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Owning Manhattan: The Netflix effect and the rise of Ryan Serhant’s real estate empire
The Netflix effect is real, and no one knows this better than Ryan Serhant, the star of “Owning Manhattan.” Within just 15 minutes of the show’s debut, Serhant received 21 job applications from aspiring realtors eager to join his luxury real estate company, Serhant. “The Netflix effect is real,” he says, munching on a late lunch over Zoom.
A staggering 512 million minutes of the show were viewed in its first week on Netflix. This surge in viewership has translated into a significant uptick in applications from realtors wanting to join Serhant’s team. “Go to serhantready.com and fill in the form properly,” Serhant advises, mentioning an ever-expanding folder on his desktop filled with potential candidates.
The making of a real estate reality show
Set in the bustling heart of New York City, “Owning Manhattan” is an eight-part series that delves into the inner workings of Serhant’s company. The series is the brainchild of World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who are also the masterminds behind the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Million Dollar Listing” franchises.
The show is not just about glitz and glamour; it anchors itself in real-time listings, sales, and even losses. The drama unfolds as Serhant’s team of agents competes to sell the city’s most prestigious listings, including a Central Park Tower penthouse listed at $250 million. They also vie for a spot on the sales wall, a mark of success within the company. Although the team didn’t sell the penthouse in Season 1, they did manage to sell the Jardim penthouse in Chelsea shortly after the show debuted for $15 million.
The cast and the creators
The cast of “Owning Manhattan” is as dynamic as the city itself. Serhant, Bailey, and Barbato sat down with Variety over Zoom to discuss why Serhant was perfect for their next project and the potential for expanding the franchise.
Fenton Bailey: “It’s exciting to be here with Ryan. It is an extraordinary honor, and I’m savoring every second. It’s been 18 years since ‘Million Dollar Listing’ started. At first, it was ‘Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles’ and then a few years later, ‘Million Dollar Listing: New York’ with Ryan, and it feels like we’ve raised kids together.”
Randy Barbato: “‘Owning Manhattan’ is a dream of what you would imagine your favorite television show to be. The sets of luxury real estate, an incredible cast, set in New York City with the high stakes of million-dollar deals, it’s a dream TV scenario. And then you put Ryan in the middle of it. The stakes are real; Ryan is building the biggest brokerage firm on the planet.”
Ryan Serhant: “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Randy and Fenton and Bravo. They plucked me out of obscurity in 2010. So it’s been over 14 years. I went to that open casting call for the New York spin-off of ‘Million Dollar Listing’ in Times Square in March 2010. I sat on that chair and I had 30 seconds. They said, ‘Why should you be here? How do you get around New York City? How much business do you do? What’s your favorite animal?'”
The highs and lows of real estate
The show captures the highs and lows of the real estate business, making it a fascinating watch. One memorable moment is when the sale of the Central Park Tower penthouse falls through. Serhant recalls, “If you watch it, I didn’t know what else to do and I turned to the closest thing to me, which was the wall – and I closed my eyes and hugged it. In Sales 101 you’re taught that you’re only as good as the last deal. But at the same time, you’re never going to succeed if you can’t get up after being knocked down.”
Randy Barbato adds, “What makes the show so special, and what we all tried to achieve is both intimacy and vulnerability often driven by transactional drama and having Ryan and the cast in that way. But also marrying these cinematic challenges. How do you put those two together in a Docu-reality way without losing the authenticity and intimacy of vulnerability?”
The future of the franchise
The success of “Owning Manhattan” has opened up possibilities for expanding the franchise. Serhant envisions taking the show to other markets, including Miami and even rural areas like Montana and Wyoming. “Imagine an opening shot of a helicopter going over farmland as you’re getting ready to put 17,000 acres on the market for sale for the first time in seven generations. That to me is wow,” he says.
Fenton Bailey humorously suggests, “I have an idea, ‘Owning Mars.’ Someone from the team needs to get on that rocket and plant the flag.”
The human side of Ryan Serhant
Both Bailey and Barbato have high praise for Serhant. Bailey notes, “Ryan’s always been the same. That energy, drive, and wink have always been there. So, it’s exciting to see Ryan reaching a global audience all at once. It’s different, exciting, and very gratifying because he’s a unique and very special talent.”
Barbato adds, “You get bits and pieces of it this season, but he’s a kind soul. It’s the surprising part of him. He’s a crazy businessman and he’s building empires, but he’s such a sweet soul.”
As the interview wraps up, it’s clear that “Owning Manhattan” is more than just a real estate show; it’s a narrative of ambition, resilience, and the human spirit. The Netflix effect is indeed real, and it has catapulted Ryan Serhant and his team into the global spotlight, leaving viewers eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this compelling saga.
