Former x-rated actor thrives in real estate industry

He’s the kind of referral partner originators dream of, and he’s also crediting his former career for the billion-dollar success he’s enjoying as a real estate agent

Some may view it as a tawdry industry, but a stint as a porn star has helped bolster this one real estate professional’s career.

"Has it hurt my business? Never," Frederik Eklund, New York’s top selling real estate agent, told the Huffington Post about his former career. "Going back 13 years ago when I came to New York ... [there were] 32,000 real estate agents. Did it make me more memorable? [People were saying], 'Oh, that guy is so good and he's so crazy and used to do porn.'"

Eklund’s real estate career was also boosted after he appeared on Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing” television show. It’s partly due to that show that Eklund was able to break the New York sales record, reaching $1,128 billion in sales. 

“That’s a lot and more than I could ever have dreamed of when I moved to this city with just a pair of worn out sneakers little over a decade ago,” he told Bravo at the time.

He came to New York from his native Sweden, where his foray into the world of adult films took place.

"I've always been open about it. I wrote a book about it in Sweden, and it's part of who I am," he told HuffPost. "I never try to hide it. I've always been very neutral to it. I can laugh at myself for doing that."