Ryan Serhant
Ryan Matthew Serhant (born July 2, 1984) is an American real estate broker, entrepreneur, author, tech CEO, investor, and television personality. He is the founder and CEO of SERHANT., one of the fastest-growing independent real estate brokerages in the United States. Serhant rose to prominence as a star of Bravo's reality television series Million Dollar Listing New York for nine seasons, and is currently the star and executive producer of Owning Manhattan on Netflix.
Beginning his career as a struggling actor in New York City during the 2008 financial crisis, Serhant pivoted to real estate when acting opportunities dried up. His first year in the business netted him only $9,000, but through persistence and his natural salesmanship, he built a career that has resulted in over $20 billion in lifetime real estate sales. His largest single transaction to date was a property sale of approximately $200 million in February 2025.
In September 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Serhant launched his eponymous brokerage, SERHANT., which has since grown to include over 1,100 agents across 12 states and Washington, D.C. The firm achieved $4 billion in cumulative sales volume within its first three years and is on track to close $6 billion in 2025. In December 2024, SERHANT. raised $45 million in funding led by Camber Creek and Left Lane Capital to develop its proprietary AI platform, S.MPLE.
Beyond real estate, Serhant is a three-time bestselling author with books including Sell It Like Serhant (2018), Big Money Energy (2021), and Brand It Like Serhant (2024). He has built a significant media and education business, offering online courses to sales professionals and real estate agents worldwide.
Early life and education
Family background
Ryan Matthew Serhant was born on July 2, 1984, in Houston, Texas. His father, John Serhant, had a successful career in finance, eventually serving as Vice Chairman of State Street Global Advisors and later advising GoldenTree Asset Management. His mother, Ellen Serhant, played an important role in his upbringing. Ryan has two brothers, Jim and Jack, with whom he grew up in a household that emphasized hard work, financial responsibility, and entrepreneurial thinking.
When Ryan was young, the family relocated from Texas to Topsfield, Massachusetts, a small town on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Growing up in this affluent New England community provided Serhant with exposure to success while his father instilled values of self-reliance and earning one's way. The family environment was one where business acumen and the importance of hard work were regular topics of conversation.
Early entrepreneurial ventures
From an early age, Serhant demonstrated entrepreneurial instincts. Together with his brothers Jim and Jack, he launched the "Ryan Jack Firewood Company" during his youth. The venture involved cutting down trees and selling firewood to neighbors and local residents. While the business was not particularly successful financially, the experience highlighted Ryan's early inclination toward business and sales. It also taught him valuable lessons about effort, customer acquisition, and the reality that not every venture succeeds—lessons that would serve him well in his later real estate career.
These early experiences, combined with his father's emphasis on financial responsibility and earning one's own way, shaped Serhant's attitude toward work and success. Rather than relying on family wealth or connections, he developed a drive to create his own path.
Education
Serhant attended The Pingree School, a private preparatory institution located in Hamilton, Massachusetts, graduating in 2002. The school's emphasis on college preparation and personal development helped shape his academic foundation. During summer breaks, Serhant pursued his growing interest in performance and theater by attending the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp in Colorado, one of the oldest continuously operating performing arts schools in the nation.
After high school, Serhant enrolled at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, a prestigious liberal arts college. He pursued a double major in English Literature and Theater, reflecting his passion for the performing arts and strong communication skills. During his college years, Serhant was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, which provided networking opportunities and lifelong friendships.
Serhant graduated from Hamilton College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His theater training and English education would prove unexpectedly valuable in his later career, as the skills of storytelling, presentation, and persuasion are fundamental to both acting and real estate sales.
Early career
Acting career
After graduating from Hamilton College in 2006, Serhant moved to New York City with aspirations of becoming a professional actor. Like many aspiring performers, his early years in the city were marked by financial struggle and uncertainty. He worked various side jobs to support himself, including work as a hand model—a humbling experience that he has since discussed openly as part of his journey.
