The Richest Selling Sunset Cast Member Might Surprise You
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We can't get enough of Netflix's "Selling Sunset," a reality series that combines real estate with some very entertaining SoCal drama. We've got vegans, Lamborghinis, birthday parties for dogs, and pistachio farm millionaires looking for glass houses. If it seems inexplicable that these facets could fit into one world, the Oppenheim Group makes it happen. The houses are identical, the commission is unbelievable, and the heels keep getting higher.
"Selling Sunset" Season 4 dropped on Nov. 24, 2021 and quickly became one of the most binged shows on the streaming platform. While the real estate can hold our attention for a hot minute, the real lure of "Selling Sunset" is the drama and relationships between the stars. Chrishell Stause has spoken about her lack of interest in salvaging a relationship with co-star Christine Quinn. Reality star Tarek El Moussa, husband to Heather Rae Young, also has ongoing beef with Christine. It seems Christine can't win with anyone, but when you're the hot villain, that's showbiz, baby.
Season 4 was also notable because we got two new stars to contend with. Vanessa Villela, a soap opera actor joined the group, as did Emma Hernan, an entrepreneur who, big shocker, also has a history of feuding with Christine. Got it. But what the show really comes down to, aside from the endless drama, is selling real estate and with high demands in Los Angeles and area, there's big money and our "Selling Sunset" crew knows exactly how to make it.
Amanza Smith's incredible financial journey
Amanza Smith is one of the more relatable cast members of "Selling Sunset." She came into the series because she's been friends with Mary Fitzgerald and Jason and Brett Oppenheim for 20 years, she told Good Housekeeping.
Amanza first began working with the Oppenheim group as an interior designer, a skill she developed in her childhood. "It's a natural talent that I've always had, and it came from growing up really poor," Amanza said in GH. "I lived in a trailer. I would get, like, one can of paint a year, and I would paint everything in my room, from the bunk beds to the dresser to the accessories. I got really creative. I became a DIY master at a very young age."
In 2010, she married NFL player Ralph Brown but when their marriage fell apart, Amanza found herself completely responsible for their two children, since Ralph couldn't pay child support. On Season 2 of "Selling Sunset," Amanza explained what she had to do to support her kids. "I was doing everything. I cleaned houses, I walked dogs, I was a nanny," she said. "I hadn't cleaned my toilet in nine years, and suddenly I'm scrubbing toilets so that I can feed my kids. It was a very humbling experience to say the least." She finally became a real estate agent and has clearly hit the jet stream with the Oppenheim Group. While we don't have an exact net worth for Amanza, things are looking up.
Maya Vander and her big work commute
Maya Vander is the calming presence on "Selling Sunset." Where would we be without her? She seems to get along with everyone and acts as peacekeeper whenever things get out of hand. (We're looking at you, Christine Quinn.)
While Maya's estimated net worth isn't available, we know that she's not afraid to hustle. She's constantly jetting back and forth between Los Angeles and Miami because she's an agent at two firms: the Oppenheim Group and Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Miami, The Sun notes.
Since the commission from sales are listed on screen for viewers, Maya clarified how much money the agents actually get once one of their luxury cribs gets scooped up. Before we all start salivating, it might be surprising to know it's not as much as the show makes it seem. "Typically the commission on a purchase is 5%," Maya told Metro UK. "The 5% is split into half for the person who represents the seller and the person who brings the buyer, so you end up with 2.5%." Maya also explained how Jason Oppenheim gets his cut: "If I bring the buyer, I get 2.5% of the purchase price, but then Jason will take his cut because he's the broker and he has the liability. Typically for a brokerage... I would keep 70% out of the 2.5% and he would take 30%. And then we have to pay taxes." She ended by saying, "It's not as big as you think!" Hmm.
