In this episode of the JamesEdition Podcast, Eric Finnas Dahlstrom sits down with Maya Vander — Israeli-Dutch luxury real estate agent, founder of the Maya Vander Group at Compass in Miami, and a recognizable face from Netflix’s global hit Selling Sunset. Maya shares the unfiltered story of her journey: from arriving in the US with no network, no industry contacts, and a fresh green card, to building a thriving luxury real estate practice across two major markets.
Key Highlights
- Starting from Zero: Maya built her real estate career with no family connections, no developer contacts, and no industry network — relying entirely on open houses, door-knocking, and consistent hustle.
- Personal Brand as a Business Tool: Her visibility from Selling Sunset gave Maya a platform she deliberately channeled into real estate — building the Maya Vander Group at Compass rather than pursuing entertainment.
- Miami Market Entry: Moving to Miami before the show aired, Maya started from scratch again — learning a new market pocket by pocket, beginning with Brickell condos.
- Balancing Social Media and Professionalism: Maya maintains a carefully curated Instagram presence — mixing real estate content with personal lifestyle posts — while prioritizing email over DMs for serious client inquiries.
- Advice for New Agents: Save one year of living expenses before starting, focus on a specific geographic pocket, be honest with clients even when it means losing a deal, and be ready to grind consistently.
Maya VanderFounder, Maya Vander Group at Compass | MiamiIt's not what you know — it's who you know. But for me, I didn't know many people, so I had to really grind and hustle. This business looks so easy on the show, but you've got to be consistent, you've got to be aggressive, you've got to know your stuff.
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Background & Breaking Into Real Estate
Eric
Maya, I think many people watching Selling Sunset know you from the show. But for those who don’t, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into real estate?
Maya
I moved to the US about 24 years ago from Israel — I’m half Israeli, half Dutch. I moved to Los Angeles for love, actually. A relationship that didn’t end well. When it was over, I was in a really bad spot, and I decided it was time to focus on myself. That’s when I took my real estate class.
Before that, I’d been working in a clothing store for a long time. So my background was retail — not real estate, not from this country. I had a strong accent, I didn’t know many people. But I got my green card, which gave me a Social Security number and the ability to work, and I hung my license at a small boutique brokerage in Beverly Hills.
To get in front of people without spending money I didn’t have, I did open houses — sitting at properties on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, meeting buyers and sellers. I also did a lot of networking events. There are many ways to get business, but honestly, a lot of the time it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Since I didn’t know many people, I had to really grind and hustle.
Eric
You came in your early 20s, you have an accent, you’re a foreigner. Was that an obstacle in the US?
Maya
In a way, but the US is such an international environment — almost everybody comes from somewhere. Back then I didn’t have ChatGPT, so my early professional writing was terrible. Looking back, I’m amazed people did business with me. But I’m a very honest person. I can educate myself quickly — numbers, price per square foot, what to point out to buyers. And I think my passion, my honesty, and my availability are what helped me gain trust and build a business.
Joining Selling Sunset
Eric
How did you end up on the show?
Maya
I used to go door-knocking up in the hills in LA — very basic flyers, nothing professional. One day I saw Jason Oppenheim’s marketing materials: a beautiful booklet, polished presentations. I thought, how am I going to compete with this guy? Around that time, he’d just opened his own office and he reached out to me on Facebook. LA can be a small world when you’re in the same circles.
He told me he’d opened a brokerage and asked if I wanted to join. I liked that it was in a great location — right on the Sunset Strip — and it was boutique. It was Jason, his brother Brett, Graham, and myself at first. Then Mary, Heita, Christine joined little by little. We did a photo shoot, and Jason put up a billboard on Sunset Plaza — one of the main streets in LA. A producer drove by, saw it, and thought: good-looking people selling real estate, that could be an interesting show.
We shot a demo — a short sizzle reel — and Netflix was looking to expand into reality TV at the time. They said yes, and that’s how it all started.
Eric
Did you expect it would become such a global hit?