Serhant's acting break came when he was cast as Evan Walsh on the long-running CBS soap opera As the World Turns. He appeared in 19 episodes of the show, giving him valuable on-camera experience and his first taste of regular television work. However, the soap opera industry was declining during this period, and As the World Turns ended in 2010 after 54 years on air.
Beyond soap operas, Serhant pursued various acting opportunities in New York's competitive entertainment scene. He continued to audition for roles and take small parts where available, but the financial realities of an acting career, combined with the 2008 financial crisis, forced him to reconsider his professional path.
Transition to real estate (2008)
The 2008 financial crisis proved to be a turning point in Serhant's career. As the entertainment industry contracted and acting opportunities became scarce, he needed to find a way to support himself. At the suggestion of a friend, Serhant decided to try real estate, obtaining his license and joining the industry at what seemed like the worst possible time—the depth of the Great Recession.
Serhant has described himself during this transition as "a shy, jobless hand model" who entered real estate with no experience or connections in the industry. His first year was extraordinarily difficult. In 2008, he earned just $9,000 for the entire year—barely enough to survive in New York City. Many agents quit the business during this period, but Serhant persisted.
His persistence eventually paid off. After spending a year pursuing a single client, Serhant closed his first major sale—an $8.5 million transaction that validated his decision to stay in the industry. This deal proved that his combination of performance skills, persistence, and sales ability could succeed in luxury real estate.
Rise at Nest Seekers International
Serhant began his real estate career at Nest Seekers International, a New York-based real estate brokerage focusing on luxury properties. His performance skills from acting proved surprisingly applicable to real estate sales—both fields require the ability to read people, tell compelling stories, and close deals under pressure.
As his sales volume grew, Serhant rose through the ranks at Nest Seekers, eventually becoming Executive Vice President and Managing Director. By 2012, The Real Deal ranked him #15 out of the 100 most successful agents in New York, a remarkable achievement for someone who had been in the business for just four years.
In 2012, Serhant launched the Serhant Team, a bi-coastal brokerage team that expanded beyond New York City to include operations in New Jersey, Los Angeles, Miami, and the Hamptons. The team grew to include 60 members and specialized in high-end residential condo and co-op sales, single-family homes, and new development sales. This team-building experience would later inform his approach when launching his own brokerage.
Television career
Million Dollar Listing New York (2012-2021)
In 2010, Serhant auditioned for a new reality show that Bravo was developing about luxury real estate agents in New York City. His combination of salesmanship, camera-ready presence, and compelling personality made him an ideal candidate, and he was cast as one of three agents featured on Million Dollar Listing New York (MDLNY).
The first episode of MDLNY aired on March 7, 2012, introducing viewers to Serhant alongside fellow agents Fredrik Eklund and Michael Lorber. The show followed the agents as they navigated some of New York's most exclusive and expensive real estate deals, providing viewers with a window into the ultra-luxury property market.
Over the course of nine seasons, MDLNY chronicled Serhant's rise from an up-and-coming agent to one of the most successful real estate professionals in New York. Viewers watched him pursue increasingly larger deals, build his team, and navigate both personal and professional challenges. The show helped establish Serhant as a household name among real estate enthusiasts and aspiring sales professionals.
The dynamics between Serhant, Eklund, and other agents on the show—sometimes cooperative, sometimes competitive—provided entertainment value while also showcasing the high-stakes world of luxury real estate. Multi-million dollar deals, demanding clients, and the pressure of commission-based income made for compelling television.
Ryan's Wedding (2016)
Serhant's personal life also became a subject of television coverage. In 2016, Bravo aired Million Dollar Listing New York: Ryan's Wedding, a four-part mini-series documenting his wedding to Emilia Bechrakis. The special followed the couple's preparations for their destination wedding in Corfu, Greece, including Ryan's conversion to the Greek Orthodox Church to honor Emilia's heritage and family traditions.
