The Truth About Luis D. Ortiz From World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals

Netflix has been building a pretty impressive array of reality series over the years, and "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" continues the trend with a perfect summer-themed premise. The show eschews real estate reality's usual focus on million-dollar mansions and complex renovation projects by turning its gaze toward traveling. As the name implies, the series is all about cool holiday cribs you can rent — and "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" makes sure to pay attention to budgets of every size. 

Armchair traveling has been the only viable option for many in recent times, so the show provides much-needed escapism. What's more, seeing as its rentals are all perfectly bookable, it can also double as a neat to-do list for possible future travels. Adding to the charm are the series' three hosts, all of whom bring their own personality and expertise to the game. Along with Jo Franco and Megan Batoon, the energetic Luis D. Ortiz completes the affable trifecta. Let's find out a little bit more about him. 

Some people like to take some time after high school to figure out what they want. Per CNBC, Luis D. Ortiz wasn't one of them. Instead, he and his twin brother ran away from home at the age of 16, lying to their parents that they were merely going to the beach, but actually using their savings to take a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

This wasn't just a spring break situation, either. They were living in Puerto Rico at the time, and genuinely set out to forge their path in the U.S., so the move was an extremely drastic one. Fortunately, leaving home at an early age and in such a stealthy manner didn't hurt Ortiz's relationship with his parents too much in the long run, and they eventually resumed contact.

Ortiz says that the exit plan was necessary, because his home situation didn't really mesh with his ambitious nature. " My parents were very strict," he said. "They raised us the old fashioned way, with branch whippings on your legs. My mother meant well, but even when I was young, I always reacted negatively to an environment that did not allow me to move forward."

It's often difficult to gauge whether the people in reality shows are actually as wealthy or poor as they appear to be. For instance, Kevin Kreider portrays an everyman in Netflix's "The Bling Empire," but his own, personal net worth has been estimated at $10 million, which would effectively make him richer than many of his ultra-wealthy castmates (via The Tab).

Though Luis D. Ortiz travels to many exotic locales and visits some pretty amazing cribs in "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals," his scruffy beard and casual clothes sometimes make him look like he wandered in the shoot after competing in a particularly demanding leg of "The Amazing Race." However, appearances can be deceiving, and he's actually one of those reality TV stars who are worth more than you might think. Ortiz is a very real and very successful real estate agent with plenty of TV appearances under his belt, and according to wealth estimation site Celebrity Net Worth, his personal finances amount to a very respectable $16 million.

Thanks to "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals" and his previous show, Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing New York," Luis D. Ortiz is well-known for his work in front of the camera. However, as CNBC tells us, the real estate agent's original aspirations were actually behind it. Ortiz is a very talented filmmaker who studied at the New York Film Academy, and before he knew it, he was an award-winning director. 

"At the end of [Ortiz' first year at the Academy], we did our thesis film," Ortiz describes his rise to success. "My short film, 'Amalia', became an official selection at Cannes Select. I also won best director in the Puerto Rico film festival and re-established my relationship with my parents." 

Alas, Ortiz's filmmaking career turned out to be short-lived. Ortiz enrolled in the Academy in 2006, and in 2007, the process of making his second film, "Theater of the Absurd," proved to be so frustrating that he ended up abandoning the project entirely.

Skateboarding isn't the first skill you'd expect a real estate-themed reality TV star to have, but Luis D. Ortiz is a man of many talents. In an interview with Wharton Magazine, he revealed that he's not only a pretty great skateboarder, but he's actually practiced it far more than his real estate moving skills, which were more of a natural talent.

"When I was growing up in San Juan, my friends and I used to skateboard 12 hours a day," Ortiz said. "We would jump staircases at the plaza and the most we ever jumped was 15 stairs. In order to get to this point, you have to start with two stairs, then four stairs, and work your way up. Obviously, the bigger the stairs the harder the fall. With each fall, I figured out what I had to do to land the jump and when I finally did it helped me become more confident."

Considering his mercurial nature when it comes to his various endeavors, it's probably fair to assume that Ortiz doesn't spend the majority of his waking hours on a skateboard these days. Still, he has incorporated the sport to his personal philosophy. "I see life as a big set of stairs I am about to jump," he has said.

Luis D. Ortiz is a pretty positive and optimistic guy, and as Wharton Magazine notes, he entered the real estate industry because of his natural salesmanship qualities. However, his experiences with the business haven't always been smooth sailing. Per the New York Post, a 2013 episode of "Million Dollar Listing New York" showed him enhancing images of a highly expensive apartment with Photoshop, in order to make them more attractive to prospective buyers. "If I put the real photos out there, nobody would come inside," he justified his actions. "A little white lie isn't going to kill anybody!" 

He was wrong. Apart from the fact that the incident made headlines, the New York Department of State launched an investigation about his business practices. Per Bravo, Ortiz soon delivered a public apology and explanation of his actions, saying that his intentions were good, but also noting that his methods were flawed. "The problem was that I got overexcited and instead of thinking and making a plan, I did what I thought I needed to do to get people in the door fast," he wrote. "In the end, it was not pretty."