Good things might come in threes, but there’s always room for more Alexandras in Newport Beach. You may have thought Alexandra Jarvis, Rose, and Hall cornered the market on Selling the OC, but Alexandra “Ali” Harper is the new girl in town, and she’s ready for her own desk at The Oppenheim Group.

The former beauty queen and aspiring real estate agent brings some fresh air to Season 2, as she finds her footing among the more established realtors. And, while Harper is the first to admit that breaking into the world of luxury real estate isn’t easy, it’ll only be a matter of time before she’s the one ringing that bell. 

“The audience is actually going to be witnessing every single part of my real estate journey. This is not a fake thing. I moved here. This is my life and it’s been nuts,” Harper tells Tudum. “I cry myself to sleep at night sometimes because there’s so much happening. But at the end of the day, I’m proud of myself for just taking a risk and doing it.”

Since Season 2 only gives us a glimpse of Harper, take a look below to get better acquainted with the O Group newbie. 

Who is Ali Harper?

Born and raised in Tennessee, Harper, 30, proudly describes herself as a “unicorn” because “no one is from Nashville anymore that actually lives there.” After attending the University of Mississippi and University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she received degrees in broadcast journalism and communications, Harper set her eyes on conquering the pageant world. 

Within a matter of years, she clinched the title of Miss Tennessee USA in 2018 before placing among the Top 10 in Miss USA, all while holding down multiple other jobs. After all, it’s in her blood, as her mother is a former Miss Tennessee as well. 

But don’t let the beauty queen exterior fool you. “I don’t wear makeup. I have my hair in a bun, and I wear the same workout outfit every day,” she explains. “I’m a homegrown, everyday girl that you see at the grocery store. That really is who I am. I enjoy spending time at home, being with my boyfriend, and going out for a cocktail at someone’s house. But, when it comes down to it, I’m a homebody.”

As an only child, family and faith are the driving forces in her life. She adds, “I love the Lord. I’m a Christian, and that is the reason why I’m here, 100%.”

Before she touched down in Newport Beach, Harper says she’s taken on freelance real estate projects and focused on her passion for cooking. (Check out her Instagram, if you need convincing.) But an opportunity she couldn’t resist presented itself when her boyfriend began traveling frequently to Orange County for work…

Who is Ali Harper’s boyfriend?

From the moment Harper steps onto the OC scene, it’s clear that she comes as a package deal with boyfriend Lucas England. While her home base remains in Nashville, Harper is able to pursue a real estate career at The Oppenheim Group because England “has to fly into Orange County every single Monday for work.”

The two have been dating for years now with Harper adding that they’ll get engaged “hopefully sometime soon.”

As Harper settles in to her new career, the couple intend to split their time for the foreseeable future. “I was just living in Laguna Beach for about three and a half months, and from there I moved back to Nashville, but I will be coming back and forth to both places.”

Does Ali Harper have her real estate license?

Harper is currently in a “holding pattern” when it comes to acquiring her real estate license. The major delay? She still hasn’t gotten approved to take her exam. 

“I literally thought that you could just get your real estate course done, and then sign up to take the test, and then boom,” she says. “No, you actually have to be approved to just take the test. I’ve been waiting going on five months now. It’s a process and my greatest piece of advice to anyone would be just to go ahead, get it started.”

Harper hopes to take the exam as soon as possible so she can start making deals in the new year, because after all that’s what she came to Orange County for. 

“It’s almost impossible not to be mesmerized by the glamour, but honestly what really did it for me was hearing about these commissions. I would die if I found a $20 bill on the street — that’d be great,” she says. “When I hear about the money you can make from these sales, it’s intimidating.”

What was it like stepping into the office? 

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Harper says. “I’ve had to change the way that I dress and do things because, when it comes down to it, I’m just very chill.”

While the aspiring agent was a casual viewer of Selling Sunset, she’d never seen any of Selling the OC before stepping into The Oppenheim Group — and nothing (not even beauty pageants) could’ve prepared her for the challenges in store.

“I wanted to square everyone up and get my own perspective when I came in,” she says. Thankfully, most of the agents welcomed Harper with open arms, as she made immediate connections with many of the women in the office. But she failed to charm Gio Helou, who openly discouraged bosses Jason and Brett Oppenheim from bringing Harper on board.

“I saw a lot of people’s personalities immediately,” Harper says of her mixed reception. “You just have to actually have a heart, be a human, and get to know people. It’s hard how that can be lost these days.”

And, while she’s found plenty of allies, Harper has to admit that “girls are nicer in the pageant system” than some of the ones she’s encountered recently. “When I was competing for Miss USA, there wasn’t one time where I didn’t feel supported by one of the women that were up beside me,” she says. “I haven’t felt that here necessarily.”

“I’ve been really lonely, and it’s been hard at points,” she adds. “But I gravitated towards a lot of these people, and I thought that I could really do something here.” 

Who is she closest to in the office? 

No matter what happened during her first season in Selling the OC, Harper knew that at least one thing would be true: “I don’t care where I am, but I’m going to make friends.”

Initially, her closest confidante was Jarvis, whom she “literally gravitated” to during her first day at the office. The two immediately bonded over their Southern upbringings and shared religious faith. Harper says she’s seen a different side to the agent, who’s often at the center of the office drama. “[Jarvis] really opened up to me in a way that she’s never opened up to anyone before, so that was incredible. She’s part of the reason why I decided to come here.”

Harper has also since formed a close bond with Brandi Marshall, as well as Kayla Cardona, whom she counts as “one of her best friends” today. “We call each other tall and small,” she jokes.

As for what the future holds for her friendships, Harper knows that by staying grounded and true to herself, she’ll attract the right energy — and maybe even help others take their own leap of faith. “I really hope that people can relate to someone that’s doing something out of their comfort zone,” she says. “And that maybe it inspires a few people to do something that scares them, too.”