Summary
-
Owning Manhattan
captures the drama of high-stakes real estate deals in NYC, complete with rivalries, gossip, and even a firing. - The show offers a glimpse into the luxury real estate market, featuring a talented team of brokers led by reality TV pro Ryan Serhant.
- Despite familiar reality TV tropes,
Owning Manhattan
finds success with its mix of drama, professionalism, and stunning properties.
Owning Manhattan is the new real estate show that is taking Netflix by storm. The show follows New York broker Ryan Serhant and his team as they try to sell dreamy multi-million dollar apartments and penthouses in one of the most expensive and high-demand housing markets in the world: New York City.
Unlike other real estate shows, such as Netflix’s Selling Sunset (which boasts a 6.6/10 score on IMDb despite running for seven seasons so far), the general reaction to Owning Manhattan has been positive (at least for a reality series). It jumped all the way up to #3 on Netflix’s Top 10 shortly after its release on June 28, boasting a 7.4/10 on IMDb. In addition, the first season of Owning Manhattan boasts an 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the 61% of Selling Sunset. The Netflix series may not be prestige TV, but if you’re looking for a new real estate series to binge, Owning Manhattan may have you covered.
Owning Manhattan Doesn’t Take the Drama Too Far
Real Estate Is the Focus of the Show
Owning Manhattan is not just a real estate show; it’s a reality TV show with all it entails. Without drama, nobody would be watching. And the first season has more than its share. There are multiple rivalries and gossip between employees to gain higher commissions and have their hard work recognized by Serhant, even leading up to a fight during an award ceremony. Deals are resting on the edge way longer than they should, not knowing whether they will go through or not and at what price. And there is even somebody getting fired, so the show does not run short on dramatic moments.
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But somehow, it works. For the most part. Serhant is the leading head of the show, the guiding line to look out for, and the center of the web of his employees, and he’s likable, especially for audiences who have seen his previous shows. The stories remain believable and give depth to the “characters,” which keeps the audience interested without screaming at their TV that it all looks fake. The deals themselves are unbelievable: the first episode is about trying to sell the most expensive penthouse in the world — just that. The grandeur of the task matches perfectly with the energy of the team, making for a bingeworthy show.
Owning Manhattan Features Talented Professionals
Ryan Serhant Is a Reality Television Vet
In trying to sell the most expensive apartments in the world, a beginner broker will just not cut it. If the show is staged like all reality TV is, it doesn’t take place in any old town; it takes place in New York City. Serhant’s employees must genuinely do their best to keep their place in the company. The show goes well into the real estate process, from getting a property to sell to closing the deal. An emphasis is put on dressing apartments, which some employees manage to do on a “shoestring budget.” Gorgeous spaces are presented to the clients and the viewers alike.
Serhant truly built his team with the crème de la crème of real estate brokers, who each have their own talents, whether it be choosing properties, analyzing their assets, dressing them, organizing visits, and sweet-talking to potential clients — who all come with their needs and wants, negotiating, and closing the deal. Owning Manhattan just could not be what it is without a talented team of real estate agents with access to some of the most expensive and high-demand properties in the world.
Serhant is also a reality TV pro. The agent rose to fame in Million Dollar Listing New York before starring in his other series, Sell It Like Serhant, then heading to Netflix with Owning Manhattan. Like Owning Manhattan, Million Dollar Listing New York found a fan base and two Emmy nominations despite running into some familiar reality TV tropes.
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All in all, Owning Manhattan does well at documenting one of the hardest real estate markets in the US, owing to the sheer price of the properties — but with some extra flair. The show features plenty of drama from Serhant’s varied team, but they act like professionals (for the most part) and are good at their jobs: a recipe for success. Owning Manhattan is now available to watch on Netflix.