Mary Fitzgerald's financial troubles before real estate
Mary Fitzgerald is one of the most successful agents at the Oppenheim Group, and so handling multi-million dollar listings is her daily bread. However, there was a time when she was in a much tougher position financially. According to The Sun, Mary filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after owing $139,700. Per the report, nearly $60,000 in credit card debt, $50,000 in a judgment issued from a lawsuit, and $26,100 for a Mercedes purchased from ex-boyfriend Jason Oppenheim all led to her winding up in the hole.
Now, as a top agent, it's a totally different story for Mary. After "Selling Sunset" became such a hit, the Oppenheim Group enjoyed even more attention from buyers and sellers. "They saw the show and contacted us. Now I'm working on a $9 million deal for them," Mary told Forbes about some international clients. Season 4 saw Mary snag the listing for French Montana's 8,600 square foot house and she gave People an exclusive preview of the massive property, noting that Selena Gomez previously owned the spot and that Scott Disick helped Montana design his home theater room. The home is listed at $5 million so if Mary gets 2.5% commission, she's looking at $125,000 for that sale.
In fact, Mary is doing so well now that her cast mates in Season 1 worried that her then-fiance, Romain Bonnet, was just marrying her for her money. Thankfully though, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Christine Quinn is an entrepreneur
"Selling Sunset" wouldn't be the drama-packed event it is without Christine Quinn. Our pretty-in-pink villain can't stop and won't stop both causing a ruckus and selling houses. Christine boasts a net worth of $1.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and it's only going to grow.
In addition to working as an agent for the Oppenheim Group, Christine is all about that sponsored content on social media. Her Instagram page is an exhibit in raking in the dough. She has collaborations with Shoedazzle, Samsung, and an eyeshadow collaboration with Ciate London. She also wrote a book, "How to Be a Boss B*tch," published through Abrams Image with a May 2022 publication date.
Christine has ambitions with no limits. Her long term plan, she told the WSJ, is to create her own lifestyle brand that delves into "every realm of fashion, beauty and skincare." She already kicked it off with a perfume when the pandemic gave her some time to slow down. "I actually created my own perfume in quarantine, so this is what I wear," she said. "It's called B****y. I think perfume is all about a feeling. I spray it and I feel like a b***h and I love it. It says 'B****y by Xtine.'"
Things haven't always been glamorous for Christine. When she was younger, she worked at Taco Bell and Walmart, she told People. But Christine saw her success coming. "My career was always about manifestation," she said, adding that her everyday life feels like a dream.
Real estate led Christian Richard to Christine Quinn
Christine Quinn's husband, Christian Richard, might be camera-shy, but that doesn't make him any less savvy. "We're so similar in all the ways that matter. We are both creative, driven, entrepreneurial, and have always lived by our own rules," Christine told People in 2020.
Christian, whose actual surname appears to be Dumontet, is already retired from a career as a tech engineer. He founded a food delivery system called Foodler that was purchased by GrubHub in 2017, according to Global Property Inc. Details of the sale weren't listed, nor is Christian's net worth, but GrubHub said their annual sales were bumped up by a paltry $80 million in sales after acquiring Foodler. (And by "paltry" we mean "jaw-dropping.") "He attended MIT and specializes in engineering of all types including software platforms," Christine said in Women's Health of Christian.
Christine and Christian met when Christian threw down $5 million cool ones for a mansion she was selling in the Hollywood Hills. Christine told Women's Health that she more or less manifested all of this. "The house he ended up purchasing was actually my dream home before I even met Christian," Christine said. "I remember prior to meeting him, I would sit in that open house every Sunday and picture myself living there, getting coffee with my husband, and that manifestation came true—I now live in the house that I envisioned myself in with my husband." Dreams clearly come true.
Davina Potratz talks business
Davina Potratz became famous on "Selling Sunset" for that $75 million listing in Beverly Hills, per The Sun. While the house is literally larger than life at 18,000 square feet, it hasn't sold as of this writing and caused some friction between Davina and Brett and Jason Oppenheim for being poorly priced.
