'Selling Sunset' Star Vanessa Villela Teases TV Comeback in Rival Series Following Exit From Netflix Show
Former Selling Sunset star, Vanessa Villela has officially quit the popular Netflix show and The Oppenheim Group after two years to join the rival brokerage, The Agency. Speaking exclusively to People, she said, "I am super excited to be back at The Agency. It's where my career started so it feels extremely good to be back. It feels like home. I am surrounded by incredible top agents successful and collaborative people who work like a family, I know that I'm in the right place."
Announcing her "return to roots" on Instagram, the Selling Sunset alum captioned the post, "Back to my roots! It feels so good to be back at The Agency, where my Real Estate career started. It was my dream to work there as soon I thought about doing this. I'm proud to have achieved it."
Villela explained how she passed her real estate exam: "Three years ago, I began studying for my exam, but the pandemic hit, and everything was put on hold. Months later, I received an email with an exam date just two weeks away. At first, I doubted myself and thought I couldn't do it. But with the encouragement of my Brother, I left my fears behind and began studying with all my heart. When the day came, I was nervous, but I knew deep down that I was ready for it. I passed my exam, and the feeling of joy was overwhelming. I couldn't stop crying tears of happiness."
She then encouraged her followers to chase their dreams, "My message to you is: Never let fear hold you back. Believe in yourself, chase your dreams, and take that leap of faith. With hard work and determination, anything is possible. So grateful to the ones who supported me to made this happen!"
Discussing her decision to return to her former agency, Villela explained in an interview with The U.S.Sun, "It was just, like, the right thing for me to do and what I felt was right. I wanted to go back to my family. I wanted to go back where I really could focus in real estate and succeed and celebrate life and have collaborations and all these things that I really like about being at The Agency. It has to be right for me, you know, it has to be the right thing for me. Anything that comes with TV - whether it is scripted or non-scripted - it has to be the right thing for me. But I can 100 percent assure you I am dedicated to work and I really focus as a businesswoman entrepreneur. If something in that sense, you know, happens, you'll have to watch this too, and see if it happens."
Villela will not be seen in the new seasons of Selling Sunset anymore, though she was part of seasons four and five. The new season premiered on Netflix on May 19 with the regular cast members Brett and Jason Oppenheim, Heather El Moussa, Mary Fitzgerald, Chrishell Stause, Amanza Smith, Davina Potratz, Emma Hernan, Chelsea Lazkani and newbies Bre Tiesi and Nicole Young.
Returning to The Agency, the business rival of The Oppenheim Group, brings Villela the opportunity to focus on her off-camera goals. She said, "I came back because I'm very serious about where I want my real estate career to go. I know that this is where I have to be to succeed in real estate. It felt right, I always missed them. I feel in my heart it's where I belong. The minute I walked in, everyone welcomed me so beautifully." Concluding her part in the Selling Sunset series she said, "I always felt like I was the new girl in school, they're obviously super successful and it's an incredible show, but I have to make my own life and make my dreams come true."
Villela will now be working with Santiago Arana, Principal at The Agency, in Brentwood, California. Arana shares the company with Kyle Richards's husband Mauricio Umansky, who is the CEO and founder of The Agency. Umansky is known to have his own Netflix spinoff, Buying Beverly Hills, and also appears on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
