MDLNY’s Fredrik Eklund: How Sobriety Has Made Me a 'More Present' Dad

'Million Dollar Listing New York' star Fredrik Eklund opens up about how being sober has helped him be a better parent — exclusive video

Taking control. Fredrik Eklund recently hit a sobriety milestone of 200 days without alcohol and the Million Dollar Listing New York star, 44, sat down exclusively with Us Weekly to share how his decision to quit drinking has positively impacted his life.

Eklund, who shares 3-year-old twins, Freddy and Milla, with husband Derek Kaplan, explained how abstaining has made him a better father.

Fredrik Eklund How Sobriety Has Made Me More Present Dad — Fredrik Eklund with his family. Courtesy of Fredrik Eklund/Instagram

“I feel I’m much more present. I feel much calmer. I feel much more in control,” the Bravo personality told Us. “If you look at me for the last 10 years, I probably from the outside, I look[ed] like I’m in control, like a businessman, but I didn’t really trust myself towards the end. [Now,] I feel like I look younger, I feel younger.”

Sobriety has affected Eklund positively inside and out, especially when it comes to keeping up with his children.

“With fatherhood, [I’m] just not missing one beat. They have a lot of energy, the twins, the twin-sanity. I don’t have as much energy as they do ‘cause they’re 3, but almost,” he explained. “I can really be there with them. I feel really, really proud of myself. And I don’t say that lightly.”

Being in real estate, choosing not to drink doesn’t always come easily for the high-end broker.

“I think it’s so ingrained in our society, especially in these big cities of New York and L.A. It’s definitely ingrained in real estate,” he said. “You have to socialize with clients, less so during COVID.”

While open houses were slower during quarantine, the time at home was also a test.

“The other side of COVID is, like, you’re going to have a glass of wine at home with the kids. And I just felt like towards the end there was a heaviness and there was tiredness around it,” he noted. “I just love what I do. I love my kids. I love my family. And I’m just adventurous, and hopefully still a very young soul. So, it didn’t really fit in with what I want to become.”

Viewers will also see how COVID-19 affected the new season of Million Dollar Listing New York.

“It was very frustrating because I couldn’t get to New York. We were not allowed to fly or even do real estate. … We were not even legally allowed to do real estate, we couldn’t do showings. Our clients wanted us to sell anyway, and we have a fiduciary duty to them. So, our clients are screaming, ‘Sell my apartment. I want to get out of New York,’” Eklund told Us. “It’s a lot of craziness. There’s a lot of comedy. And, of course, it’s really tough, and it’s a very sad time, but we covered all of it. I think it’s going to be really interesting to watch.”

Catch Eklund on Million Dollar Listing New York on Bravo every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.