Q&A: Maya Vander Talks Leaving Selling Sunset, Launching Her Business, and the Miami Lifestyle

Maya Vander is a real estate agent who is well-known for starring in Selling Sunset, a popular Netflix series that follows a group of real estate agents who sell high-end homes for The Oppenheim Group in Los Angeles.

Maya was born and raised in Israel and then moved to Los Angeles in 2002. She started working for The Oppenheim Group in 2015, prior to the launch of Selling Sunset in 2019. She got married to her husband, David Miller, in 2017 and now has three children: Aiden (age 4), Elle (age 3), and Emma (born in May 2023). After five seasons on Selling Sunset, Maya left the show in June 2022. She now has her own real estate group based in Miami and affiliated with Compass: The Maya Vander Group. After splitting time between Los Angeles and Miami (where her family lives) throughout her time on Selling Sunset, she is now living in Miami full-time. The Haven Team sat down with Maya to learn more about The Maya Vander Group and her life after Selling Sunset. 

Why did you decide to leave Selling Sunset, and how has your transition to living in Miami full-time been? 

It was for sure not an easy decision. Traveling back and forth was not easy, especially having little children. I loved filming and missed everyone, but I cannot be everywhere. I love Miami and the transition of the city in the last few years with all the developments and the companies who are relocating.

Tell us more about The Maya Vander Group. How has it grown and evolved since its establishment? 

I decided to establish a team about a year and a half ago. The decision came about because my business grew, and I simply cannot do everything. I keep my team small because I want to make sure they all make money establishing their own real estate business, with my support of course.

Congratulations on the recent birth of your daughter, Emma Reign! With two other children, how do you find a balance between time spent working and time with your family, and what advice do you have for others hoping to accomplish a healthy balance? 

I am good with balancing, but I needed to hire someone part-time to help with my newborn. I cannot take the typical maternity leave, so I am always running around to showings, inspections, etc., but around 4:00 I try to just spend time with my kids. Take them to the park, play, ride bikes, and just spend time together. Having a team also helps as they can cover me when needed. My husband also deserves a lot of credit.

What do you enjoy most about living in Miami, and what advice and insights do you have for those considering relocating to the city? 

I love the lifestyle. It feels less stressful to me, driving to a showing and crossing the bridge to Miami Beach is beautiful. People complain about traffic . . . coming from L.A., this is not too bad. I would suggest, focus on what is important for you: beach, walkability, view, land? There are so many great locations. People always think about Miami as Miami Beach. There are other great locations like Brickell, Edgewater, Midtown, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest . . . they all serve different purposes.

What are your plans and goals, professionally and/or personally, for the coming years? 

My goal is to keep establishing my group in Miami and grow my business. I work hard and want to close more transactions and help people make one of the most important decisions in their life, which is buying and selling their property. In terms of personal goals, I had a sad trauma last year when I gave birth to a stillborn at 38 weeks. My goal is to create awareness and help women who are experiencing similar trauma or a pregnancy loss. This is a very sensitive topic that women do not talk about.