Ryan Serhant is coming to Netflix! The real estate mogul has partnered with the streaming service to bring a fresh and exciting new series to the platform. Owning Manhattan, which is set to premiere on Friday, June 28, focuses on a group of talented, ambitious agents at Ryan’s New York City brokerage Serhant. The series is the first NYC-based real estate show on the platform.
In the teaser trailer released earlier this month, viewers got a glimpse at the fast-paced lifestyle of Serhant’s brokerage. “If you can’t sell, you can’t be here,” Ryan says in a confessional.
Reality Tea got the chance to chat with Ryan about the series ahead of the Friday premiere. Here’s everything he had to say…
What can viewers expect from Owning Manhattan on Netflix?
In our interview, Ryan teased a dynamic first season, telling us the drama will be plentiful.
“[It is] the craziest real estate you’ve ever seen. The most drama you’ve ever seen in a workplace reality TV show. And probably the realest real estate show you’ve seen,” he shared.
Viewers got an inside look at one of show’s luxury properties in the trailer. Ryan brought a group of agents to the “most expensive apartment in the world,” selling for a jaw-dropping $250 million. The Bravo star incentivized his employees by revealing the agent who sells the property will receive $10 million.
New York City is known for being quite pricey. In September 2023, the lifestyle website Elite Traveler ranked NYC as one of the most desirable property markets in the world. Viewers can expect to see some outrageously, luxurious properties on display this season.
What’s it like being your own boss?
Owning Manhattan is about Ryan going off on his own and starting his own company. We asked him about the benefits and pitfalls of being your own boss.
“The best part is that I can do whatever I want whenever I want,” he said. “The worst part is that I can’t really do anything I want because everyone now is relying on me. It’s tricky.”
While it may not be an easy job, it seems to come naturally to the former Bravo star. The cast of Owning Manhattan had nothing but kind words to say about his leadership in our exclusive interview.
“He’s the best person to work for, ever,” said Agent Chloe Tucker Caine, who has been with Ryan since the start of Serhant. “I could not ask for a better boss and mentor.”
What makes someone a successful agent?
Ryan knows the real estate business like the back of his hand, so we were curious to know what makes someone successful at selling properties.
“They have to have a really, really strong sense of empathy,” he said. “They have to have amazing enthusiasm. You have to get up from being down everyday in this business. You gotta keep yourself going. It’s a tough one. You work 18 hours a day, seven days a week. There’s no salary, there’s no benefits. You gotta eat what you kill, so you gotta be able to stay energized no matter what.”
What makes Netflix’s Owning Manhattan unique?
Ryan is no stranger to the world of reality TV. He has appeared in numerous Bravo programs, including Million Dollar Listing, Sell It Like Serhant, and Ryan’s Renovation. We spoke to him about how Owning Manhattan stands out from other real estate shows.
“For one, it’s the only New York City real estate show on TV anywhere in the world. It’s also Netflix’s first New York real estate show,” he said.
He spoke about how being a producer on Owning Manhattan offered him more breathing room to tell the story in a unique way.
“This is my fifth reality show. The first four were with Bravo. I got to do a lot of things [on this show] as a producer, which I was never able to do with Bravo,” he said. “This show is told from the top down. It’s told Netflix style. There [are] eight episodes but it’s like watching a documentary. It’s amazing. It’s really, really cool.”
Owning Manhattan is available to stream on Netflix from June 28.
TELL US – ARE YOU EXCITED FOR RYAN’S RETURN TO REALITY TV WITH OWNING MANHATTAN?
