Sagamore Realtor highlights luxury homes in new TV show
by Charles Cassady
Kristine Bissler, Sagamore Hills resident and Realtor, thought it was a joke when television producers gave her a call. But it was no joke; unexpectedly, Bissler had been tapped to be the host and face of a new TV show, “The Negotiators Luxe.”
Episodes of the half-hour program are slated to begin screening on Roku, Apple TV and FireTV this summer. It is a spinoff of the established real-estate program, “The Negotiators,” produced by Florida-based Reveel Entertainment.
The twist in “The Negotiators Luxe” is an emphasis on its star Realtor, Bissler, who arranges walk-throughs, talks financing, highlights community amenities and closes, on what are considered luxury properties. “‘Luxury’ is open to interpretation,” Bissler said. “It’s not about million-dollar homes.”
Rather, rehabs and upgrades, neighborhood advantages and other assets determine what puts upscale “luxury” affordably within the grasp of an aspiring homeowner.
In each episode, Bissler said, a different Summit County neighborhood – Sagamore, Richfield, Hudson, Nordonia Hills (Bissler is the Nordonia Hills Chamber of Commerce president), Twinsburg, Northfield Center, Cuyahoga Falls – may be highlighted, along with the home options and a local business profile. During drop-in sections, Bissler covers some real estate essentials.
“The original concept was [like] ‘The Negotiators,’ and it was educating clients. So I do some ‘commercials’ educating clients on key points – like why it is good to have pre-approval, for example,” she said.
The Beachwood office of RE/MAX Traditions is Bissler’s brokerage, and she works via the team name KB Realty Group. Her own customers – those who consent to being part of the show – are involved, though the Reveel camera crews do not shadow them everywhere. Filming has been “sporadic,” Bissler said. In contrast to other reality TV mainstays, like “Pawn Stars” or “Shipping Wars,” there is no contrived drama or goofy workplace comedy insinuated.
“No smoke and mirrors,” she said, though occasionally a client visit or home tour is re-enacted. Sometimes Bissler is empowered to provide video footage of her own while on the job.
Bissler’s background in multimedia production could hardly have foretold a starring role for the screen. “I’ve only done social-media ads,” she said. “Back in the day, back in [high] school, I did radio. … We had local heavy-metal station on, live. I briefly explored that world.”
But she found her true vocation elsewhere. “How did I get started in real estate? Simple. I owe it to my dad. My dad had a thing for flipping houses before it was ‘cool.’ As a teenager he put me to work, demoing dilapidated foreclosed homes and making them pretty again.”
Bissler eventually worked as a mortgage lender for a few years, then owned and operated an insurance and investment agency. “Real estate is my calling. Helping people is my passion. Not only do I help clients find their dream homes, but I also teach them how to invest the equity and create wealth from it,” she said.
William Cheveries, executive producer of “Negotiators Luxe,” issued a statement on Bissler’s appeal: “Casting a luxe agent is never an easy process. We look for an agent with a light that shines through on camera, is an active member of their community, and offers a level of service that stands out among their peers. We are proud to have Kristine as the luxe agent representing the Nordonia Hills community.”
Surprisingly, Bissler said she watches very little television and almost no HGTV or other networks that focus on home flips, redecorating or habitation-swaps.
However, she knows the setting of this pilot “Negotiators Luxe” well. “I’ve lived in Sagamore Hills for the last 13 years,” said Bissler. “I have lived in the surrounding communities for most of my life and moved to Sagamore Hills due to its convenient location between Cleveland and Akron. Additionally, as a fan of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and park systems, Sagamore Hills appealed to me the most.
“It is where you can find me in my downtime, enjoying the natural beauty that this area has to offer.”
In other words: affordable luxury. ∞
Editor’s Note: Bissler invites anybody with a luxury-type property for sale that is interested in potentially being featured on the TV show to contact her at kbrealtygroup@gmail.com.
On our cover (photo): Kristine Bissler films a segment for “Negotiators Luxe,” a TV show that offers a guide on creating your own definition of a luxury home as well as other real estate tips. Photo by Celeste Wagner.