The wedding special provided an intimate look at Serhant's life outside of real estate and demonstrated his ability to draw viewers into his personal story—a skill that would serve him well in his later media ventures.
Sell It Like Serhant (2017)
Building on his success with MDLNY, Serhant produced and launched Sell It Like Serhant on Bravo in 2017. This spin-off series took a different approach from the typical real estate reality show. Instead of following luxury deals, the show featured Serhant as a mentor and coach, helping underperforming salespeople across various industries improve their skills and achieve better results.
Each episode followed Serhant as he worked intensively with a struggling salesperson—from car salespeople to fashion retail workers to wedding planners—applying his sales principles to help them transform their approach and close more deals. The format allowed Serhant to position himself as a sales expert and educator, not just a real estate agent.
The show expanded Serhant's brand beyond real estate into the broader sales and business coaching space, setting the foundation for his later book and course offerings.
Ryan's Renovation (2021)
In 2021, Bravo aired Million Dollar Listing: Ryan's Renovation, another limited series following Serhant and his family. This time, cameras documented the three-year renovation of the couple's $7.8 million townhouse in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The four-part mini-series combined elements of home renovation content with the personal storytelling that Serhant had proven adept at delivering.
The renovation special showcased a different side of Serhant—not just as a salesman but as a homeowner navigating the challenges of a major renovation project while balancing work and family life.
Owning Manhattan (2024-present)
After nine seasons of Million Dollar Listing New York, Serhant transitioned to a new platform with Owning Manhattan, which premiered on Netflix on June 28, 2024. The reality series, for which Serhant serves as both star and executive producer, follows the operations of his brokerage, SERHANT., and the agents working within the firm.
Owning Manhattan brought Serhant's real estate content to Netflix's massive global audience, significantly expanding his reach beyond the Bravo viewership. The show offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at running a real estate brokerage, including the challenges of recruiting agents, managing personalities, and closing high-stakes deals in the competitive Manhattan market.
The second season of Owning Manhattan concluded with a dramatic cliffhanger showing Serhant considering a major investment offer for his company—a storyline that played out in real life when he announced the $45 million funding round from Camber Creek and Left Lane Capital.
Other television and film appearances
Beyond his headline shows, Serhant has made various television and film appearances over the years. He appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and had a supporting role in Noah Baumbach's 2014 film While We're Young. He has also appeared on And Just Like That..., the Sex and the City sequel series, in Season 3.
His media presence extends to news and talk show appearances, where he often discusses real estate markets, entrepreneurship, and sales techniques.
SERHANT. brokerage
Founding during the pandemic (2020)
On September 15, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Serhant announced that he was leaving Nest Seekers International to launch his own real estate brokerage, SERHANT. (styled with a period at the end). The timing seemed counterintuitive—launching a new business during a global pandemic and real estate market uncertainty—but Serhant saw an opportunity to build something from scratch according to his vision.
The decision to go independent after more than a decade at Nest Seekers was significant. At Nest Seekers, Serhant had built the largest real estate team at the firm and had the security of an established brand. Starting fresh meant building everything anew: brand identity, technology systems, agent recruitment, and market presence.
Serhant's vision for the new firm was to create a "content-to-commerce engine"—a brokerage that would leverage media, technology, and education alongside traditional real estate services. From the beginning, the company was designed to be more than just a traditional brokerage.
Rapid growth and expansion
SERHANT. experienced remarkable growth in its first years of operation:
2021: The firm posted $1 billion in sales volume in its first full year of operation, an impressive debut that demonstrated the power of Serhant's brand and the strength of his agent recruitment.
2022-2023: Continued expansion brought the firm's cumulative sales volume to $4 billion by September 2023, marking its three-year anniversary.
2024-2025: The growth accelerated further, with the brokerage closing over $5.3 billion in cumulative volume as of August 2025 and tracking toward $6 billion for the year. In the first 35 days of 2025 alone, SERHANT. reached $1 billion in closed and in-contract sales.
