After an influx of new realtors in the new season, not everyone stayed with the brokerage.
Selling Sunset season 5 saw an influx of realtors working at the Oppenheim Group, twins Brett and Jason’s Los Angeles-based high-end real estate brokerage at the center of the hit Netflix reality series. But not everyone made it to the end, with several notable departures from the company.
In addition to longtime employees Maya Vander, Mary Fitzgerald, Heather Rae Young, Christine Quinn, as well as Chrishell Stause, who joined in season 1, and Amanza Smith, who joined in season 2, former employee Davina Potratz made her return to the company after initially parting ways in season 3. Not only that, but Christine convinced the twins to add season 5 newcomer Chelsea Lazkani to the roster on top of season 4’s additions, Emma Hernan and Vanessa Villela.
And as Mary puts it this season, “There’s only so many seats at the office, so we’re going to have to take a look at who’s not pulling their weight,” leaving the likes of Davina and Vanessa worried they’re on the chopping block after failing to make any notable sales up until that point.
In the end, neither the twins nor Mary have to lay off any of the staff, but two of them -- Vanessa and Maya -- left the company with Christine seemingly fired, or at least on the outs after an unexpected scandal erupts in the finale.
Here’s what you need to know about the big cast shakeups in season 5:
Vanessa Villela
This season, romances were front and center, with the relationship between Chrishell and Jason garnering most of the attention while Heather’s marriage to Tarek El Moussa opened the finale. However, they weren’t the only two couples in love, with Emma becoming increasingly smitten with her new client, Micah, as the two bonded over home renovations, mezcal and empanadas.
Additionally, Vanessa revealed halfway through the season that her personal life was taking priority over her professional one. “I also feel a little disconnected from a lot of things right now. I’m in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend,” she told Amanza at one point, before a flashback showed her telling Nick that she cannot travel due to work.
“Our relationship is so magical that our love is getting stronger and stronger and deeper and deeper, and that obviously makes it harder to be apart. So, maybe the real estate market in Los Angeles is not meant for me,” Vanessa continued to explain to her co-worker.
Later, Nick showed up at the office to give Vanessa a promise ring before having to leave the country again for work. And after grabbing lunch with Davina, who convinced her to follow her heart, Vanessa seemingly decided to move to England and was last seen with her luggage at the airport.
Choosing love ended up working out for her, because in January it was revealed that Nick, who goes by Tom Fraud on social, proposed to Vanessa on the steps of the Griffith Observatory. Vanessa took to Instagram to share a video of her beau on one knee, writing, “Our love story is like a movie and you are my prince!”
Maya Vander
After hinting in previous seasons that she wanted to stop splitting her time between the East and West Coasts, Maya, who is pregnant with her third child, made the formal decision to move to Miami to be with her husband and two growing children.
“At the end of the day, I know I have to take a break from bouncing to L.A.,” she said during a goodbye lunch with the team, adding later, “It is, in a way, closing a chapter, and it’s bittersweet. But at the same time, I’m very excited to focus on what's really important in life, which is my family.”
While the cameras don’t follow Maya to Miami, it’s since been revealed that she had a stillbirth 38 weeks into pregnancy. “Yesterday was the hardest day of my life,” she posted to Instagram. “I always heard of it but never imagined I’ll be part of the statistics. Instead of delivering a baby, I get to go home with a memory box… I do not wish this on anyone.”
She added, “Given I share my pregnancies in the show I knew I’ll have to post about this and avoid the 'when is your due date' question.”
In an interview with the New York Post, Maya revealed that she has no plans to return to the series. Instead, she’s focused on motherhood as well as managing her own firm, Maya Vander Group. “My business in Miami is really doing well. I started my own team here,” she shared. “I have a few girls that work with me. And the market in Miami is great.”
Christine Quinn
After giving birth to her first child with her husband, Christian Richard, Christine was largely on maternity leave during season 5. But being a new mom didn’t stop her from drumming up all the drama that played out in the new episodes, including stealing the spotlight at Heather’s bridal shower, continuing to feud with Chrishell and Mary, talking poorly about her one ally, Davina, while introducing another named Chelsea.
But the Selling Sunset villain’s antics may finally have gone too far when it’s revealed that she attempted to bribe one of Emma’s clients into not working with her and choosing to go with Christine instead. “He’s known me for 10 years. He knows I’m a good person inside and out, and, like, thank God he told me,” Emma said, before relaying what Christine told her client: “She’s out to sabotage you in any way possible.”
“She clearly has a vindictiveness to her that is seriously concerning,” Jason said later, when discussing what to do about Christine’s status at the brokerage with Mary after she failed to show up to a meeting with him.
“When you’re lying, you’re doing these awful things, it’s hard to keep up with the story. So, it was easier not to show up,” Emma later told ET about Christine’s actions in the finale.
While the season ends with Christine’s position at the Oppenheim Group unclear, it’s likely that she’s on the way out. “Obviously, I’m not the boss. But it’s come to a point where she’s hurt each and every single one of the girls on the show, on the cast, in the O Group,” Emma said. “So, Jason’s going to have to make that decision… But he’s the boss, so TBD. I don’t think anyone knows at this point.”
Selling Sunset is now streaming on Netflix.
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