Why didn’t some ‘Selling Sunset’ season 2 cast members return?

Thanks to a hot tip from Selling Sunset resident-villain Christine Quinn, we know that Brett Oppenheim, of the Oppenheim Group real estate company & seller to the stars, broke off from twin brother Jason Oppenheim to open his own firm, but the details are murky. “There’s been some drama going down,” Christine told ET. “Someone has left the brokerage for good and started their own brokerage . . . Brett.”

Quinn elaborated further in a separate interview with Glamour UK, adding, “Brett has left to start his own brokerage. The girls are fed up with the favoritism of Mary in the office, we don’t know who will move where. It may be the battle of the brokerages! I think if season four goes ahead, it is going to be the juiciest season ever.”

Oppenheim Real Estate is the name of Brett’s new brokerage. “There’s been a division going on,” Quinn added. “It’s kind of something that’s been happening for a while, and people are just trying to figure out where the chess pieces are going right now. Let the games begin.”

Separate but related

What’s a little odd is there are now two separate brokerages and both of them claim to be the company founded by Jacob Stern in 1889. The Oppenheim Group’s history section tells the story of Brett and Jason’s great great grandfather starting The Stern Realty Co. in 1800s Hollywood, passing it down through five generations. 

Oppenheim Real Estate’s history page says basically the same thing. Somehow both Oppenheim brothers are claiming their brokerage is descended from The Stern Realty Co. So, does that mean the companies are still intertwined?

Listing overlap

What’s even more interesting about all of it is that Christine did an interview with This Morning in June and did a run-through of some properties that she wanted to highlight, and one of them is listed on both The Oppenheim Group’s website and Oppenheim Real Estate’s website. 

Another property she drew attention to is only listed by Oppenheim Real Estate. So there’s clearly overlap on properties, and while homeowners can list with two brokerages, it seems like maybe the two brokerages are still somehow connected. It’s also worth noting that The Oppenheim Group apparently deals in luxury international listings as well, so maybe this is part of an expansion project for the family business.

Possible pilgrimage

While most of the show’s realtors say the Oppenheim Group is their home, Davina Potratz admits she’s toying with the idea of leaving, either starting her own brokerage or joining Brett’s new one. It seems a fourth season could turn into a battle of the brokerages. 

Maya Vander has hinted the third season of Netflix’s hit reality show Selling Sunset could be her last. The Miami-based real estate agent has been commuting between Florida and the Los Angeles set of Selling Sunset while the show has been produced, but implied that it’s getting to be too much for her and her young family.

Beachfront breakup

“With two children right now, it’s going to be difficult for me to relocate my life again to LA,” Vander confided. “We have a house right now in Miami, my husband is here and we’ve been doing the whole back and forth. I was a bit more flexible and so was he, but his job is very serious and we have another baby. We will see.”

Vander’s no-nonsense character has kept her Miami real estate business going despite the booming Los Angeles career she has due to Selling Sunset. She “will have to see if it makes sense” to continue with the show, about the exclusive Oppenheim Group estate agency, beyond season three.

South Beach spinoff?

Vander suggested that a Miami spin-off could work. “That would be amazing. I think Miami has the sexiness and the luxury,” she notes. “You know L.A. shows very well and I think Miami can show well, as well. But opening a brokerage, it’s not an easy thing to do . . . It takes more than just, ‘let’s open an office.’ 

“It’s a huge investment,” Vander continues. “I am studying for my brokerage license, so if I’m with Jason or another company or my own thing here, we’ll see. Selling South Beach would be a cool idea, and I have the girls already – cute, little real estate agency – but I don’t know if they can provide drama as much as our show does.”