User reviews

I love Ryan and have been following him for years. I expected this show to be similar to his previous Real Estate show but I guess Netflix is more concerned with drama than good tv. The office drama is not entertaining and I'm done watching the series. I would love to see a good show like selling New York or selling Manhattan. Ryan does a good job of maintaining his positive attitude but most of the characters are really hard to watch and some of them need to be removed altogether. If there is a second season let's focus more on the selling of real estate and less on the love life of the associates.

More selling and less with the scripted reality show nonsense. I would have preferred just Ryan but instead we got these model/actors that frankly just ruin everything. I loved the originality of the first show he did but this one just lacks any substance. Scripted reality tv hit its peak and it's going downhill fast. It's fine for mindless watching when there's nothing else but this didn't hold my attention and found it more interesting to just scroll on IG.

A more interesting premise would be learning sales techniques from Ryan and what it's really like running his own shop minus the fake reality actors they got for this one.

Having followed Ryan Serhant for the past 10 years by watching Million Dollar Listing, reading his books and following him on social media, it's safe to say I'm a big fan! When I saw he was going to have his own Netflix show however, I was slightly worried it would turn out to be another Selling Sunset. I was more than happily surprised that the show was much more real than all the other shows, with the emphasise on real estate. The agents are a lot more authentic, despite the occasional drama. Ryan is as lovely, hard working and inspiring as always. A big thumbs up, and we're rooting for you!

I was hesitant to give this show a shot after losing brain cells from watching a few episodes of Selling Sunset, but I was pleasantly surprised. For a reality tv show to have a rating higher than 7 on IMDB, I figured that's a good sign that it's at least decent. And it is indeed a fun watch. Chloe is obnoxious at times, but there's a good mix of characters and personalities. I like that the show is mostly about real estate with a little bit of drama mixed in.

Good insight into Ryan running his brokerage and how he manages the different personalities of his agents. Feels mostly genuine. Disappointed this season was only 8 episodes.. could've easily watched 8 more.

This was less about real estate and more about drama.

After watching the full series, I wondered if any of the personal situations in this so-called "reality" were actually real, as they seemed very fake and scripted. I went into the Serhant website and found that, with the exception of Chloe, who is a former actress, NONE of the supposed realtors in the series are actually working for Ryan, so they are likely actors playing a role, an unconvincing one at that. Maybe I could have overlooked a few, but for the most part, I saw two familiar faces: Ryan and Chloe.

I wonder what was the point of the series. Don't recommend it.

As someone who has lived in New York, this show takes you through those buildings with opulent exteriors and mind bowing interiors. All the agents have manners, of course there are certain irritating women but they make th show worth watching. I loved this show. It's better than selling sunset and seems promising. More than Anything it will teach you to sell. To be patient. To be a good leader. To f up and still persevere in a competitive world. Ultimately it's entertainment that's inspiring. With a lot more thrown in. It worked for me. Won't work for negative nancies who are too caught up in comparing every new show with old ones. This is shot brilliantly and shows you a world you would not dream of.

This show is like taking a trip to the capital city of the hunger games movie series. I do appreciate the nice apartments they show, however the people are unbearable. No wonder when traveling the rest of the world hates Americans hahaha. Not to mention, money hungry realtors who provide essentially nothing besides woo girl vibes and a stiff fee. The people are very narcissistic and annoying. That being said there appears to be a few normal people on the show. Lovely apartments. I've always wanted to visit New York after watching so many tv series from there (how I met your mother, Seinfeld, whatever) This show has the opposite effect.

Ryan Serhant was my favorite from Million Dollar Listing New York, so I'm happy to see him back on the air with another real estate show. Real estate shows are the only reality TV I watch and I have to say, I really don't enjoy the bickering and drama parts of this or any other show. I always fast-forward through that BS. I just like seeing the actual homes and the deals get put together. I know we live in a society of lowest common denominator viewing, but seriously, how can anyone enjoy watching other people bicker? Plus, it's just so unrealistic. I have worked in a dozen different fields throughout the course of my adult life and adults in a professional setting just do not behave like that.