Geographic expansion: The firm expanded from its New York City headquarters to 12 states and Washington, D.C., with notable presences in Florida, California, and other major markets.
Agent force: Starting with a core team, SERHANT. grew to over 1,100 agents while maintaining a 99% agent retention rate—significantly above the industry average of approximately 92%.
Notable transactions
Under Serhant's leadership, the brokerage has handled some of the most significant real estate transactions in the country:
$200 million sale (2025): In February 2025, Serhant completed the most expensive sale of his career, a transaction for approximately $200 million. He famously closed the deal while on a flight to Miami, later posting on social media, "Sold and closed the most expensive home of my entire career today for just under $200M... And I did the deal over the phone. Wire hit while I was in the air."
Central Park Tower Penthouse: SERHANT. holds the listing for the Penthouse at Central Park Tower, offered at $195 million—one of the most expensive residential listings in New York City.
Palm Beach $122.7 million sale: The firm sold a palatial estate in Palm Beach for $122.7 million, the second most expensive home sale in the United States at the time.
535 North County Road: In February 2021, Serhant worked on the buyer side for the sale of 535 North County Road in Palm Beach, a transaction valued at just under $140 million. Serhant has called this "probably the most defining sale of my career."
Over the course of his career, Ryan Serhant has closed over $20 billion in real estate transactions.
Business model and differentiation
SERHANT. has distinguished itself from traditional brokerages through several innovations:
Technology integration: The firm has invested heavily in technology, including the development of its proprietary platform S.MPLE (described below).
Content and media: Unlike traditional brokerages, SERHANT. operates as what Serhant describes as a "content-to-commerce engine," leveraging media production, social media presence, and entertainment content to drive business.
Education: The firm incorporates educational offerings and training programs for agents, building on Serhant's experience with his courses and the Sell It Like Serhant television show.
Culture and retention: The 99% agent retention rate suggests that SERHANT. has built a culture and compensation structure that keeps agents satisfied and productive.
$45 million funding round (2024)
In December 2024, SERHANT. announced that it had raised $45 million in a seed funding round led by Camber Creek, a real estate-focused venture capital firm with nearly $1 billion in assets under management. Left Lane Capital also participated in the round.
Until this funding round, Serhant had built the company without outside investment, maintaining full control of the business. The decision to accept venture capital represented a strategic shift, with the funding designated for:
- Development of the S.MPLE AI platform
- Expansion of the brokerage operations
- Growth of educational technology (edtech) offerings
- Content creation services
The funding was notably depicted in the second season finale of Owning Manhattan, which showed Serhant considering the investment offer. Jeffrey Berman, General Partner at Camber Creek, praised Serhant's "passion and vision for disrupting the industry, coupled with his commitment to leveraging technology in innovative ways."
S.MPLE technology platform
Development and launch
A significant part of SERHANT.'s differentiation strategy centers on S.MPLE, a proprietary AI-powered platform designed to automate and streamline the work of real estate agents. Serhant has described S.MPLE as "Instacart for salespeople"—a service that allows agents to delegate tasks through a combination of AI technology and human support.
The platform was developed in-house at SERHANT., leveraging what the company describes as "years of personalization-focused AI research and development." S.MPLE allows agents to automate various aspects of their work, from managing listings to handling client communications.
Capabilities and performance
Since its launch, S.MPLE has demonstrated significant impact on agent productivity:
- Task completion: The platform has completed more than 12,000 requests for agents
- Time savings: S.MPLE has saved agents more than 15,000 hours of work
- User satisfaction: The platform boasts a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 97, indicating extremely high user satisfaction
- Engagement: 95% repeat usage within 5 days demonstrates strong agent adoption
Future development
The $45 million funding raised in December 2024 is being directed in part toward further development of S.MPLE. The goal is to transform S.MPLE into what the company calls an "AI chief of staff" for agents, capable of handling an increasingly wide range of tasks and allowing agents to focus on the relationship-building and deal-closing activities that require human touch.