Maya
I had a good feeling about it — the drone shots of LA, the properties, the personalities — it looked cool and sexy. But I didn’t know the level it would reach. I mean, we’ve been referenced in other TV shows. It became sensational because people wanted to see the houses. Beautiful homes, interesting personalities, real drama. The drama is real, by the way — people don’t always get along, and things happen organically. That authenticity is part of what makes it work.
I left after season five. I haven’t actually watched the show since I left. Season one was my favorite — more real estate, less drama, everyone looked a bit more normal because we didn’t yet know what we were doing.
Eric
You were relatively quiet on the show compared to some of the others. Was that a conscious decision?
Maya
Completely conscious. When you sign up to a reality show, you have to put yourself out there — if you’re completely closed off, nobody cares about you. But I couldn’t go too far in the other direction, because my full-time job was real estate. If I’d been creating drama or acting out, I could have lost real estate clients, and that business was too important to me to risk.
People who meet me after watching the show always say the same thing: you’re the nice one, the normal one. That’s the most common comment I get. And sometimes people pretend they haven’t seen it — oh, I didn’t watch it, but my wife did — and then they know every detail of every season. It’s funny. You get recognized all the time. People look at you differently, more like a celebrity than a real estate agent, which is always a little strange to me. At the end of the day, I’m a real estate agent.
I look at it long-term. Selling Sunset can be lucrative, but in five, ten, fifteen years I’ll still be selling real estate. That’s where I put my energy.
Miami, Two Markets, and Starting Over
Eric
You were working in two locations in parallel for quite some time — LA for the show and Miami in real life. How were your first steps in Miami?
Maya
Very difficult. I moved to Miami with my husband because he got a job there. I didn’t want to put my life on hold while waiting to see if the show would be picked up, so I quietly hung my license at a different brokerage in Miami and started building there. Then the show got picked up, and I was flying back and forth to LA every week for months, for several seasons.
Season one was manageable — it was just me and my dog. But then life kept going. I got pregnant with my first child, then my second, then my third. You can see the whole progression on the show — I’m always pregnant in some season. Filming doesn’t stop for life, and life doesn’t stop for filming. So I was building a real estate business in Miami, flying to LA to shoot, and having children, all at the same time.
In Miami, I started from zero again. Different prices, different locations, different buildings — a completely new market. I began in Brickell, the financial district, where I was living. I bought leads on Zillow for that zip code and went building by building, learning every floor plan, every view line, every amenity. When clients called asking about a specific building, I could tell them: just so you know, there’s an empty lot next door and your view will likely get blocked. That kind of knowledge builds trust.
Now I’ve moved to a different neighborhood, so I focus around where I live — where my kids go to school, where I spend my time. It makes sense to be an expert in the area where you actually are.
Eric
Are you still active in both LA and Miami?
Maya
Primarily Miami now. I keep my California license active — I always believe it’s good to have — but I’m not actively seeking business there. Jason and I still work together sometimes; he refers clients who are relocating from California to Florida, which is a lot of people right now. But focus is everything. You can’t be all over the place. Even within Miami, I focus on specific pockets.
Personal Brand, Social Media & the Maya Vander Group
Eric
The show gave you enormous visibility. How did that translate into your real estate business?
Maya
One hundred percent. But you have to decide what direction to take it. Some cast members went more toward acting or Hollywood endorsements. For me, it was always about real estate. I took my name recognition and built a team here in Miami under Compass — the Maya Vander Group. The tagline essentially became: from Selling LA to Selling Miami. People know the Selling Sunset connection and associate me with LA, but I’ve actually been in Miami for years. Marketing is how I close that gap — billboards, bus ads, mailers, social media — making sure people know I’m here, I’m active, and I’m closing deals.
I’m genuinely proud of what I’ve built here, given that Miami was a completely new market for me and I’m competing against some very established top agents.
Eric
Instagram is one channel where you have enormous reach. How do you balance the personal side of your brand with the Maya Vander Group?
Maya
People want to see the personal side — if you only post real estate, it’s boring and doesn’t get much engagement. So I mix it: real estate listings and updates alongside personal content — my kids, my dog, something I’m doing, maybe dinner with my husband. But it’s very curated. It’s not going to be me half-naked on a boat. The personal content I share is lifestyle, not spectacle.
