Davina Potratz wants “Selling Sunset” viewers to know that she’s happy.
The German real estate agent has been deemed by fans the villain of Netflix’s docusoap, but she doesn’t blame the producers. “If you don’t show me smiling or being warm and fuzzy, then it looks like all I am is the 10% where I had a bad moment,” she says in a recent Zoom interview with Variety.
Potratz knows the show needs drama, but she won’t let that define her. Instead of getting bogged down in the onslaught of online hate, Potratz simply blocks, deletes, and moves on with her life. Right now, that means spending a lot of time chatting with clients and sitting poolside with co-star Christine Quinn.
In a Zoom interview with Variety, Potratz clarifies her comments about Chrishell Stause’s ex-husband Justin Hartley, gives an update on her $75 million listing, and hints at what she’s planning to do next.
How have you been spending time in quarantine?
It’s been a big change for me, but I have a great setup now, and it’s super convenient and I love it. I’m just talking a lot more with people on the phone, and actually connecting more with them on the phone because you can’t meet for coffee or you can’t meet at their house.
How has the pandemic affected the real estate scene?
I think a lot of people were expecting the market to go down dramatically and it really hasn’t happened. I would say prices have maybe gone down 10%, probably even less like 8% or 5%, depending on what it is. There’s been a slight decline, but I don’t think it’s been as dramatic as people were expecting or maybe hoping. There are certainly qualified buyers out there that are cash buyers that are waiting to pounce on a good deal, so they’re scouring some of the properties and hoping that someone will be super motivated to sell.
What’s the status of Adnan Sen’s $75 million house?
Maya has a client who’s expressed some serious interest, so we are in the middle of trying to put together a deal. We hope that it will result in an offer, and I would be over the moon to present an offer to Adnan, and hopefully get a deal going, but I don’t want to take too many steps ahead. We’ll see what happens, but I’m very excited and hopeful.
What is he like in real life?
He is a sweetheart. He’s the nicest guy. He’s very warm and hospitable, and very kind and funny. I was a little bit surprised with what you see on the show when he gives me such a hard time. I mean, that was also him, but I’ve never seen that side of him, even when we did real estate transactions. I was a little taken aback, like, “Are you serious right now? You’re really doing this to me?” So that’s why I was kind of laughing, because I was like, “Oh, OK. This is not the guy that I know, but OK.” But he’s certainly a businessman, and he wants to get the highest price per square foot for his property. And so he’s giving me a hard time because he wants the biggest number.
He was giving you and Christine and Christian a hard time when you all were asking about the original price, which I feel like is a totally normal question.
Well, it’s public record. And so we can certainly look that up any time and all the agents know that, so it’s really not that big of a secret. But the value comes in, in the years of construction and planning and permits and all of the efforts and sourcing the materials to finalize the home. The previous home on there was demoed and destroyed, and it’s obviously the lot as well. So lots of things go into the price.
The third season just dropped. Have you watched it in full?
Yes, I have watched every season in full. Season 3 we got just a few days, maybe a week, before it came out. You kind of fast-forward to some of the scenes that you’re in or that you might question “How dramatic were they?”
What’s it like to watch yourself?
It’s kind of surreal. I don’t think anyone can prepare you to be on a reality show until you’re in it.
Did the producers leave anything pivotal out of the third season?
I wouldn’t say they’re pivotal moments. All of the scenes are much longer than what you experience as a viewer and to be fair to production, they have thousands of hours of footage of us. We filmed for five months. So by virtue of that, every single scene is hours and hours longer than what you see. And they get edited down to fit into the format of eight times 30 minutes, so there’s no way you can see everything. It’s not possible. So they have to narrow it down and then some things get left out and then it can take it a little bit out of context. You might not see the whole conversation or the reaction of the other person, so sometimes that changes the perspective.
Do you think you’ve received a villain cut?
Again, I think that there are just thousands of hours of footage and they have to narrow it down. So I don’t think Adam [DiVello] is intentionally trying to give me such an edit. I think that he just made the show as entertaining and dramatic as possible, and, I did say those things. You don’t see the whole conversation, you don’t see how the other person reacted.
You’re smiling so much now! You seem very happy.
Yeah, I am. I am happy. That’s something that I wish overall for my character. I’m a very warm and sweet person and the whole cast knows that, production knows that. Of course everyone has bad moments, including myself. If you don’t show me smiling or being warm and fuzzy, then it looks like all I am is the 10% where I had a bad moment. But the show doesn’t define me, it doesn’t define anyone. It’s not fair. I wish you saw more of my whole personality. I’m very loyal and funny and sweet, and maybe that’s not as exciting or interesting. They have other drama to focus on.
How do you deal with social media hate?
It’s part of the territory for anyone in the public eye to get hate or bullying. Certainly it’s a little jarring at first, but I also know that these people don’t know me, they’ve never met me there, they’re just judging based on a show that they see. So I really don’t take it personal. In the beginning, it was a little more difficult, but now it’s much easier to not take it personal. I just block and delete. If you focus on negativity, you’re going to be upset. That’s why I choose to have minimum engagement with any kind of negativity. If people want to focus on how much they hate me, rather than how much they love another character or anything else in their lives, then that’s their choice. I can’t control that.
I’m seeing on Instagram that Christine has been styling you.
She has definitely not been styling me. We are very different people. We have very different style. I love her to death and she’s one of my closest friends and I love her style for her, but that’s not my style. I’m much more elegant and classic and understated, and there’s no right or wrong here, but her style is more flashy. I know she likes to take credit for that, but it’s not the case. I did borrow a jacket for a photo shoot because it went well with the 70s flare and I don’t see anything wrong with that. She’s a very close friend of mine and I love her very much, but she’s not my stylist.
Are you still considering starting your own brokerage?
I am considering that. I haven’t made any decisions though.
What is the deal with Oppenheim wine?
Oh my goodness. The wine. It’s drinkable. It’s definitely drinkable. And I think I rated it a five out of 10. So I’m going to go with that.
Why were you so adamant about defending Justin Hartley at Christine’s wedding?
I was really taking a neutral stance. That was my thinking and I’m not in any way defending Justin and not supporting Chrishell. I absolutely support Chrishell. She knows that and I was really just trying to take a neutral stance. And I said, “Well, I don’t have any information, so I really can’t say.” I was trying to learn more about what had happened so I could relate a little bit more and be more empathetic that way. I’m not defending Justin. I don’t know what happened. I think it was a little bit maybe misunderstood.
What are you binge-watching in quarantine?
One of my favorite shows now is “90 Day Fiancé.” I’m so fascinated. Being on a reality show myself, I appreciate how much these people put themselves out there, because they really lay it all out and it takes so much courage. I respect them a lot, and they are fearless. I love it. And then I’m so entertained by watching “Married at First Sight.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.