Vanessa Villela achieved fame as a star of Spanish-language TV shows and soap operas that aired in her native Mexico, as well as in Colombia and 120 other countries. However, after she moved to Miami to continue her acting career in the lucrative American TV market, she was encouraged by her late sister and best friend Jackie to also pursue a career in real estate, which Vanessa could apply not only her lively communication skills, but also her love of helping other people.
She took Jackie’s advice, and studied for, and earned, her real estate license. After gaining experience as a real estate agent at a luxury firm called “The Agency”, Vanessa then joined the Oppenheim Group, an L.A.-based firm, due to her vast knowledge of the Malibu real estate market. As well, the Oppenheim Group is the subject of the Netflix reality series “Selling Sunset”, and Vanessa started working there just as season 4 began (which is now streaming on Netflix); however, she found herself thrust into an actual soap opera scenario with the personal and professional dramas that were going on between its ambitious, glamourous agents.
“I have been acting since the age of four, and I had an incredible career performing on soaps in Mexico. But filming 14-15 hours a day soon became too much, and when I was about to start the fifth season of one of the soaps that I was part of its cast, I decided I wanted to take a break from acting,” said Vanessa during a recent phone interview. “My sister Jackie, who was a very successful realtor in San Diego, suggested that I look at other horizons, and encouraged me to study for my real estate license.”
After Vanessa got her license, she and Jackie were about to open their own real estate firm in San Diego, when tragedy struck. In 2018, Jackie died unexpectedly from a bad reaction to a medication. “When Jackie died, my world fell apart. I went into a full depression and wondered how I survived and went through the first two months following her death,” she said. She credits her path to healing through meditation classes, which combined such elements as breathwork, kundalini, reiki, mindset coaching and the daily repeating of mantras. She then earned her real estate license, brought her sister’s real estate business to Los Angeles, and was blessed to have her brother by her side to help her bring things together towards its operation, such as organizing open houses.
But what brings joy to Vanessa’s career as a real estate agent is not just finalizing the sale of a luxurious, multi-million dollar house, but the fact that it contributes to her passion of helping other people and making them happy. “When I give a client the keys to their new dream home, it fills me with joy. Getting a new home is a very positive experience, as well as a life-changing one,” she said. As well, Vanessa constantly finds ways to give back to her community in L.A., supporting such community organizations as iFaw – an international animal welfare fund – and Naam Los Angeles, which is a spiritual center located in Santa Monica that has a global reach.
Vanessa admits that being welcomed with open arms by her fellow real estate agents on her first day at the Oppenheim Group was a great experience, but it also gave her another opportunity. “No one was having problems with me when I arrived at the office on my first day, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt when it came to how to deal with me,” she said. “The challenging part was that I wanted to take the opportunity to have them know me as Vanessa the person, not the soap opera character, as well as inspire them with my personal story about why I went into real estate, and my passion for making a difference in the world.”
And no sooner did she set foot into the Oppenheim Group office that she was quickly, yet unwittingly, thrust into the real life soap opera that was taking place there, especially between two of its agents: Mary and Christine (who spent season 4 on maternity leave). “I have to admit I felt awkward getting caught in the middle of that situation,” said Vanessa. “But Mary and Christine could have resolved that issue if they spoke to each other about their feelings with an open heart and being more truthful. When there is too many mixed communications, it makes it difficult to fix things up. I believe that it would be a better world if we support each other instead of putting everyone down.”
Since her debut on the season four premiere of “Selling Sunset”, Vanessa has received a multitude of emails and requests from buyers to help them find a new home. Although she states that many potential customers want to live in the Hollywood area because of its natural beauty, the perfect weather and the many opportunities it presents, there is a dilemma when it comes to supply and demand for available homes there.
“There is a shortage of properties, especially in my territory of Malibu,” she said. “This is a very good time to be a seller, because they can charge way over the asking price. When you’re a real estate agent, you have to keep on hustling. That is why I am working with a developer to see if more homes can be constructed in the area.”
newcomer Vanessa Villela are now streaming on Netflix.
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