Ryan Serhant Reveals the Turning Point That Made Him a Real Estate Star—and How He Thinks Agents Can Cash In on AI

Before Ryan Serhant became a recognizable face in real estate, he was one of thousands of agents showing up to an open casting call—and declaring himself the best in the universe.

The opportunity would put him on “Million Dollar Listing” and turn him into what he described as a “walking billboard,” giving him a platform he was determined to make count.

Speaking at NAR NXT 2026 in New Orleans, Serhant reflected on that career-changing break, the relentless social media strategy that followed, and why he believes agents should now be looking to artificial intelligence to help build their businesses.

His message to agents navigating an uncertain market was straightforward: “Markets don’t dictate your income. They dictate your strategy.”

For Serhant, learning where to direct his energy was part of that process. He recalled spending too much time early in his career stressing about things he could not control, including what might happen in the months ahead.

Instead, he encouraged agents to focus on the work they can tackle now. The future will arrive regardless, and worrying about it does little to move a business forward.

"One of the mistakes in the beginning of my career was stressing about what I can't control," he said. Agents should "attack" what they can control "without worrying about the future."

Branding himself a "futurist," he added, “At the end of the day, no one knows what they are doing."

Serhant acknowledged that his first few years were difficult and suggested that getting started as an agent is even harder today. His own breakthrough came after he attended an open casting call for “Million Dollar Listing” in 2010, joining roughly 3,000 real estate agents in Times Square.

He recalled not fully knowing what he would be doing there. But when asked why he had come, he delivered an answer that left little room for self-doubt: “I’m the greatest real estate agent in the universe.”

Serhant revealed the season was filmed with four people, but only three made the cut.

Once the show aired, he recognized that the exposure had given him an opportunity to distinguish himself—and he felt compelled to capitalize on it.

“Once the show came out, I became a walking billboard,” he said.

He also acknowledged the role timing played in his rise. He was finding his footing professionally as both cable TV and social media offered opportunities to reach potential customers.

“I need to meet my customer where my customer is,” he said.

That approach led him to embrace Instagram in its early days, posting photographs of listings with himself in the images. He recalled posting every two to three hours, steadily building an audience that could become familiar with him before ever meeting him.

The goal was to establish a presence on people’s phones, creating recognition that could carry into an eventual conversation or business relationship.

Today, Serhant said, helping other agents succeed has become a source of excitement in its own right.

“It makes me tick. I enjoy it. I love it,” he said of teaching others.

Having encountered a wide range of challenges throughout his career, he described watching his agents win as the work that now gets him most excited.

He also emphasized his belief in investing in the future, describing Serhant’s mission as helping the world move forward.

For agents considering what that future looks like, artificial intelligence was a central part of his advice.

“The excitement within AI isn’t just language. It’s in creating work,” he said.

Serhant encouraged agents to identify administrative tasks that technology could reduce, freeing up time for the activities that depend on human connection and creativity.

“Humans should be doing only what humans do, which is meeting and creating,” he said.

He pointed to negotiation support and homeownership information as potential uses, while urging agents to think beyond individual tasks and consider how AI could help generate more business.

The measures that matter, he suggested, include increasing transactions per agent and improving gross profit. In that framing, the value of adopting AI lies in what it enables an agent to accomplish.

But he also shared an anecdote illustrating how the technology can influence a client’s decisions.

Serhant recalled a buyer pulling out of a $50 million deal after asking ChatGPT whether they were paying too much and receiving an affirmative answer.

The account underscored a challenge for agents: Clients can now arrive with AI-generated conclusions that affect their willingness to move forward with a purchase.

His advice was to use the technology as support in their own work.

“Use AI as your co-pilot,” he said.

Across his reflections on TV, social media, and AI, Serhant returned to the importance of approaching opportunities with a willingness to act.

“I learned that optimists are successful," he said.