Nev Schulman Announces New Chapter as Real Estate Agent — How ‘Catfish’ Helped Him Prepare (Exclusive)

Nev Schulman is breaking into the New York City real estate scene! 

The Catfish star, 40, is officially joining Coldwell Banker Warburg as a licensed real estate salesperson, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. Schulman is a native New Yorker who is ready to embrace the competitive, luxury real estate market in his home city, per a press release from the firm.

In the release, Schulman explains how his time hosting the hit MTV series Catfish helped him prepare for this next chapter in his life. 

“Hosting Catfish taught me how to listen deeply, build trust quickly, and help people navigate some of the most emotional decisions of their lives,” Schulman says. “Real estate in New York is no different — you need empathy, patience, and the ability to see through the noise to find the right home.” 

The career move also holds a special connection to his father, Robert Schulman, who is a broker at the firm. 

“After watching my father dedicate more than 50 years to this business, it feels meaningful to follow in his footsteps and join Coldwell Banker Warburg — a firm that shares the same values of integrity and personal connection that I grew up admiring,” Nev adds. 

Coldwell Banker Warburg specializes in luxury real estate in New York City. It was established in 2021, when Warburg Realty became “the first company to be fully branded under Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, one of the oldest and most established residential real estate leaders in North America,” per their website. 

Warburg Realty, where Nev’s father was a “top producer” over the last 15 years, was formerly the “longest-standing, independent residential real estate firms in Manhattan,” according to Coldwell Banker’s website.

Of Schulman joining Coldwell Banker Warburg, the firm’s Vice President Kevelyn Guzman notes: “Beyond his career in television and his strong branding expertise, Nev brings creativity that makes him a natural fit for real estate. We’re especially proud that he chose CBW as the place to begin this next chapter, and we’re excited to support him as he channels his vision into helping clients find their place in New York.”

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Nev currently resides in New York City with his wife, Laura Perlongo, and their three children: daughter Cleo James, 8, and sons Beau Bobby Bruce, 6, and Cy Monroe, 3.

The Dancing with the Stars alum previously opened up to PEOPLE about being able to run the New York City Marathon for a seventh time after suffering a broken neck in August 2024.

The severe injury was a result of a bike incident, and Nev — who was registered as a blind runner guide for his friend Francesco Magisano through the Achilles International Foundation — wasn’t sure he’d be able to run again. 

After he got cleared to run by his doctors, Nev recalled seeing a “light at the end of the tunnel” following such a painful recovery process. 

“I need to move my body for my own mental health,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “Running, as I discovered in my 30s, is the best medicine for my happiness. So that was such a huge relief for me and really gave me a big surge of energy and optimism.”