Ryan and Jordan from Owning Manhattan on real estate and being an iconic straight-gay duo

I thought I was tired of real estate reality shows, but I've always liked Ryan Serhant — not in an ogling way, but for his manner, professionalism, and creative flair. That's why I gave in and watched Netflix'sOwning Manhattan, which tells the story of Serhant and his fight to rise to the top of New York City's real estate world after starting his own company, aptly named Serhant.

Serhant does not disappoint. He comes off as an impressive leader, handling delicate situations with aplomb and earning the respect of his employees. NYC real estate is a dog-eat-dog world. I have had several friends throughout the years, not only in residential but commercial real estate, who have learned to have very sharp elbows. I dated one briefly, and he told me that you should never trust anyone that does real estate in the Big Apple. He was right — and I think you know what I mean.

Having worked with numerous, shall we say, less than admirable supervisors, and having been a boss myself, I can appreciate Serhant’s leadership skills and the fact that while he may have sharp elbows, he doesn’t come off as a jerk. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a boss like Serhant.

Moreover, he does not play favorites…well, I guess that might not be entirely true.

If you watched Owning Manhattan’s precursor, Million Dollar Listing New York, you are then familiar with Serhant and most likely his longtime assistant on that series, Jordan Hurt, who returns to the new series, only this time as one of Serhant’s top-selling agents.

It’s because of his previous relationship with Serhant as his assistant that Hurt is perhaps the “teacher’s pet” in the new series. There is no doubt that there is a certain chemistry between Serhant and Hurt, to the point that they could be labeled with the somewhat dated axiom that they “get along like an old married couple.”

Their scenes together are at once comical and poignant and reassuring. If you don’t know, Serhant is straight, with a beautiful wife and baby girl, and Hurt is gay, and the fact that they more than tolerate each other is a testament to the fact that very close, platonic, gay-straight relationships can be fulfilling and rewarding. And to Serhant and Hurt, that is also very meaningful.

That’s why I wanted to talk to both of them, not only about the show's success — it has been among Netflix’s most-watched series — but also what makes their relationship click.

Below is an edited version of our conversation.

The Advocate: First, congrats on the success of the show. How has the reaction been for you?

Ryan Serhant: It's been beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. What’s been so unique for me has been the positive reaction to the business and my behavior as a CEO, which is what scared me the most before the show aired. Million Dollar Listing New York followed me as an agent and team leader, but this is a totally different ball game, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, which is incredible.

Jordan Hurt: I agree with Ryan, it has been. Life changed for me on June 28. I was well known in the industry of New York City real estate. But after the show came out, people on the streets would recognize me, saying, “I just watched you last night!” The show came out on NYC Pride weekend, a New York City Pride weekend, so people were definitely approaching me, stopping me on the streets and on the subway. It's amazing.

Jordan, so how long have you been with Ryan?

Jordan Hurt: I was with him as an executive assistant for five and a half years. I never wanted to be his assistant for that long, maybe for a year or two. And then I’d go off on my own and be an agent. I didn't want to be chained to the desk. And five and a half years went by pretty quickly, didn't it?

Ryan Serhant: Yes!

Jordan Hurt: And I think that it served both of us very well. I mean, it works. Right. Like it worked!

Do you remember the first time you met Jordan?

Ryan Serhant: Yes I do! I was introduced to him at a restaurant through one of our agents — he used to be an assistant at a previous team. Jordan told me how he used to work in hotels, and he knew exactly how to handle cranky travelers, so he would have no problem handling my crazy schedule.

What made you stick around so long, Jordan? Was Ryan like a cranky traveler?

Jordan Hurt: He had his moments! Well, as you mentioned before, it's a cutthroat industry. So I wasn't yet ready for that when I first started. So at first, I wanted to be mentored and absorb as much information from Ryan as I could being in that role as his assistant. And I did, and it was amazing.

You know, I learned everything from Ryan, and I apply all of it to what I do today, so it’s no surprise that I’ve been pretty successful learning from the best. After five and a half years, I went to him and I said, “I love you, but I gotta go. I'm sorry.” I gave him plenty of warning, a six-month notice, found my replacement, trained the replacement, and I went out backpacking for a year during a sabbatical.

When I came back, I went to Ryan, and I mean, it was like, two words were exchanged. I told him I wanted to be a full-time agent, And then, you know, after that, I just kind of hit the ground running.

Ryan, watching the show, it appears you have great instincts about people. What was it that you first picked up with Jordan?

Ryan Serhant: Jordan meant business. He is authentic. If you’re a good person and you work hard, that’s what I care about.

I can tell that that is very important to you, being a good person. I won’t talk about the name that shall not be mentioned (dear reader, you’ll know what I’m talking about if you’ve seen the show).

Ryan Serhant: Yes, it is important to me, not only as a team leader then and now a CEO, being authentically you is the most attractive business trait one can have, and Jordan has always been authentically Jordan. He also understands the business. He understands when he needs to be suited up and understands when he can let loose, when to be serious, when to have a smile. He understands the empathy roller coaster in our business, and some people just don’t. If you don't empathize with people, you're not fully human, and Jordan is fully human.

It sounds like you changed Jordan’s life. How do you think Jordan changed your life?

Ryan Serhant: Well, he was the best and longest assistant I have ever had. He really came in and took control. We had total trust in him, which is really hard to do. He also has an amazing memory. The things he was able to remember were incredible, which is exactly what you want your assistant to be able to do but also what you want your broker to be able to do!

Jordan Hurt: Ryan is a very reasonable person, You know, of course, he's famous, he's a CEO, he's very busy. But when he and I sit down together, we talk the same language. We don’t even have to say many words to each other. We riff off of each other and read each other’s minds. it's like talking to my big brother,

So clearly, Ryan, he says you're like family — do you feel the same way?

Ryan Serhant: Yes!

Let’s talk about crazy times together. Jordan, you go first, anything stick out for you?

Jordan Hurt: Oh, God, so many! I guess all of the things we would do for Million Dollar Listing, we would be dressed up as the most ridiculous things, you know, for that show, doing certain events or open houses. He was once the Statue of Liberty and I was the actual buildings of the city cut out of a cardboard box. We're on top of a double-decker bus in Times Square, shouting from it, like really embarrassing stuff, you know what I mean?

Your turn, Ryan!

Ryan Serhant: My wedding in Corfu, Greece. He was my assistant at the time and he was dealing with two wedding planners, one who didn’t speak English, and the other was Kevin Lee. He was also dealing with my in-laws, helping my wife — everything. We were filming a spin-off, so there were cameras everywhere to capture the chaos. Everyone was screaming. It was a disaster. Then everyone ended up in the pool, which was amazing.

What was the most difficult moment that the two of you faced together?

Ryan Serhant: When he left! It was COVID, and I was just about to start Serhant, and he decided he wanted to take time to travel. He basically said, “You’re about to be the most stressed you’ve ever been, so I’m retiring!”’ It was brutal timing.

Jordan Hurt: Same for me.

Does Emilia [Serhant’s wife] ever get jealous?

Ryan Serhant: Well, he hasn’t been my assistant in quite some time, so now I’m sure Emilia is happy I’m now spending more time with her than I am with Jordan!

Ryan, where do you see Jordan heading in his career — five or 10 years from now?

Ryan Serhant: Being one of the top brokers in New York City, selling the next supertall skyscraper for record pricing.

Jordan Hurt: That sounds good to me!