Owning Manhattan has had audiences hooked at first glance since its June 2024 premiere. The new Netflix reality TV show focuses on the charming New York-based real estate mogul Ryan Serhant, highlighting his passion for sealing deals with satisfied clients. Serhant is a veteran in the industry and his years of experience radiates confidence through the numerous juicy deals he closes. This air of self-reliance has put him in the top echelons of New York City’s cutthroat real estate sphere.
Serhant’s real estate-themed show climbed to the top three in the United States on Netflix within days of its debut. It also ranked among the top 10 globally on the streaming platform. While the real estate reality television genre is saturated with entries, the appetite for drama and watching home transformations never gets satisfied. This new Netflix show packs all the drama and fun but audiences have wondered if Owning Manhattan is actually real or just fabricated to please viewers.
What Is Owning Manhattan All About?
Owning Manhattan is similar to the myriad of real estate shows out there but certain features make it a unique entry. The show offers an inside look at what goes on at Ryan Serhant‘s eponymous real estate agency. Serhant took the bold step of starting his own company after selling real estate for 12 years. He also appeared on nine seasons of Bravo’s television series Million Dollar Listing New York and its spin-off Sell it Like Serhant.
After a long break from television, Serhant is back with his reality show, Owning Manhattan. Serhant’s drive to be the best in his field while managing his team of skilled personnel makes the show special. He pushes his agents to attain greater heights with each deal, taking viewers through the highs and the lows involved in tackling those expensive listings.
Overall, Owning Manhattan turns the intense atmosphere in the highly competitive New York City housing market into a fun piece to watch. The show features interesting deals that put Serhant’s talent as a salesman under the spotlight. More so, the show is considered one of the best in the genre for its genuine dealings, leaving no room for dull moments. Notwithstanding, there are doubts about how real Owning Manhattan is.
Is Owning Manhattan Real?
Owning Manhattan quickly became a fan favorite upon its debut on Netflix. The show garnered praise from audiences for being authentic and spicing things up with the occasional genuine drama. Additionally, the emphasis on real estate resonates with fans of the genre. As such, the real estate-themed reality show is considered more real than most others in the same category. Executive producer Randy Barbato described Owning Manhattan as authentic and not an act.
However, the genuineness of the show has become questionable following damning revelations from former Serhant agent, Jonathan Nørmølle. Speaking to Daily Mail, Nørmølle who was later fired in a dramatic scene on the show opened a can of worms about how the show is being run. He alleged that the deals are staged and the supposed seasoned agents are not what they claim to be.
All in all, Owning Manhattan might be scripted like most shows of its ilk if his claims are true. Based on Nørmølle’s claims, the show’s content was just fabricated to make things interesting. Nevertheless, the assertions hold no water if the past work experiences of Serhant agents and cast members like Chloe Tucker Caine and Jordan March are anything to go by. Despite reservations about the validity of the reality show, it gave audiences something to look forward to.
The Premiere Of Owning Manhattan Was a Critical Success
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Owning Manhattan was an instant hit that had viewers praising the genuineness of the show. Social media was abuzz with posts from excited fans who admire Serhant’s fun, smart, and intense style of handling deals. All eight episodes of Owning Manhattan season 1 were released on June 28 to critical acclaim. Shortly afterward, the series climbed to the top locally and internationally.
Taking to Instagram early in July, Serhant expressed gratitude to the viewers who made it happen. “Woke up to being #3 in the US and Top 10 Globally on @netflix. WOW. Thank you to everyone for watching our different, strange, funny (?), intense, emotional, and full of deals real estate show,” he wrote. Read more about Ryan Serhant’s journey as a television personality.
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