You can probably already guess that the agents I like best are the ones who do their jobs, don't badmouth anybody else, and stay out of the drama. I felt so sorry for the one young guy with the tattoos. Here's what everyone with any life experience knows - the only people who expend energy putting others down are those who feel so bad about themselves that that's the only way they can build themselves up. It never makes the person being put down look bad, it only makes the person issuing the putdowns look petty and lacking in self-confidence. Hopefully that young man will learn that as he gets older.

Overall, I like the show. I'll keep watching but hope that moving forward, they focus on the professional part of real estate sales and not the silly scripted nonsense.

Best "unscripted" series I have ever watched. Succession meets Game of Thrones, with Hunger Games sprinkled into a ruthless, decadent, District 1/NYC. The writers, directors, editors, writers and the cast, were all brilliant, compelling, and entertaining. Serious kudos to all who made this happen. I am genuinely happy for Serhant's journey which I have watched since the early days of MDLNY. Of course, the City of New York itself is the real star of the show, as it always is. I don't remember the last time I binge-watched a series like this, it's more often than not that I will lose interest a couple of episodes in, or I will be busy doing other things while the TV is on kind of like a background noise. Not the case here, I was riveted from the first second to the last.

I'm writing this review after finishing the 5th episodes and won't watch more.

Living in New York City and being an architect, I was super excited about the release of this show and it was even in my calendar. But what a disappointment!

Why all US real estate shows always focus about the dramas inside their office (are they even real?!!) instead of the actual real estates? We want to see houses, apartments, real estates!! But the show focus unfortunately on the bad energies and egos within their office. What a shame for Ryan.

As a note to Jonathan, I wouldn't be so arrogant and a bully to juniors when you don't even know the sun sets on the west 😂 seems to be a basic thing any human know as a kid! Sun rises in the east and sets on the west, working or not in this industry.

I understand reality TV shows don't really showcase the best of our society, but I have never seen so many people so full of total bs and selling blatant lies. It's so unbelievable it's cringy to watch. I'm not dumb enough to enjoy this. These shows should try a little harder to have some reality in them.how long does this review have to be to post. 600 hundred characters is way too long. Like what in the world. How much can someone say about a show or movie. I'm still thinking because it's not long enough. What else could be said. Not much I'm think. Is this ever going to end? I don't think so.

Yes, the views and places they sell are amazing! I'd totally want to have one of those apartments as "an extra flat", who wouldn't (...:)..). They're super pretty.

However, I feel like everything else just focuses on drama. The she-said, he-said, she-did, he-did, and then they talk about it with other people. They are very rude to each other, which is sad to see. What if they could lift each other instead of the opposite. They could gain so much more from their work, and basically, from life in general. It's sad how people these days feel the need to take people down and make sure to hurt someone just for the sake of it.

I don't know. I hoped for more. Probably expected some level of drama but this was just too much. My jaw physically dropped in a few episodes because of the mean things people said or did. And, it's reality. It's not possible to say "it's just TV, no one got hurt in real life".

I also want to point out that this doesn't apply to all the cast on the show.

Also, I often felt that the owner of the company, Ryan, was acting more than being his true self. He did mention he did try acting before getting into real-estate, maybe that's why?

Assuming Ryan was paid handsomely for this show and one can't blame him for that. Netflix is a great platform to showcase his charm. So understand why he did it but the show is just yet another Netflix piece of vapid banality.

MDL felt authentic and real- this one is focused again on a heap of young pretty people desperate for fame. Same Netflix formula. At least it's a little better than the other ones on the streamer. Whenever the camera is off Ryan the show is pointless. None of the rest have any real charm. Like plastic assembly Line dolls.

Want Ryan back on Bravo who do reality better than Netflix.

Seriously disappointed. Stupid squeaky voice little girls playing at agents. These wouldn't last five minutes in Europe. Jordan is looking and sounding good, he's matured and learned his trade very well. Back to the squeaky Barby dolls, other than eye lash flashing what's the attraction? They're selling luxury property not soft porn. I'm struggling to see a serious pitcher here. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but these guys are so up their own backsides I'm seeing short term sellers as long as they're backed by the show, then it's boom and bust for most of these agents. Let's see some real pros!

