Ever since Luxe Listings Sydney season two was announced, we have been eagerly awaiting its premiere on Prime Video. The first trailer showed more luxurious multimillion-dollar mansions, impeccable fashion and delicious drama that we can’t wait to sink our teeth into.
The teaser also promised a new addition to the Luxe team, with the name Monika Tu on everyone’s lips.
The self-described ‘Chinese fairytale’ offers a breath of fresh air into the cut-throat world of real estate, as her bubbly personality and layered pearl necklaces are nothing short of fabulous.
However, don’t be fooled by Monika’s giddy laugh and ‘bling bling’, as the real estate mogul comes with an overachieving resume and a hustler mentality sure to ruffle a few of the Luxe agent’s feathers.
Monika recently sat down with LADbible to discuss the competitiveness of real estate and her introduction into the Luxe world.
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“There’s obviously some competition between me and D'leanne,” she explained to us.
“I’m a very successful agent, and maybe they see me as a competitor, but I never compete, I just laugh and watch the drama.”
Speaking of drama, she promises there will be plenty of it in season two.
“Gavin didn’t want anything to do with me,” she said. Maybe he thought I wasn’t in his league. I don’t take myself too seriously; I know who I am.”
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Monika remains unfazed by the competition as she has an endless list of impressive accolades under her Valentino belt.
When she first arrived in Australia over 33 years ago, Monika became the director and founder of Black Diamondz, despite not being able to speak much English,
She has some of the most prestigious international clients and even sold Australia’s most expensive single home in 2019 for a staggering $45 million.
It’s easy to see why she’s the envy of some of the most successful agents in Sydney.
However, when she began in the real estate sector, Monika cleverly spotted a gap in the market and wanted to work with migrants looking to buy their first home in Australia.
"I wanted to find out how to be different. I realised, when I first came to this country I didn't get the service I wanted,” she explained.
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“That’s why I started a company called Concierge - Black Diamondz Property Concierge, hoping (to work with) new migrants who are settling into Australia.”
Although she's a real-life Cinderella story, Monika doesn’t chalk her success to ‘luck’ but rather ‘resilience' and 'persistence'.
“When opportunity comes to you, you grab it and work really hard,” she said.
She added: “It doesn’t matter what you do - if you’re washing the dishes, we wash properly; if you become a cleaner, you clean properly.
“If you’re a diamond, you’ll be discovered.”
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You can catch Monika in season two of Luxe Listings Sydney on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
Charisa Bossinakis