No shortcuts: Mauricio Umansky’s formula for success in real estate

Luxury homes are embracing the natural look.

As one of the most high-profile agents in the US, Umansky has had a front-row seat to the evolution of prestige property. Today, he said, the top end of the market is being redefined with priority placed on wellness. In particular, through achieving wellness with a natural and organic look.

“Well, it’s all about architecture, you know, and it’s about lifestyle,” he explained. “One of the things that’s happening right now in the US luxury [market] is longevity. It’s wellness. It’s creating a space that becomes your sanctuary … a place where you’re really, truly resting.”

For tomorrow’s luxury buyer, a multimillion-dollar residence isn’t just a status symbol. It’s a personal wellness retreat.

“You’re starting to see a lot more organic materials, earthy tones – everything that’s good for the mind and the brain and the soul,” he said. “And I feel like that’s going to be the next trend.”

For Australia, Umansky believes the trend is not only relevant – it’s inevitable. With vast stretches of pristine coastline, world-class architecture, and an increasingly global buyer pool, he sees strong tailwinds for wellness-focused design Down Under.

Real estate isn’t a get-rich quick scheme. You need to put in the hours.

The glamorisation of real estate – especially in an era of reality TV and social media influencers – has created a distorted picture of the profession. Umansky doesn’t shy away from his role in that phenomenon, but he’s quick to warn that the reality is very different from what’s portrayed on screen.

“I think that, you know, one of the problems that agents have right now … has to do with us and with this reality television,” he said. “Everybody feels that it’s easy, and we make it look easy on television. You know, we snap our fingers and all of a sudden we make a sale and you earn a $200,000 check. Right? It’s not that easy. It’s far from that easy.”

The cost of that misconception, he said, is real – especially for young agents just entering the industry without the skills, financial buffer, or work ethic to succeed.

“They don’t properly prepare,” Umansky said. But the biggest deficiency for the Buying Beverly Hills star is communication. “One of the biggest issues that I have found with the youth coming up is that they have lost the art of communication,” he said. “They communicate through text message, and the art of selling is communicating through storytelling … through being able to talk and sell and having that knowledge.”

Be yourself. It’s not just a cliche.

In an era where personal branding is everything, Umansky urged agents not to chase trends, but to lean into your true self. Whether that’s a quirky hobby or a passion, it will not only give you authenticity, but it will build a natural audience for lead generation.

“Don’t try to be vanilla,” he said. “Own who you are, and you will attract like-for-like people.”

That means building a brand that reflects your real passions – whether it’s surfing, golf, or church.

“If you’re somebody that likes to play golf, go hang out at the golf course. Don’t go hang out at the beach and surf. Right? If you’re a surfer, go surf … Attract the people that are part of your sphere,” he said. “Own who you are and attack it that way.”

It’s advice that stands in contrast to the image-heavy, algorithm-driven culture that often encourages young professionals to present a version of themselves that’s more polished than personal. For Umansky, authenticity isn’t just good branding – it’s essential to building trust in a business built on relationships.

Affordability … it’s a global phenomenon.

Despite his reputation for selling properties that most people can only dream of affording, Umansky remains acutely aware of a harsh economic reality: the global housing affordability crisis is worsening. Australia, he said, is no exception.

“One of the issues that I think right now is the same problem that we’re having kind of globally, which is affordability,” he said. “Australia is definitely suffering from that, is my understanding.”

Still, he believes the solution to housing affordability is in everyone’s interest – not just the buyers, but agents, too.

“What we need to work on right now is … create a little bit more affordability, and that’ll create more transactions,” he said. “Of course.”

His point is practical: more affordable homes mean more people buying and selling, which translates to more opportunities for agents – not just those chasing $10 million listings.

A blueprint for success.

At a time when many markets are recalibrating post-COVID and younger professionals are entering the industry with sky-high expectations, Umansky’s advice serves as both a reset and a roadmap.

Success, he insisted, won’t come from likes, clicks, or camera time – but from preparation, communication, and self-awareness.

“Knowledge,” he said plainly. “If you’re not willing to learn, you’re not willing to have knowledge, you’re just never going to get there.”

If there’s one overarching message for Australian agents, it’s that substance – not sparkle – is what sustains a career in real estate.

“There's no get rich quick scheme in this world,” he added. “We have got to work hard in order to succeed.”

By 2008, he was the number 3 ranked agent in the US, selling $653 million solo, and is now head of The Agency with 140 global offices, bringing $88 billion in sales.

To hear the latest from Umansky, you can watch the latest via the www.themunetwork.com

To hear Umansky's interview with REB's Liam Garman, you can listen to the podcast here.