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Los Angeles luxury agent Vanessa Villela, who appeared on Seasons 4 and 5 of Netflix’s Selling Sunset, has returned to The Agency after two years with The Oppenheim Group, People reported on Tuesday.
Villela, who is Mexican-American, started her professional career as an actress in Mexico City, and is known for roles in the TV shows El Señor de los Cielos and Una Maid en Manhattan, among others. She transitioned to real estate in 2020 when she joined The Agency and was with the firm for nearly one year before joining The Oppenheim Group.
Villela characterized her return to The Agency after some years away as a homecoming of sorts.
“I am super excited to be back at The Agency,” she told People. “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,” she continued. “I know that I’m in the right place.”
During Season 5 of Selling Sunset, the new season of which premieres on Netflix this Friday, Villela revealed that she was having trouble securing listings. She had also started a relationship with British photographer Nick Hardy and was open about exploring living with him in the U.K. The season concluded with Villela seen in an airport, suggesting she may not return to Selling Sunset.
While Villela will indeed not make an appearance in the show’s new season, she will apparently continue to live and work in L.A. with The Agency, even after having married her British beau, Hardy.
Villela is also getting a jump start to her reinvigorated career at The Agency by co-representing a $25.8 million property on Beverly Grove Drive with Agency Principal and Partner Santiago Arana, who first acquired the listing. The 10,000-square-foot property off of Benedict Canyon features ocean views, a 100-foot infinity pool, a 12-person spa, a large gym and a home theater, among other amenities.
A representative from The Agency told Inman that Villela departed The Oppenheim Group in mid-March 2023 and immediately moved to The Agency, but the firm was not ready to announce her rejoining until this week.
“I came back because I’m very serious about where I want my real estate career to go,” Villela told People. “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.”
Villela added that her departure from The Oppenheim Group was “a mutual decision,” but that there are “definitely no hard feelings.”
Whether or not Villela may join the cast for Season 2 of Buying Beverly Hills, The Agency’s Netflix reality TV series has not yet been confirmed, but with Villela’s on-camera credentials, it would be a surprise if she did not make the cut.
“I didn’t come back [to The Agency] for that reason, but you have to watch next season to see what happens,” Villela told People.
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