Books and publications
Sell It Like Serhant (2018)
On September 18, 2018, the week marking his 10-year anniversary in real estate, Serhant published his first book, Sell It Like Serhant: How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine. The book became a USA Today Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller.
The book distills Serhant's sales philosophy and techniques, drawing on his experience building a real estate career from nothing to becoming one of the top agents in New York. Written as a practical guide, the book offers actionable advice for salespeople in any industry, not just real estate.
Key themes in the book include:
- The importance of personal branding
- Techniques for prospecting and lead generation
- Strategies for closing deals
- Time management and productivity
- Overcoming rejection and maintaining motivation
The success of Sell It Like Serhant established Serhant as an author and thought leader in the sales and business space, extending his influence beyond real estate enthusiasts.
Big Money Energy (2021)
Serhant's second book, Big Money Energy: How to Rule at Work, Dominate Life, and Make Millions, was published in 2021. The book expands beyond sales techniques to address broader questions of mindset, confidence, and personal development.
Drawing on his own journey from struggling actor to successful entrepreneur, Serhant shares principles for developing the confidence and presence that attract success. The book received praise from notable figures including Barbara Corcoran, who called it "like a mentor for anyone with a big dream they want to make a reality."
Brand It Like Serhant (2024)
In 2024, Serhant published his third book, Brand It Like Serhant: Stand Out From the Crowd, Build Your Following, and Earn More Money. The book presents a three-step strategy for building a personal brand, reflecting Serhant's own experience in cultivating his media presence.
The book features interviews with household names including Gary Vaynerchuk, Rebecca Minkoff, and Mark Manson, along with worksheets and case studies to help readers apply the principles to their own situations.
Online education
Sell It Like Serhant: The Course
On August 15, 2019, Serhant launched "Sell It Like Serhant: The Course," an online educational program for real estate agents and sales professionals. The course packages Serhant's sales methodology into a structured curriculum that students can work through at their own pace.
The course represents a significant revenue diversification beyond brokerage commissions, allowing Serhant to monetize his expertise and brand through education. Students gain access to video lessons, worksheets, and strategies drawn from Serhant's career.
Additional educational offerings
Building on the success of his initial course, Serhant has developed additional educational products and programs, including training materials for SERHANT. agents and content for aspiring real estate professionals. The education business has become an important component of the broader SERHANT. enterprise.
Personal life
Meeting Emilia Bechrakis
Ryan Serhant met Emilia Bechrakis at a menorah lighting ceremony in New York City in 2014. The event was a Greek-Jewish charity function, and the two connected immediately. Emilia, born in New York to Greek parents, had spent much of her childhood in Mani, a village in Greece, and maintained strong connections to her Hellenic heritage.
Emilia had built an impressive career of her own before meeting Ryan. She earned law degrees from three institutions—the University of Kent, University College London, and BPP Law School—and worked as a barrister specializing in maritime law. She eventually became head of the legal department at a shipping company.
Conversion and marriage
Understanding the importance of Greek heritage and religion to Emilia and her family, Ryan chose to convert to the Greek Orthodox Church. This decision was documented on television and demonstrated his commitment to embracing Emilia's cultural background.
On July 7, 2016, Ryan and Emilia married in a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony in Corfu, Greece. The wedding took place at a historic Byzantine Church that had previously been used by royal families for marriage ceremonies. The wedding was documented in the four-part Bravo mini-series Million Dollar Listing New York: Ryan's Wedding.
Daughter Zena
Ryan and Emilia welcomed their daughter, Zena, on February 26, 2019. The path to parenthood was not easy—the couple tried to conceive for three years before successfully having Zena through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Emilia has been open about sharing their IVF journey, creating content on her YouTube channel to help other women facing similar challenges. In March 2020, she published a book titled To The Moon and Back For You, sharing her difficult journey to motherhood.
