Missing Selling Sunset? Let Buying London Be Your Next Luxurious Escape

When Selling Sunset first premiered on Netflix in 2019, nobody could have predicted what a phenomenon it would become. The reality show, which is now seven seasons in, centers on the lives of agents at the Oppenheim Group, a high-end real estate brokerage firm in Los Angeles. Not only has it proved to be a massive success, but it’s also created a whole new subgenre for Netflix: luxury real estate reality shows. In addition to Selling Sunset, there’s spin-offs Selling the O.C. and Selling Tampa, as well as shows of a similar flavor like Million Dollar Beach House and Buying Beverly Hills. 

Enter the newest kid on the block, Buying London. The reality series, which is produced by Netflix UK and debuted on May 22, is essentially the British version of Selling Sunset. It follows DDRE Global boss Daniel Daggers and his team of agents (Lauren, Reme, Olivia, Rosi, Rasa, Juliana, and Oli) as they navigate the luxury real estate market in London.

Is Buying London “good” television? Well, no, not really. The show has already been torn apart by critics; The Guardian even dubbed it “probably the most hateable TV show ever made.” But Netflix also knows its audience — we’re not here to see serious property listings, we’re here for the drama and rich people problems. It probably won’t take home any awards, but Buying London is entertaining and ridiculous enough to fill the void while we wait for Selling Sunset Season 8. 

Buying London definitely delivers pettiness. If you took a shot every time a cast member claims they’re “staying out of the drama” and then proceeds to directly cause more drama, you’d wind up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning. In the first episode, Lauren blatantly says she should be in charge of a listing because she’s close friends with their boss Daniel. Later, she’s shocked and offended when her colleagues think she benefits from favoritism. 

Her feud with Rasa is also a central part of the season, and both parties commit plenty of petty infractions against each other, like when Rasa brings treats for everyone in the office and makes a big show of skipping over Lauren. “There’s a saying, ‘If you’re testing my waters, you need to know how to swim,’” Rasa quips, to which Lauren responds with, “I can swim. I’m a Pisces.” Neither woman is on the level of Christine Quinn, but they make for decent reality TV villains.

Nobody on this show seems to have any concept of boundaries when it comes to professional relationships. While Daniel isn’t dating any of his agents, like Jason on Selling Sunset, he still has a bizarrely close relationship with them and acts more like the head of a clique than a company. There’s Oli and Juliana, who openly flirt with each other in front of his wife and don’t understand why that makes everyone uncomfortable. The way the cast members handle conflict is also absurd — screaming matches break out in the office, agents straight-up walk out of property showings when they’re mad, and team dinners are also very dramatic.

Like Selling Sunset, the show also sprinkles in some actual real estate in between all the feuds. Anyone who’s more interested in the properties than infighting should probably stick to HGTV, but Buying London still gives viewers a glimpse into some of the biggest, most extravagant homes in London, as well as a few genuinely interesting historical sites — one of the featured properties is an estate where The Beatles reportedly recorded songs. 

While it’s questionable to spotlight such lavish houses at a time when London is experiencing a horrible housing crisis, it’s also not hard to understand the appeal of escapism here. Reality TV has long centered the lives of the wealthy, from The Kardashians to The Real Housewives franchise, so it’s hardly a surprise that there’s an appetite for luxury real estate shows.

Obviously, Selling Sunset has garnered a much more favorable reception than its British counterpart so far — it’s been nominated for an Emmy three years in a row, and it consistently tops Netflix’s viewing numbers. It’s also been around for a lot longer and feels more fleshed out, plus some cast members are actually worth rooting for. At its core, however, Selling Sunset’s success is really built on drama and escapism. There’s a reason the show saw a surge of new viewers during the pandemic. Luxury real estate showings, messy office romances, and blowout fights simply provide a great vacation from reality.

Buying London may not have the power of Chrishell Stause or Christine Quinn, but it’s got all the other messy elements that make it so darn addictive. And it’s juicy enough to satisfy our hunger in between Selling Sunset seasons.

Buying London is streaming now on Netflix. 

Kelly Martinez is a TV Reporter based in Los Angeles. Her previous work can be found at BuzzFeed and People Magazine, among other outlets. She enjoys reading, spending time with her cat, and explaining the plot of Riverdale to people.