While the Beverly Hills house is a reach, Davina has been in the real estate industry for over 10 years and has a net worth of approximately $2 million, the Evening Standard notes. There's less of Davina in season 4 of "Selling Sunset," largely because she left the Oppenheim Group for Douglas Elliman Beverly Hills, per People. Despite working with a new company, Davina didn't want to leave the TV show. "I certainly hope that I'm still part of the cast," she told the outlet.
Davina spoke with Evoke about the nitty gritty of real estate and how the commission doesn't go to one person entirely. "The way it works in real estate, there is a broker license and there's a salesperson license, so the broker is the higher license," Davina said, explaining that Jason was her broker when she was with his team. She said that a typical split is "75% vs 25%" with 25% going to the broker. Interestingly, she said that she can't discuss the "commission splits" and added, "Everyone has different splits based on their background and experience and their relationship with the brokerage." We're not surprised that Davina gets right down to business.
Heather Rae Young went from Playboy to real estate
Heather Rae Young is another OG of the "Selling Sunset" team and has the money to prove it. She has a net worth of $3 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, thanks to her real estate work as well as sponsored content on social media. Heather is an outspoken vegan and posts content for vegan supplements and plant protein.
Before "Selling Sunset," Heather was Playmate of the month in February 2010. "One day I went online and found out about the 55th Anniversary Casting Call at the Playboy Mansion in 2008," she said in Playboy at the time. "I freaked because I think it's every girl's dream to go to the Mansion and see what it's like. So I did!" Her decision was hugely influential for her career and Playboy that her favorite words to live by were: "Never, never, never, never give up."
Heather explained how she decided on her current career. "After modeling and appearing in Playboy, real estate felt like a good transition for me, because I'd met so many people, and I'm really good at building relationships and making contacts," she told Realtor. Clearly, it was the right decision because in her first three months, "she sold a $7.2 million house and a $1.5 million condo." Heather also just made a reality TV match by marrying "Flip or Flop's" Tarek El Moussa, who has a net worth of $15 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Not too shabby.
Emma Hernan's impressive hustle
Emma Hernan is one of the new additions to "Selling Sunset" in Season 4 and has a long-running feud with Christine Quinn involving an ex-boyfriend. But when it comes to business, nobody has Emma beat. Her parents owned a seafood company in Massachusetts, per Harper's Bazaar, and Emma herself got into the stock market as a teen. As an adult, she founded Emma Leigh & Co., a company that makes vegan empanadas.
On top of all of this, Emma is also a realtor with the Oppenheim Group. Clearly, she's got major work ethic. "I love working,' she told Nylon. "I love making money. I love inspiring people." On fitting in on "Selling Sunset," Emma brought up her work ethic again. "I'm a woman entrepreneur," she said. "I've been in business for a while now. I've been CEO of my company, so I bring something a little different to the show."
While Emma's net worth isn't listed, she's obviously doing really well. She flies private as she commutes from the west coast to the east coast. More importantly, she finds that the stock market world and the real estate market are symbiotic. "With any successful run in the stock market, you tend to kind of fall into real estate," Emma said to People. "I bought my first property with Jason [Oppenheim] and that's how I transitioned into real estate." In fact, Emma owns numerous investment properties, so real estate is obviously in her wheelhouse.
Chrishell Stause stands up for women everywhere
Chrishell Stause is another staple of "Selling Sunset," though she began her time on the reality show as the new girl in the Oppenheim Group. But this newbie persona didn't last for long and Chrishell is now a tried and true member of the team. She also boasts a net worth of $5 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, so you know she can hustle.
Chrishell also knows how to treat herself and in Season 4 of the real estate reality show, we saw her purchase a stunning $3.3 million home for herself in the Hollywood Hills, per The Hollywood Reporter. The four-bedroom home is as stunning as anything we've seen on "Selling Sunset" and the purchase came hot off the heels of her divorce from Justin Hartley.
