Everything to Know About Kelly Killoren Bensimon's New "Booming Career" Path
From teen model to Real Housewife of New York City, Kelly's career path now includes her own team at one of the most prestigious luxury real estate firms in the country.
The last time Kelly Killoren Bensimon appeared on The Real Housewives of New York City, she was a former model and single mom raising two young girls. She also had a career in journalism, and was an editor for Elle Accessories, a columnist for Page Six magazine, and editor-at-large for Hamptons Magazine/Gotham Magazine, according to her LinkedIn profile.
But in the 12 years since her Season 4 exit, Kelly’s blossomed into a new career: powerhouse real estate agent.
“When I was on Real Housewives of New York back in the Ice Age, I was a full-time single parent,” Kelly said on Episode 1 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy. “And it was really, really stressful. Right now, I’m in a totally different place. I have a booming real estate career. And my kids are all grown up.”
Where does Kelly Killoren Bensimon work as a real estate agent?
Kelly first got her real estate license in August 2019, according to her LinkedIn, and after a stint at Warburg Realty, she joined the Douglas Elliman Holly Parker team.
“I’ve always been in love with art and architecture, and what’s behind incredible façades,” Kelly told Architectural Digest in March 2021. “I’m passionate about real estate because it encompasses my love of aesthetics and the art of the deal.”
By March 2022, she started her own team with Douglas Elliman. She sold over $100 million in luxury properties in 2021, she wrote on her LinkedIn profile.
She shared why she’s had success in real estate in the Hamptons with Grazia Magazine.
“Understanding the landscape of the Hamptons both culturally and historically is important,” Kelly told Grazia Magazine. “I wrote two iterations of my book In The Hamptons For Assouline, so I understand everything from the vacation destination mindset to how the inlets were created.”
Her expertise isn’t just limited to New York, however, and she’s also licensed in Florida.
“Kelly provides an insiders take on where to find the best shopping, dining, drinking and entertaining in the most exclusive neighborhoods around the globe,” according to her Douglas Elliman profile.
In June 2023, Kelly hinted at her connections with international real-estate clients on her Instagram Stories.
"I have this amazing client that is coming in from Asia, and I'm very excited to show them the building," Kelly said about a Park Avenue property. "It's such a cool building."
According to her Douglas Elliman profile, she’s also had exclusive listings in Aspen, London, Paris, and St. Barts (an island she knew well when she returned with Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley and Kristen Taekman for RHONY Legacy).
Kelly credits her time on RHONY as part of the reason for her real estate success.
“Reality TV gave me a strong social media platform for me to cultivate a loyal following, and show them the best of the best in real estate and lifestyle,” she told Architectural Digest.
Some of Kelly’s current listings include a multi-family townhouse for sale for $11.7 million on the Upper West Side of New York City, and a three-bed, three-bath co-op in Little Italy for sale for $6.9 million. Her luxury listings extend to Florida, where she currently has a 5,500 square foot condo, with a separate guest house, in Miami Beach’s Fisher Island for sale for $18.395 million.
In 2022, Kelly received the Ellie Award for Rookie of the Year from Douglas Elliman for excellence in the field, according to her LinkedIn.
When did Kelly Killoren Bensimon appear on Million Dollar Listing New York?
The prestigious real-estate firm for which Kelly works also includes agents Josh Altman and Tracy Tutor of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, as well as Fredrik Eklund and Tyler Whitman of Million Dollar Listing New York.
Kelly brought a VIP buyer to Fredrik in the May 13, 2021 episode of MDLNY, as Fredrik showed off his $28.75 million West Village listing. Although no deal was made on the listing, Fredrik had high praise for Kelly’s real estate prowess.
"She's very well-connected and she knows New York," Fredrik said to Bravo. "She's a true New Yorker. So I think she's gonna do really well."
Tyler also met Kelly during Season 9 of MDLNY.
“Obviously, she’s well-connected,” he said an interview with Yahoo. “Certainly she knows a lot of wealthy people, so it makes sense she's in the business.”
Although Tyler knew Kelly from watching RHONY, he said she exceeded his expectations when he was first introduced to her as a real estate agent.
“She was so nice,” he told Yahoo. “She’s just so playful and fun and energetic. I was like, ‘I had you all wrong! You’re a good person, at least in the way I’m experiencing you right now.’”
Tyler added he hopes he can one day do a real estate deal with Kelly.
Watch the first three episodes of RHONY Legacy now on Peacock, with new episodes available on Thursdays.