Do I get referrals through Instagram? Yes — but honestly, not as many as you’d think. The volume of messages is enormous, and a lot of them end up in the spam or sponsorship folder, so it’s easy to miss real inquiries. I actually manage my own account rather than handing it to a social media manager, specifically because I want to see who’s messaging me and catch the genuine leads myself. But even so, for serious business inquiries, email is the best bet. I always keep my phone number and email visible and accessible.
Eric
You mentioned spending a lot on marketing. What are your main channels for attracting buyers and sellers?
Maya
Mailers — nice, clean, professional pieces: just listed, just sold. Billboards in specific areas, bus advertisements in certain pockets. And of course social media and video content. When I post a new listing, I immediately get agents messaging me asking when it’s going live and at what price. That kind of reach is something not every agent has. Once a listing is on the MLS, everyone sees it — but social media gives you an extra push.
Brokerage, Team Building & the Future
Eric
How do you see the balance between personal brand and brokerage evolving? Will agents increasingly lead with their personal brand?
Maya
The brokerage still matters. I like Compass — they have great tools and systems that I use constantly. For buyers, they often don’t care which brokerage you’re with as long as you deliver. But sellers can be more discerning — they want to see a name like Sotheby’s, Compass, or Douglas Elliman. Reputation counts. That said, a great agent at a smaller brokerage can absolutely win the business if they know what they’re doing.
What I value about being at a larger brokerage is the agent network — that internal referral ecosystem is incredibly valuable. And Compass provides the technology infrastructure so I can focus on selling.
Eric
How does your team operate within Compass?
Maya
I have a few agents who do it full time — two or three. I provide them with marketing support, an assistant to help with paperwork, and sometimes leads that I can’t take on myself. But at the end of the day, they have to go out and seek their own business. That’s what I did when I started, and that’s what I still do now. Nobody is calling me every day with deals — I’m always hunting. The difference is I have the social media reach and brand recognition to help amplify their work, plus we do client events together.
But real estate is tough. Unless you’re truly motivated and willing to be consistent, it’s very hard to make it work.
Advice for Aspiring Luxury Agents
Eric
What would you recommend for someone thinking about launching their own team, or breaking into a new market?
Maya
If you’re launching a team, be clear about what you offer in return. Is it social media exposure? Leads? Transaction support? Give people a reason to join you.
For anyone starting in real estate generally: save at least one year of living expenses before you begin. If you’re worried about money, you’ll be tempted to push clients toward deals that aren’t right for them, just to earn a commission. If you have savings, you can act in good faith, be honest, and build real trust. That trust is what generates referrals and long-term business.
My first deal closed six months after I got my license — a $300,000 condo in LA. Back then you could still find a $300,000 condo in LA; today that price point simply doesn’t exist there anymore. It was also a very difficult transaction. But the commission was equivalent to two months of my retail salary in a single deal. That gave me the confidence to keep going, even though real estate is genuinely hard — constant calls, constant problems, people being emotional about one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. You have to love it, or it will wear you down.
Eric
When you broke into Miami, how did you decide where to focus geographically?
Maya
I lived in Brickell, so that’s where I started. I bought that zip code on Zillow and went building by building. Once I moved to a different neighborhood, I shifted my focus there. The principle is simple: focus where you live, where you actually spend time. You become a genuine expert rather than someone pretending to know the area.
And when you’re honest with clients — even if that means telling them not to buy a specific unit because the view will get blocked — you gain trust, referrals, and the repeat business on the resale. Whether it’s a rental or a sale, I treat every client the same. Responsiveness, honesty, follow-through. You can’t manage their property, but you can help them with information: schools, electricians, plumbers. The little things matter.
Maya VanderFounder, Maya Vander Group at Compass | MiamiUnless you're really motivated and willing to put in the work, it's very difficult to be consistent and make money in real estate. But if you love it, there's no reason you can't be successful — brick by brick.
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