Selling Palm Springs

Site Staff Real Estate

TV Realtor Steven Aaron
J. Everette Perry

Multimillion-dollar deals, opulent lifestyles, and smooth-talking reality TV Realtor Steven Aaron give Los Angeles’ posh neighborhoods a certain shine on HGTV’s Selling LA (Thursdays at 9 p.m.). While in Palm Springs filming the third season, the show’s host — an agent with Keller Williams Beverly Hills — made time to chat modernism and the secret art of selling real estate.

What do you make of the Palm Springs Modernism Week phenomenon?

Palm Springs is the modernism capital of the world [for] more than a week. It’s a lifestyle that’s both educational and celebratory of the post-war design. It acknowledges the distinct style and honors an era that shaped the world.

What’s the secret to selling real estate?

Understanding when clients are ready to make the commitment, then making sure they are willing and able to do it when the time comes. Real estate is about chemistry and motivation and always reflects a significant change or a new happening in one’s life.

What excites you when touring a home?

The scale, original character, and architectural design all have a lot to do with falling in love with a property. A good outdoor lounging space for our California lifestyle is a must. Maximize and romanticize the area; the fantasy of it alone can sell the home.

What’s the best part of being on TV?

It’s been an amazing experience and has greatly benefited my clients and the properties I represent. I’m constantly pushing my creative boundaries, mainly due to being chased by film cameras.

What is your Palm Springs home like?

Canyon View Estates is a midcentury development designed by Dan Palmer and William Krisel, who also designed the Alexander [houses]. My favorite area is the living room with its folded plate roof, high ceilings, and vintage pieces from Bon Vivant [in Palm Springs] and Hedge [in Cathedral City]. My favorite detail is the triangular clerestory windows and the living paintings of mountains, palms, and blue skies they create.