The couple has spoken about their parenting philosophy, emphasizing giving Zena space to grow and learn while instilling confidence and resilience. Ryan has discussed his "Dadurday" tradition—dedicating Saturdays entirely to quality time with his daughter, strengthening their father-daughter bond.
Family home renovation
In 2021, the Serhant family completed a three-year renovation of their $7.8 million townhouse in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The extensive project was documented in the Bravo mini-series Million Dollar Listing: Ryan's Renovation, providing viewers with insight into the challenges of major home renovations.
Emilia's career transition
In 2025, Emilia officially transitioned from law to real estate, becoming a licensed real estate agent and joining SERHANT. Her legal background and personal experience with the firm provide a unique perspective as she builds her new career alongside her husband.
Work-life balance
Serhant has spoken candidly about the challenges of balancing his demanding career with family life. He has described building SERHANT. as "a 30 hour a day, 10 days a week job" while also expressing his "ridiculous love for spending time with my family." The tension between professional ambition and family commitment is a recurring theme in his public discussions and media appearances.
Sales philosophy and business approach
Key principles
Throughout his books, courses, and media appearances, Serhant has articulated a consistent sales philosophy built on several core principles:
Persistence: Serhant's own story—spending a year pursuing his first major client, earning only $9,000 in his first year—exemplifies the importance of persistence in sales. He emphasizes that success comes to those who stay in the game when others quit.
Personal branding: Long before writing Brand It Like Serhant, Serhant recognized the importance of building a personal brand. His television appearances, social media presence, and content creation have all been strategic investments in his brand equity.
Energy and enthusiasm: The concept of "Big Money Energy" from his second book captures Serhant's belief that confidence and energy are magnetic forces that attract opportunities and clients.
Continuous learning and adaptation: From actor to hand model to real estate agent to brokerage owner to tech CEO, Serhant's career demonstrates constant evolution and willingness to learn new skills.
Leveraging media: Serhant has been ahead of the curve in recognizing how media exposure—first television, then social media, then streaming content—can amplify a real estate career.
Networking philosophy
Serhant has shared his approach to networking, describing what he calls "the two C's" that he uses in every room: Curiosity and Connection. Rather than approaching networking as transactional, he emphasizes genuine interest in others and building authentic relationships.
His experience meeting over 100 billionaires through his real estate career has informed his perspective on what separates highly successful people from others—and these insights form part of the content he shares through his books and courses.
Recognition and awards
Throughout his career, Serhant has received numerous accolades:
Real Deal Rankings: Ranked #15 out of 100 most successful agents in New York by The Real Deal in 2012, just four years into his real estate career.
Bestselling author: All three of his books have achieved bestseller status, with Sell It Like Serhant appearing on the USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
Television recognition: Nine seasons as a lead on Million Dollar Listing New York on Bravo, followed by Owning Manhattan on Netflix, establishing him as one of the most recognized real estate personalities on television.
Industry recognition: Recognition as founder of one of the fastest-growing independent brokerages in the United States, with SERHANT. achieving milestone after milestone in sales volume and agent count.
Impact and influence
On real estate marketing
Serhant has been influential in demonstrating how media and personal branding can transform a real estate career. His approach—leveraging television, social media, YouTube, and now streaming content—has been studied and emulated by agents worldwide. The "content-to-commerce" model he has built at SERHANT. represents a new paradigm for how brokerages can differentiate themselves.
On real estate education
Through his books, courses, and television content like Sell It Like Serhant, Serhant has contributed to raising the bar for sales education in the real estate industry. His accessible, entertainment-infused approach to teaching sales has reached audiences who might not engage with traditional real estate training.
On real estate technology
The development of S.MPLE and SERHANT.'s broader technology strategy positions Serhant at the intersection of real estate and proptech. The $45 million funding round and focus on AI-powered tools suggest an ambition to influence how real estate transactions are conducted industry-wide.
See also
- Million Dollar Listing New York
- Owning Manhattan
- Real estate broker
- Real estate in New York City
- Nest Seekers International
References