There was a great moment for women everywhere when Chrishell addressed rumors that Jason Oppenheim was her agent on the home purchase. Taking to Instagram stories, Chrishell wrote (via People), "I just got told that a story came out about my house, and it says that Jason was the agent on it. And I really don't feel like this happens to men. I was my agent. I did it." Yes she did.
Of course, Chrishell had a different career before settling into real estate. Before viewers saw her on "Selling Sunset," soap opera fans saw her on "All My Children," "The Young and the Restless," and "Days of Our Lives." Clearly, she works well with cameras around.
Vanessa Villela has soap operas and bikinis
Chrishell Stause isn't the only soap opera star to join the Oppenheim group. Newbie Vanessa Villela joined "Selling Sunset" in Season 4 and fit right in, though she seemed to side with team Christine Quinn or, at the very least, she's choosing not to take sides. We can respect that.
The Mexican-American beauty was a star in telenovelas like "Una Maid en Manhattan," "En Otra Piel," and "El Señor de los Cielos." The work on soap operas not only launched Vanessa into international fame, it also paved the way for her ease in front of cameras later on. When it was announced that Vanessa was joining the "Selling Sunset" cast, she wrote on Instagram that she was excited for this new chapter. "I was able to manifest this dream of blending my background in acting with my latest passion in real estate but because I want to help empower and show others to never give up on yourself or your dreams," she wrote.
With all of this passion and enthusiasm, it's no wonder that Vanessa has a net worth of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Vanessa also keeps busy with other ventures. She shared on Instagram that she collaborated with the tantalizing lingerie and swimwear brand Lascivious to create her own swimwear line. So our girl likes to keep revenue coming in from many streams.
Jason Oppenheim's secret to success
Jason Oppenheim is, of course, the reason we have the Oppenheim Group. He founded the company and serves as president, according to his official bio. While his family goes back generations into the world of real estate, Jason was a lawyer before he followed the family tradition. He earned his law degree from UC Berkeley and worked for the international law firm O'Melveny & Myers.
Jason left law and decided to take some time off and travel the world. While this gave him perspective, he returned to Los Angeles in 2010 with $40,000 in credit card debt, per Swagger. He began working as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker and was pulling in $50,000 a year. "Getting into the real estate industry during the Great Recession was not easy," Jason told Swagger. "Many agents were dropping out at the same time I was just starting my career. I made a bet, and relied on my passion, determination, and grit to get me where I am today." He founded the Oppenheim Group in 2013.
This was clearly a successful bet and it's obvious that real estate is what Jason was called to do because the Oppenheim Group has over $2 billion in closed sales, Swagger notes, and typically has around $300 million worth of active listings. It's no wonder his net worth is $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Jason's personal secret: he doesn't have an assistant, which means his clients get to speak to him directly when they call.
Did Brett Oppenheim go off on his own?
Brett and Jason Oppenheim aren't twins for nothing. Like Jason, Brett graduated from US Berkeley with a law degree but switched to real estate. That's how he and Jason opened the Oppenheim Group. Curiously enough, Brett's net worth is not listed though it's reasonable to assume that it's somewhere in the range of his brother's, since Brett worked as senior vice president while he was at the Oppenheim Group, per his bio.
In 2020, it appeared as though Brett parted ways to open his own company called Oppenheim Real Estate. While it looks to be similar (Brett caters to the wealthy of Southern California), one thing on his website stands out: A major focus of Brett's company is renovation and property development. On his website, it says that he "renovates and develops properties for his personal real estate portfolio." When asked about this matter on a September 2020 episode of "Lorraine," Jason said, "We're still working together."
Of course, the Oppenheim brothers stay connected, even with separate companies. Jason told the Daily Mail October 2020 how close he and Brett have always been. "Another time my brother went out underage drinking before Thanksgiving," Jason said. "He was arrested for fighting and I made sure the officer arrested me too so that he would not be in jail alone." If they're willing to get into trouble for each other, it's clear they've got each other's backs through thick and thin.