'I advise every client to put this in': Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan on clinching a sale

Netflix's Selling Sunset introduced us to the most prominent real estate agents in Los Angeles – and among them is Emma Hernan. 

After purchasing her first home in the Hollywood Hills, the Boston native joined the famed Oppenheim Group – focusing on selling the most luxurious properties in California – to a global audience. Her years in the industry have inevitably left Emma with a host of knowledge about the best way to add value to a home – and while some buyers' priorities evolve – others are here to stay. So, what is at the top of the agenda for 2023? According to Emma – health really is wealth. 

'Health and wellness has been the biggest trend among buyers and sellers in the past six months,' Emma Hernan (opens in new tab) says in an exclusive interview with H&G. 

'If sellers have any room to add an LED sauna room, a cold plunge spa, a yoga room, or a gym, I advise them to do so. It’s an added feature that not every house has these days. So, when you walk into a house with one, it adds that little extra edge that makes you want to choose it.'

Emma Hernan

Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan is the go-to agent for many luxury home buyers and sellers, both across the US and internationally. Alongside her place in the real estate industry, Emma has a rich background as an entrepreneur and angel investor – simultaneously serving as the CEO of her successful food company. 

If you're selling a home that already has a home gym or a sauna, your property will likely be a favorite among buyers. However, Emma understands that adding such features is not always possible – for example if you're working with a more compact urban space where every inch is accounted for. 

In many cases, it can be impossible to renovate an entire room into a yoga studio or sauna – but, as Emma says – a lack of space doesn't mean you can't meet buyers' needs. 

The realtor explains that something as small as adding a home gym machine along a spare wall can boost your property's desirability. 

'Even if someone has Tonal, a home gym system – I advise every client to put it in there if they have an empty wall in their house. Things like that really make all the difference these days,' she says. 

'Health is wealth, it's one of my favorite things, and I'm into health and wellness, so I love my saunas and LEDs. I always advise my clients put them in when we're selling, and if we're looking around houses, I love when I see one in the house.'

Another small (yet impactful) way to celebrate the trend is to invest in a wellness bathroom – whether through adding a cold plunge spa or sauna (as Emma recommends) or a spa-like shower that will start (or end) your day in the most relaxing way possible. 

'The trend for wellness in bathroom design continues to grow, particularly the demand for steam enclosures and saunas,' emphasizes Tom King, the managing director of luxury bathroom company Majestic (opens in new tab).

'This is also supported by the growth in taller shower screen panels, allowing the shower enclosure to become steam proof and suitable for a sauna door, creating a true sanctuary and private space for the consumer.'