Photo Credit: Nurselle
Ryan Serhant, founder, entrepreneur, producer, public speaker, bestselling author, star of multiple TV shows, world-famous broker and Chief Executive Officer of SERHANT., is bringing his new show to Netflix that gives a look inside the glamorous, adrenaline-filled universe of high-stakes real estate in New York City. Called Owning Manhattan, Serhant will be leading an ambitious army of agents on a mission to become the #1 brokerage in the world. One of those agents is Jessica Markowski, who has built a substantial online following through her work on several projects including being the Head of Communications for Screenshop, a company co-founded by Kim Kardashian and sold to Snapchat in 2021. Now, she has joined Serhant’s team who will stop at nothing to go after the most exclusive luxury listings in the city.
Here, Ryan Serhant and Jessica Markowski give Haute Living the story of how the show came to be and where SERHANT is going next.
Haute Living: What is the vision behind the show Owning Manhattan and the journey to getting it released?
Ryan Serhant: We wanted to create the most exciting real estate show viewers have ever seen. People have known me from Million Dollar Listing for 10 years. They see real estate across social media and on other Netflix shows. Our vision was to create a Reality TV 3.0, that was heightened and surprising. I was excited to work hand in hand with Netflix on the evolution of this type of show genre, and hope that Owning Manhattan leads to others saying, “let’s make a show like that!
HL: How did Jessica become a part of the team?
RS: Our company is more forward thinking and younger than the traditional brokerage. We sell top-of-funnel through content, and we have our own in-house production company. I met Jessica while she was working at Compass. I approached her knowing that Serhant was in line with the brand that she was building and that we’d love to help her build it. Today, Jessica is a crucial part of our team and the show.
Jessica Markowski: When I was at another real estate brokerage, Ryan reached out to me and asked me to join Serhant and be a “co-star” on the show. It’s been the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Photo Credit: Nurselle
HL: Jessica, what was your journey to where you are today?
JM: My story starts with my parents who immigrated from Poland to Brooklyn just a few years before having me and my sister Victoria. I grew up in New York City and my parents really modeled the American dream to my sister and I – working day and night in order to provide for us. Shortly after college I hustled my way to become the Head of Communication for Kim Kardashian’s startup, Screenshop, where I learned to harness the power of social media as a business tool. Screenshop was acquired and I parlayed that success into my real estate career, where I leveraged the social media tools I learned at Serhant.
HL: How has social media helped you in real estate?
JM: Social media is my secret weapon. On any new listing, with one single post on my social media I am able to bring in half a dozen prospective buyers. This is in addition to the buyers from the MLS system (Multiple Listing Service) that every other agent has access to. Social media is the reason why sellers hire me and my team in this hyper competitive market that is New York City real estate.
HL: Should all agents be using socials, how big of a part of real estate is it in today’s world?
RS: There is a massive difference between selling real estate today and selling real estate 10-20 years ago. Years ago, the product used to be the home and you’d work with an agent based on their skill set. Today, both fortunately and unfortunately, the product is the attention. People purchase the home that they’ve heard about and work with the agent that has the most attention, whether it be through TV, social media, or constantly reading about them. All agents should be using whatever form of marketing works best for them. I’m a fan of using all forms of media to attract the widest audience.
HL: Ryan, what’s next? What is the vision for the next 5 years with the show and real estate?
RS: Serhant is all about Mission 2030. We operate within decades. The days are long, but the years are short. The way people buy and sell homes is changing rapidly, and the way people get in and out of the real estate business is changing rapidly. I think we’ll continue to see record pricing and more deals done virtually. As the world becomes more connected, and an idea can spread in seconds over people’s phones, we as real estate agents are available to anyone, anywhere, at any time, on every device. As for the show, I’m focused on Season 1 for now, but hopefully there will be more seasons to come. My goal is to constantly be pushing the envelope and surprising viewers around the world.