I barely watch 40 min. From the first episode, his ego is gigantic and hard to watch, I am the best agent, i made 2 billion, I open my own agency with my own money, bla bla bla bla... then the rest of the agents with similar personality, really?... so boring..., nothing like the Million Dollar Listing NY, that was a good show, all the agents fight for a listing in funny and not that funny ways, you could see the creativity of the open houses, Ryan himself dressing as many characters to attract people... where is the old Ryan?? I am so disappointed... I was waiting for my hubby to asked me "axe it!!", and he was waiting for me to say enough!!! Don't waist your time, when he comes to live in this world give him another chance.

"Owning Manhattan" promises an exciting blend of Jersey Shore, a real estate show, and The Apprentice but unfortunately, it doesn't quite deliver. The series features larger-than-life personalities with egos so big they barely fit on the TV screen. Watching it, you can't help but feel that the people on the series look like paid actors carefully selected to cause unnecessary drama.

The show's premise had potential, but the execution is lackluster at best. The contrived conflicts and over-the-top antics make it hard to take any of the real estate deals seriously. It's clear that the focus is more on creating sensational TV moments than providing any real insight into the world of Manhattan real estate.

If you're looking for genuine entertainment or informative content about real estate, this show will likely leave you disappointed. "Owning Manhattan" is not as promising as it sounds. Save your time and skip this one. There are better options out there.

Ryan lost me when in the beginning he quotes his grandfather is saying that cemeteries are full of wasted potential. However I pressed on... Big mistake. If you are into narcissistic people bragging about all their real estate deals, this show is for you. For me, not one thing was appealing, so I shut it off mid second episode.

Selling Sunset might be full of narcissistic bragger too, but at least their drama keeps it entertaining. Owning Manhattan left me scratching my head and wondering why it was ever made. Hopefully Netflix will get it right with an entertaining show soon. It's back to true crime stories for me.

If you need any evidence that Ryan Serhant is likeable only in small doses, look no further than this Netflix series. Serhant sets the tone early on. His opening anecdote is that his grandfather once told him that cemeteries are full of wasted potential. This very odd introduction made me wonder what exactly Serhant was trying to tell us with this opening line. That he himself comes from a toxic family? That despite his massive financial success, he's only comfortable taking a shot at the dead, not the living who can still compete with him? Or that his perspective as a child was so warped by his family environment that it only stands to reason that he ended up choosing NYC real estate as a profession.

As grandiose and blustery as Serhant is, the employees of his brokerage, even the elite brokers, are for the most part, vastly more sympathetic and relatable than he is. Most of the people who work for him seem like hard-working, ambitious people who just want success in a big way. I just wonder how in the good God they could stomach working for him. As a New Yorker who's watched this city transform radically and become less and less affordable each year, this series is only educational and does not whet my appetite one bit to learn more about the high-flying super wealthy. I look at this series and am happy to still be common and ordinary. I'll take that life over this frothing, preening circus. Recommended only if you need a good laugh.

I've watched Ryan Serhant in MDLNY since his very first season. Of all the stars of MD series he was the most relatable and the least annoying, while the other main guys including ones from the series in LA, often acted way too dramatic, arrogant and immature, cringy or uncomfortable to watch at times.

But this series of SERHANT, Mr. Serhant's real estate agency, is disappointing. It's mostly about people-drama. It gives too much peak into the personal lives of agents that work for him. Like many reviews have already said, there isn't nearly enough footage of the actual properties and their settings to enjoy, or the deals being made or broken in the moment that the audience could anxiously watch and celebrate or cry for their outcomes.

Also, the title - a little too loud of an ego scream. I get that they decided to call it "Owning Manhattan" with high hopes for the Serhant team to take over the real estate business of the island and beyond in the future. Still I find it a little too in-your-face and tasteless. This is reality TV which is well known for being scripted and edited whatever genre of reality TV, but it is still about real people that live in the real world, made of communities of real peole, so many of them struggling in this day and age. When the world has been turning upside down with more chaos than ever before, with people young or old, struggling and suffering more than ever... it shows a sense of disconnect to name this show what they decided to call it... a statement that a luxury real estate agency wants to own the most expensive island in the US.

Through the years of seeing the Million Dollar Listing series, I learned that it is the egos and greed of agents and agencies that compete relentlessly with each other, that keep driving up the prices of homes, making those in popular cities less and less available for the middle-class all the while drastically worsening the issue of gentrification everywhere in recent years.

