What Kelly Bensimon Does For A Living Now After Exiting RHONY

Kelly Bensimon held a number of career titles to her name during her time on "The Real Housewives of New York City" — but what's she up to now? 

When it comes to Bensimon's "RHONY" legacy, there can be no doubt that her run-in with Bethenny Frankel in the Season 3 "Scary Island" tripwas her defining moment on the show. It's not all that surprising, then, that since exiting the production the following season, many of Bensimon's interviews have revolved around the ordeal and how it's affected her career in the years that followed. Back in 2017, she spoke to People about how, despite having made a name for herself both as an author and in the fashion business, "Scary Island" had become the first thing people thought of when they saw her. "Every time that I would, you know, go to do something, there would be these roadblocks," she explained. Bensimon also pointed out that the perception that she was "crazy" had become a cause for concern. "That was really ... bad news ... I'm a full-time single parent," she said.

That said, the "RHONY" alum has pushed past the perceptions regardless. In fact, despite some bumps in the road, she's kept pretty busy over the past few years, trying her hand at new things along the way. So, just what has she been up to?

When Kelly Bensimon first joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of New York City," she was a working mom with a ton of projects in the pipeline that seemed to keep her busy round the clock (much to the chagrin of her co-stars, who called her out for being almost constantly late). These days, however, she's switched gears to something completely different: real estate.

Bensimon first made the career jump back in 2017. At the time, she shared the news via Twitter, and revealed that she'd begun working with luxury brokerage, Dolly Lenz Real Estate. "Let me help you find a home," she wrote, alongside a picture of her real estate license. 

Since then, she's switched to Douglas Elliman, and even been featured in "Million Dollar Listing New York." And, unlike the turmoil she faced on "RHONY," it seems the experience was a good one. So much so, in fact, that she'd be interested in being featured in another real estate reality show — or even starring in one. Speaking to Us Weekly in 2022, she gushed, "I'd love to celebrate any show that highlights the world of real estate." Well, on top of her track record as a "RHONY" alum, Bensimon is thriving in her new position. As she revealed via Instagram in January 2023, she brought in over $180 million in listings the previous year. With that in mind, perhaps a reality show isn't too far off...

Kelly Bensimon wasn't kidding when she hinted at being willing to give reality TV another bash. However, it may come as a surprise that her next confirmed appearance won't be on a real estate show. Bensimon is headed back to "The Real Housewives of New York City," in the "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy" spinoff. 

Though Bensimon hasn't commented publicly on the upcoming show since it was confirmed that it would be in the "Girls Trip" format, in February 2023, she told The U.S. Sun that she would love for fans to see how all the cast members had changed over the years. "I think it'll be really exciting to know where we are, what we're doing, and everyone's got such great lives now," she told the outlet. Granted, the format suggests we won't be seeing much of her newer professional endeavors — but it certainly seems Bensimon has reached a place where every aspect of her life feels ready to be shared with the world. As she told The U.S. Sun, she's looking forward to fans catching a glimpse into her personal life, in addition to the work she's so proud of.

So, what does Bensimon do today? She's living her best life, and her real estate career is only going from strength to strength. As for whether we'll see any "Scary Island" antics on "RHUGT: RHONY Legacy," we'll just have to sit tight.