Luis D. Ortiz
Luis D. Ortiz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 13, 1986 |
| Education | New York Film Academy |
| Occupation | Licensed Real Estate Salesperson at Douglas Elliman Reality television show participant |
Luis D. Ortiz (born November 13, 1986 in Puerto Rico[1]) is a licensed real estate salesperson working for Douglas Elliman.[2]
Ortiz co-starred as the new third participant in Season 2 of the Bravo reality television series Million Dollar Listing New York,[3] alongside Fredrik Eklund and Ryan Serhant who remained from the prior season.[4] Ortiz will appear on Season 3 of Million Dollar Listing New York.[5]
Biography
Luis D. Ortiz is a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and grew up with his mother, father, and twin brother, Daniel. He and his twin brother left their family in Puerto Rico at the age of 16 without notice to his parents, leaving a note to them stating, "If I don’t do this, how do I know if it’s going to work or not?” He didn't speak to his mother for the first six or seven months in the U.S. and his mother "wanted to kill" him and his brother.[6] After moving to New York, he lived in a Jewish community. Subsequently, he moved into Manhattan and rented his first apartment using his father's credentials to obtain a loan.[6]
Film
In 2006, Ortiz moved to New York to attend the New York Film Academy. Ortiz directed and produced a short film after attending the New York Film Academy called Amalia[7] was shot in Bolivia. Subsequently, he sought $15,000 from New York restaurants but raised $9,000 to fund another film. Ortiz stated that the film was titled, "The Theater of the Absurd," but he did not like it so it was never shown.[6]
Career
Ortiz has worked for at least five firms in New York, starting with Blackstone Properties and then Prodigy Network.
During an interview with The Real Deal Luis D. Ortiz stated of "bait and switch" practices that, "we had the bait and switch. Everyone had it but I was always very honest with people when they called me. I needed to feed myself. Had [the listings] been legitimate, I would probably never have gotten any calls."[6]
After Blackstone and Prodigy, Ortiz moved to Synergy where he worked with Cipriani at 55 Wall Street in Manhattan, the Setai on Broad Street in Manhattan, and The District at 111 Fulton Street in Manhattan[6] Ortiz stated of his numerous moves, "I’ve been through a lot of companies, not because I am not a reliable person but the fact that I always reach a point where I find myself at the top of the firm but I’m still nobody. I’m not learning anymore because nobody is teaching me."[6]
Luis was fired from Keller Williams which stated, “at no fault of Luis’, the sensationalism of reality TV is not in line with the Keller Williams’ NYC brand,” the firm said in a statement. “Keller Williams is the preeminent real estate brand in the country and we hold our industry and clients in the highest regard. … We wish Luis all the best in his future endeavors.” [8]
In August 7, 2013 Douglas Elliman announced that Luis D. Ortiz joined the firm which also employs Ortiz's television co-star, Fredrik Eklund.[2][9]
In 2013, Ortiz was listed as number 19 on US Weekly's Most Stylish New Yorker list. Ortiz stated that he does not own a pair of sneakers.[10]
Two news articles involving Ortiz occupied the #1 and #3 spots as the most read stories in The Real Deal. The first article was an interview with Ortiz containing detail on his film, how he left his family in Puerto Rico to come to New York, subsequently began as a rental agent with bait and switch listings, switched firms several times before joining Keller Williams and joined Million Dollar Listing. The second article detailed how Ortiz came to be fired from Keller Williams.[11]
New York Department of State investigation
During Season 2 of Million Dollar Listing New York, Luis D. Ortiz was filmed photoshopping hardwood floors and new marble counter-tops, and stainless-steel appliances into promotional pictures of 27 Downing Street, New York, New York. Luis stated. "If I put the real photos out there, not a single person will ever come inside."[12][13] Ortiz claims he did not actually use the photos for the listing but "he sent the fake photos in an email blast to top brokers." The New York State Department of State, which regulates the real estate brokerage industry, investigated Ortiz. During the televised episode Luis claimed that he and his twin brother, Daniel Ortiz, learned their Photoshop skills after creating false government identifications while in college. Ortiz later apologized for falling short of his beliefs.[14]
References
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (April 24, 2013). "'Million Dollar Listing New York' Preview: A Wedding, Fight and a Pig (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Luis D. Ortiz Joins Douglas Elliman". PR Newswire. Retrieved 7 Aug 2013.
- ^ http://www.bravotv.com/people/luis-ortiz/bio
- ^ Barrionuevo, Alexei (5 May 2013). "BIG DEAL; The Real and the Unreal on Reality TV". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
- ^ Harnick, Chris (19 Feb 2014). "Million Dollar Listing New York Returns! Season 3 Trailer and Premiere Date Revealed". E! News.
- ^ a b c d e f http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/04/03/meet-luis-d-ortiz-the-newest-star-of-million-dollar-listing-new-york/ Interview with The Real Deal
- ^ Luis D. Ortiz at IMDb
- ^ "Keller Williams says adios to "MDLNY" star Luis Ortiz". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2 Aug 2013.
- ^ ""Million Dollar Listing's Luis Ortiz" Fired From Keller Williams NYC, Snatched Up By Elliman". NBC. Retrieved 12 Aug 2013.
- ^ "Us Weekly's Most Stylish New Yorkers 2013". US Weekly. 10 Sept 2013. Retrieved 11 Sept 2013.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ Samtani, Hiten (3 Jan 2014). "The Real Deal's most-read web stories of 2013". The Real Deal. Retrieved 3 Jan 2014.
- ^ Schram, Jamie; Gould Keil, Jennifer (June 13, 2013). "Manhattan real-estate broker Photoshopped pictures of pricey home on reality-TV show". New York Post. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ Kolluri, Mini (July 30, 2013). "Million Dollar Listing Broker Caught Photoshopping an Apartment". mortgageTO. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ Luis D. Ortiz (May 22, 2013). "Falling Short of My Beliefs". Bravo. Retrieved 31 July 2013.