Owning Manhattan's Ryan Serhant explains launching his firm during the pandemic as a strategic move

Ryan Serhant, star of Netflix’s Owning Manhattan, launched his namesake real estate firm in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a strategic decision rather than an opportunistic move.

In an exclusive interview with Forbes on December 2, 2025, Serhant stated,

“I didn’t think, ‘Hey, COVID’s a good time to do this.’ I spent the beginning of 2020 putting all the pieces together under the cover of darkness—because I was still working in another firm.”

He noted that despite the initial global shutdowns, he recognized the advantages of starting a company during a period of economic contraction, citing examples of businesses founded during recessions.

Firm expansion and operations

Since its launch, Serhant’s firm has expanded to operate in 14 states with a roster of 1,300 agents.

The company’s structure includes a luxury real estate brokerage, Serhant Technologies, which manages cloud-based operations, and Sellit.com, a B2B and direct-to-consumer sales training platform.

Serhant also developed S.MPLE, an AI-powered platform described as “Instacart for salespeople,” after raising $45 million from venture firms Camber Creek and Left Lane Capital.

Season one of Owning Manhattan appeared in Netflix’s top 10 in 40 countries in 2024, illustrating the global audience reach of Serhant’s brand.

Strategic planning during economic uncertainty

He explained that although he initially thought he could not start the company, he quickly realized that it was an opportune moment and began researching other businesses that were founded during "recessions" or pandemics.

He noted that every deal on the sales side was conducted through an LLC for security purposes, contrasting this with L.A., where there is the idea that everybody wants to know where you live, highlighting the “security” measures used in New York transactions.

YouTube and other digital platforms later allowed him to reach prospective clients more efficiently.

Integration of technology in real estate

Technology and AI are central to the firm’s operations.

Serhant explained that S.MPLE is designed to shift a salesperson’s focus from administrative tasks to selling, allowing them to spend 80% of their day on activities that only they can perform.

He described this shift as flipping the traditional allocation of time, emphasizing the importance of "what only you can do."

Earlier technology projects, including a Metaverse initiative and a property tour app, did not scale as intended, which informed the design of S.MPLE to automate tasks for agents.

Real estate trends and 2026 outlook

"As rates start to come down, you’re going to see an increasing rate of divorce as people say, ‘I’m leaving his ass, and I’m getting my own place that I can afford with a lower rate.’,” he added.

Serhant’s firm has combined traditional brokerage services, technological tools, and media presence to create a scalable model.

He cited that the integration of these components positions the company to respond to market shifts and expand operations across multiple states and property types.

Stay tuned for more updates.