First black “Bachelor” for ABC comes from real estate world

Matthew James works as a broker at CBRE

Matthew James (Credit: ABC)
Matthew James (Credit: ABC)

The newest “Bachelor” isn’t just the first black man to hold the role in ABC series history. He also comes with a background in real estate, courtesy of CBRE.

Matthew James, the 28-year-old who ABC announced on Friday would be its next bachelor, works as an associate at CBRE, where he provides brokerage and transaction management services to several different firms, according to CBRE’s website. He spent the beginning of his real estate career leading the Downtown Manhattan research department and is still based out of the brokerage’s Downtown Manhattan office at 140 Broadway.

James worked at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh before shifting to CBRE and played wide receiver at Wake Forest University from 2012-2014, according to Bisnow.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

ABC has been airing “The Bachelor” for 18 years, and James will hold the title role on the series’ 25th season. He was originally cast as a contestant for Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” but that was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Bachelor” has been criticized for its lack of diversity, and James said on “Good Morning America” Friday morning that his casting represents “a step in the right direction.”

“Hopefully, this is the first of many black men to be in the position that I am in now,” he said.