Mia Calabrese of ‘Selling the Hamptons’ Reflects on Her Time on the East End

For Nest Seekers agent Mia Calabrese, the Hamptons has represented an idyllic escape from the city since she moved to New York 12 years ago and began going back and forth between the East End and Manhattan throughout the summer, searching for “a little bit of tranquility.”

“My favorite thing about being in the Hamptons is being able to open my door, walk outside and be in the grass,” she said. “It’s silly, but it’s so peaceful, playing in the grass with my dog, not having to see anyone and just having space and being able to go to the farm stands and get fresh produce, being able to go to Wölffer if I want to have a little escape with my girlfriends and do wine tastings, and if I want to have a little bit of a night [out] I go out to Montauk. Everything that I want is right there.”

Calabrese is featured on the Discovery+ reality series “Selling the Hamptons,” along with fellow Nest Seekers agents Michael Fulfree, Peggy Zabakolas, Kenny Arias and Bianca D’Alessio, the latter of whom she said she is “really, really close” to. It was D’Alessio and Calabrese who scored the highest weekly rental in Westhampton last summer, for a home on Dune Road, at $85,000 per week.

Her new platform on reality television, she said, was a surreal “learning experience” and one that expanded her business even further, given there are now millions of eyes on the team’s listings.

“It was bizarre in the beginning to see me on film and, you know, watching myself in the living room,” she said. “I was so overwhelmed, but I feel very thankful and grateful that I’ve had that experience. I’ve learned a lot about myself.”

Now, Calabrese hustles deals between the Hamptons and New York City, in an ever-changing market, which she said is only softening slightly from the pandemic rush.

“The Hamptons will always be the Hamptons and there’ll always be a desire to have that second home there,” she said.

Calabrese’s drive was strikingly shown in one episode of the show, when she walked into a new build under construction and asked the developer, who she had never met before, to list with her. She won one of his listings, her first in the Hamptons.

“That’s very much my personality,” she said. “I’m never going to be the person who’s going to wait around for something to be handed to me or wait around for something to happen. … I reach out to everyone and talk to everyone, whether it’s me walking into a developer’s house or calling old clients and talking to them and telling them about what I’m doing with real estate. Whatever it is, you need to be fearless in this industry.”

She said that attitude served her well in the Hamptons, as she observed her clients see how genuine she is. She added she has some projects in the works on the South Fork that will be announced soon. Her time on the East End has also allowed her to develop expertise in the area, assisting buyers in finding the perfect location.

“If they’re saying, I love to surf every day, I’m not going to say OK, well then you should go to Sag Harbor,” she said. “That doesn’t make sense. … I want my clients to wake up every day in their home and feel excited, feel inspired, feel grateful and happy and enthused about the property that they’re in.”

Gratitude, she said, is what she commences every morning by “taking the time to meditate.” She then tries to do some form of movement, whether it’s stretching yoga or going on long walks, which she said is important for her mental health and well-being.

From there, she’s off to the Nest Seekers office in Southampton to see the team and collaborate on their own projects. Then, she travels the East End to look at listings and meet with clients. Right near the office is one of her favorite lunch spots, the authentic Italian Milanese restaurant, Sant Ambroeus, where she picks up a coffee or a salad, or she heads to Juice Press for a drink.

It’s critical, she said, for her to try to go to the beach every day, to further decompress. Another favorite spot is the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. “It’s so, so special,” she said.

To conclude the day, she heads to Lulu Kitchen & Bar in Sag Harbor — her personal favorite South Fork village because of its water views, charm, architecture and history — for an early dinner, usually consisting of the restaurant’s mussels appetizer, complete with garlic, butter and white wine.

“The food’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve known the staff. I’ve been going for so long now, and they know my every order. That’s embarrassing, but it’s also really amazing.”

She ends her night by listening to a podcast, drinking lots of water, and doing a skincare routine. “There’s like 10 things that I put on my face,” she said.

A native of Chicago, Calabrese first came to New York to study government and politics at St John’s University.

She started off modeling, something she had done since she was a child, before getting a job at the Box Club in New York City, working as their concierge liaison, and booking high-end clientele at five-star city hotels.

After working at the club, Calabrese realized it was time for a change and joined Nest Seekers in 2019.

“It was actually a pretty smooth transition,” she said. “It’s a new generation. I’m fortunate enough that it’s now the norm that people can switch careers or switch jobs, switch companies.”

She was inspired to explore real estate by her brother, Nick, a Chicago Realtor.

“He told me, ‘I think this would be an excellent career path for you,’” she recalled. “‘You love architecture. You love design. You love working with people.’

“I take pride in working with my clients, and it’s just in a different capacity now.”