husband property developers Tim Cohen and Bruce Denny. Tim, a Golders Green boy, takes us on an impressive tour of the penthouse they completely transformed, proudly highlighting the incredible sculptures that Bruce has produced (@brucedenny). While the area’s white stucco properties might all seem the same, this interior tells a vastly different story. Among luxury and contemporary design nestles all the warmth you would expect from a family home which they share with their two children. (But no sticky hands on the sofa please.)
If the series has taught us nothing else, it reminds us of everything that our glorious city and its surrounding areas has to offer. Will there be a Season 2? It’s a buyer’s market and only time will tell.
Buying London is available now on Netflix.
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