That awareness today bothers me. This series is unapologetic about showing how the agents' seeming sole concern with setting the high records, making the big bucks, making it to the top of the lists of the most successful agents in magazines, elevating their social and financial status... it's all about them and themselves. With seemingly no awarenss of or perhaps denial about how their professional hunger games are most definitely contributing to even larger social class differences in the US, one of the biggest reasons why the country has become so troubled today - these agents seem to continue on focused on only their own successes and their own happiness, but not at all about the basic qualities of life or well-beings of others who are out of their sight.

The shows gives a bitter taste and too much reality of just how self-centered and entitled these people that sell expensive real estate are, and how little to none they seem to care about the world outside of their little cliques, including Mr Serhant. It troubled me and I couldn't enjoy watching the series at all.

No matter what beautiful clothes or accessories they wear, no matter how many homes they sell, if all they care about and talk about is money, record-breaking sales, connections with the big names, what fabulous vacations they had or lives they've got... even if they care about their closest loved ones, it makes them shallow, selfish, and frankly rather empty characters on the inside.

If you show up on an international series and sell yourselves as a brand, why don't you show a little integrity and some good values with it, or at the very very least, don't advertise your endless, petty, catty fights for the whole world to see. They might get more clients and make even more money by advertising their brand this way, but the obvious immaturity, nastiness, and/or low moral values of the agents of this agency must actually have an opposite effect on others with better judgements and drive them away.

If any of them are donating even a fraction of their huge earnings to causes that help better the society, spending even one day out of a month doing volunteer work, making a choice to value community and real people over winnings and luxury... show it and I'll maybe change my mind about watching season 2. But so far, there is no sign of anything like that at all in this group of people that work for/with Ryan Serhant. Let them be, but I'm not watching more of their vanity.

By the way, in my life I've met some very wealthy, very successful people. Ones that leave an impression for decades later are always the those who were humble and never show-offs.

Perhaps in the world of luxury real estate, it's not possible to nurture or maintain a humble character because you are selling what is basically the opposite of such value with the flashy properties and lifestyles.

Watching the show made me wonder when these people get old if they'll feel truly happy in life, if they keep going the route they seem to be taking with their endless greed. It's a cliché but money and status really can't buy happiness. A beautiful wife/husband or a picture-perfect family that comes with them can't either, if you lose sight of what really matters. Watching this show made me reflect on that once again, actually.

Donald Trump may be an extreme example, but that real-estate-tycoon-turned-felon ex-president/ super-controversial-current-republican-nominee... wasn't as bad when he was younger either, if people still remember. He was still just as cocky and full of himself whenever he appeared in media, but he wasn't as foul-mouthed or stupid with his words or actions as he became increasingly in his older age. The man has aged very poorly despite his millions or billions. It's like, look where his money, fame, and ego have taken him, and those who've surrounded him as well. No doubt in my mind his arrogance and greed has been his downfall and forever tarnished reputation.

Perhaps the changes in today's world post-pandemic where people are more afraid, anxious, or losing a sense of hope for a future, some people maybe cling even more tightly to superficial successes that make them feel safe in the moment but not forever.

Reality TV has been around since the MTV's Real World days in the 90s and grew into a huge money-making market. Just like the Internet and social media has had their positive impact to the world, until more and more negatives started to affect the society with our over-reliance on our devices, reality TV itself can be a positive tool for people to enjoy and learn about folks and the world that they may never know about otherwise.

Million Dollar Listing series have done a decent job mixing the world of real estate with some human drama of agents, but not letting the latter ever outweigh the former. This show, on the contrary, has done the opposite.

I will not be watching season two of this show if there will be one - unless they change the narrative and show us more homes and the better side of the agency and agents if there is such an side. In the meantime, I pray for the sake of these agents whose futures I hope won't be empty of real human values.

I was expecting the houses, designs, more information about the real estate market in manhattan etc in this show, but this show seems care more about drama and the characters...the realtors in this show all look like influencers, talk about gossips, dress too 'fancy'...and they did not talk too much about real estates or share anything insightful or informative, they FOCUS more on talking about their own Instagram, their office gossip, how they want to make money, and honestly I can't see how professional they are from this show......just very disappointing about this show.....Just so fake, so shallow and so boring!!