Real estate powerhouse and designer Egypt Sherrod is returning to reality television, but this time she brought along her husband, builder Mike Jackson, bka DJ Fadelf, for their upcoming home improvement show “Married to Real Estate.”
Fans may remember Sherrod from her time on HGTV starring in “Property Virgins” and “Flipping Virgins,” but this show is a little different. Viewers will see how Sherrod uses her experience in the housing market and finance to help families find affordable houses in desirable metro Atlanta locations, along with help from her husband, who will turn plain-looking houses into their clients’ dream homes.
The couple recently sat down with Atlanta Black Star to talk about the new show, being in the public eye again with their loved ones, and more.
Atlanta Black Star: Both of you come from the entertainment industry, with you, Egypt, known for radio and TV and you, Mike, known as a DJ. What prompted you to pivot to real estate?
Egypt Sherrod: When I was a radio personality I knew Mike as DJ Fadelf, but we weren’t dating or anything like that because I never wanted to date a guy in the entertainment industry, but he was already a real estate broker as well. I did not know that he was a contractor until one day I was flipping a house in New Jersey and my mentor gave me a referral, and it turned out to be Mike’s company, and that’s how we both realized that we had dual careers.
Mike Jackson: So, I actually ended up saving her on a rooftop with her foot stuck in a hole cause she tried to do some DIY project, you know. So, I went from being the DJ to saving the day in construction.
I was doing the dual thing as well. I started doing construction as a kid with my grandfather and uncle. I would always be on their job site because they had a construction company. Then I transitioned into working for a local 28 in New York City, and then here in Georgia owned my own company, Jackson Draper Renovations, all the while back then DJing and doing them both at the same time.
ABS: HGTV fans know Egypt from your hit series “Property Virgins” and later “Flipping Virgins.” What made you both want to team up for a new show as part of your return to the network?
E: That’s a great question, and it really is a very organic and authentic answer. We happen to be playing around on social media during the pandemic, the early parts of it, where everybody was stuck inside. I was trying to run my business from my kitchen counter, and my kids were being virtually schooled on the other end of the counter. So we just started filming all of it — how we were juggling — on social media, and it kind of went viral. Then our team said, you guys should really like shoot this.
HGTV loved what they saw. What they said was we love them as a family and as a couple; anything else is just a cherry on top. So, uh, right now as we’re filming, it is a bit surreal, you know, the way it all happens. It all happens so fast. It is a bit surreal, but it’s us still living our lives as we normally would, and it just happens to be a camera around catching it all.
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