Born and raised in Minnesota, Seth Phillips moved to California in 1982 and entered the real estate industry, first in property management and then became a licensed real estate agent and broker. He co-owned the largest RE/MAX franchise in Los Angeles and then became a real estate developer in 2007, focused on building luxury estate homes in Beverly Hills. In 2017 California passed new housing laws that allowed single-family home owners to build a second home on their properties; Phillips specializes in ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) development.