Heather Rae El Moussa has become a household name with a burgeoning career in real estate-related television.
She initially gained notice as a star on “Selling Sunset,” the Netflix reality show that focuses on elite Los Angeles real estate agents. But interest in her life truly took off when she began dating “Flip or Flop” star Tarek El Moussa. Young and El Moussa tied the knot in 2021 and their wedding was chronicled in a Discovery+ special.
Other elements of this blonde bombshell’s life are still a mystery, however. To help shed some light, we dug up some surprising facts about her life, real estate career, and what she loves to do in her downtime with El Moussa. (Hint: It involves more real estate—clearly, these two are a match made in heaven).
1. She was once an actress, model, and Playboy pinup
Young is no stranger to the limelight. Before she began working as a real estate agent for The Oppenheim Group and starring on “Selling Sunset,” Young had a successful modeling and acting career.
She began modeling professionally when she was just 18, and has appeared in a handful of TV shows and movies. She even appeared in Playboy magazine as Miss February 2010.
2. She was a natural at selling homes
“After modeling and appearing in Playboy, real estate felt like a good transition for me, because I’d met so many people, and I’m really good at building relationships and making contacts,” she explained in an interview with the magazine in May 2020.
“A couple of my friends actually suggested it, and originally I said no. But you know what? I did it! I studied my ass off, I passed the [real estate licensing] test.”
Young turned out to be a natural. Within the first three months of working in real estate, she sold a $7.2 million house and a $1.5 million condo. Today, she works primarily with high-profile clients, including musicians, athletes, and celebrities.
3. She met El Moussa on a boat on the Fourth of July
Think Young and El Moussa first met crossing paths via their shared love of real estate? On the contrary, they bumped into each other on boats!
On Independence Day 2019, they were both out boating with friends in Newport Beach, CA, and met while their two boats were docked side-by-side.
El Moussa honked his horn as a greeting. Young reflected on their chance encounter in an Instagram post, writing that she was grateful that El Moussa took the initiative to say hello.
4. Young helped El Moussa sell his bachelor pad
Young and El Moussa moved in together just a week after they started dating. But their quick timeline doesn’t stop there: The fast-moving relationship prompted El Moussa to sell the Costa Mesa, CA, “dadchelor pad” he bought shortly after splitting with his ex-wife, Christina Hall.
Young actually represented El Moussa in the sale of his house, which sold quickly, after receiving multiple offers. That meant that the couple needed to find a new place to live, and had to move in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic (more on that next).
5. The couple live in Newport Beach
They bought a fixer-upper with an incredible location and amazing views in a popular (and posh!) community along the coast.
After some major repairs and a couple of setbacks related to flooding, the El-Moussa’s moved in to their fully renovated home in late 2021.
6. She takes her role as ‘bonus mom’ seriously
Although Heather recently welcomed a child of her own with El Moussa, she’s also embraced her role as “bonus mom,” and her house reflects that.
For one, she was put in charge of redecorating the bedrooms for El Moussa’s kids with Hall, Brayden James and Taylor Reese. She’s also designed other areas of their beach house for family-friendly living.
The kitchen, for example, features huge floor-to-ceiling glass doors that the couple likes to open while the kids are swimming in the pool, so everyone can spend time together.
Family photos are on display throughout the home, and coffee tables in the living room can be rolled to the side to make room for El Moussa’s wrestling matches with the kids.
The dining room table is the site of all their family dinners, which regularly feature El Moussa’s father and other family members.
“When I was growing up as a kid, we had dinner together at the table every single night, and it was homemade meals,” El Moussa reported, during a video tour of the home with People magazine.
7. They got engaged just a year after they met
The future Mrs. Heather Rae El Moussa!!! 💍This was the best day of my life!This moment when @therealtarekelmoussa got down on one knee & asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. SO much to tell you guys! I want you to hear the inside scoop. Go to my insa for more details pic.twitter.com/kmj4gCgcsr
— Heather Rae Young (@HeatherRaeYoung) July 30, 2020
Talk about a whirlwind romance: Just a year after they met, El Moussa got down on one knee and proposed. Just a little over a year after the question was popped, the couple were married in October 2021.
8. She can be on HGTV with Tarek, but he can’t appear on her Netflix show
If you’re craving a guest appearance from El Moussa on “Selling Sunset,” we’ve got some bad news for you.
Because of his HGTV contract, El Moussa can’t appear on the show. But that doesn’t mean Young can’t spend a lot of time talking about her burgeoning relationship with El Moussa on camera.
Yet you can catch the real estate-savvy couple together on HGTV in “Flipping 101 With Tarek” and the “The Flipping El Moussas”
El Moussa gushed about filming an episode of “Flipping 101” with Young, writing on Instagram: “She as so cute on camera I couldn’t stop smiling!”
9. She’s a biker!
Young doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Case in point: She used to ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and she still has her motorcycle license.
10. One of their shared hobbies is window-shopping real estate
Since Young and El Moussa are both obsessed with real estate, one of their favorite hobbies is looking at listings of available homes, then driving around to scope out the properties in person.