Ryan Serhant found fame when he joined Million Dollar Listing New York City during its first season, and we are ready to share some interesting facts about his life. MDLNYC premiered in 2012, following the success of the original series, Million Dollar Listing LA. Ryan, along with Fredrik Eklund (who showed off his LA house in a video) and Michael Lorber, were original Million Dollar Listing New York City cast members. Now, Ryan and Fredrik are the only two remaining cast members from the first season. At present, MDLNYC focuses on the lives of luxury real estate agents Ryan, Fredrik, Tyler Whitman, Steve Gold, and newcomer Kirsten Jordan.
Shortly after gaining success through MDLNYC, Ryan started his own Bravo series called Sell it Like Serhant. However, the show only aired for one season in 2018 and was never renewed. Even though Ryan's first spin-off series didn't last very long on the network, he was able to return with a new one. On June 3, Ryan and his wife Emilia will star in the new limited series, Million Dollar Listing: Ryan's Renovation. Viewers will follow Ryan and Emilia as they undertake a massive renovation of their new 7,900-square-foot Brooklyn home.
The 36-year-old MDLNYC star (some people prefer Sellling Sunset) was born on July 2, 1984, in Houston, Texas. Soon after he was born, Ryan and his family moved to Massachusetts, where he was raised. At the age of 18, Ryan attended Hamilton College, where he double-majored in English literature and theater. After Ryan graduated, he moved to New York City to jumpstart his career as an actor. He began working as a model for stock photos in 2007 and dabbled in acting. He eventually landed his first role as Evan Walsh on the soap opera As the World Turns (via Housing Wire). After his one acting role, Ryan started to do some hand modeling but didn't see it as a life-long career path (via Glamour). A friend suggested that he try real estate, and he went for it
In 2008, Ryan began his career in the real estate business, after the subprime mortgage industry collapsed and Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy (via Ryanserhant). What started as a way to make enough money to pay his rent turned into a passion and a full-time career. After becoming a successful agent and learning the ins and outs of NYC real estate, Ryan created The Serhant Team. They have been ranked as the number one sales group in New York by the Wall Street Journal for three straight years, and have done over $4 billion in sales. In 2020, he started a brokerage firm called SERHANT, which is designed to "revolutionize the traditional brokerage model." Ryan's continued success has been featured on MDLNYC, where he sells luxury apartments and townhomes for upwards of $50 million. Ryan married his wife, Emilia, in 2016. They welcomed their daughter Zena in 2019.
Ryan's progression in his real estate career has been evident through his 12 seasons on MDLNYC. Not only has Ryan sold well over $4 billion in property since he began his real estate career, but he also stars in a successful reality show. Like new father Steve Gold, Ryan has created the life he wants to live. Ryan has been able to combine his passion for acting with his career in real estate. The Million Dollar Listing New York City real estate agent is truly living his dream.
Million Dollar Listing New York City airs Thursdays at 9 pm EST on Bravo.
Sources: Housing Wire, Glamour, Ryan Serhant website, Ryan Serhant/ Instagram