Ryan Serhant, a real estate agent at Nest Seekers International, knows a thing or two about selling real estate. At 30, he stars in the reality TV show “Million Dollar Listing New York,” and counts what he says are some of the world’s biggest movers and shakers as clients.

For a taste of the business philosophy that helps drive his success, chew on these insights he shared during a recent panel on real estate data hosted by StreetEasy in New York City.

1. Embrace data and the companies that provide it to consumers.

Serhant casts StreetEasy, a Zillow-owned New York City-area listing portal, as his “steroid.”

He says he often sees real estate agents hesitate to bring up data from the website, which some agents regard as a threat. But those who portray themselves right off the bat as “information concierges,” curating information from different sources, will have “locked that client in from the beginning,” he said.

“They’ll say, ‘did you see that market report?” Serhant said, speaking of a potential client citing a report from a data aggregator like StreetEasy. “And I’ll say, ‘Absolutely, I did. It was beautiful.”

Ryan Serhant poses with Katherine Salvio, a real estate agent at NextStopNY, at a panel on real estate data hosted by StreetEasy. Credit: Katherine Salvio

Ryan Serhant poses with Katherine Salvio, a real estate agent at NextStopNY, at a panel on real estate data hosted by StreetEasy. Credit: Katherine Salvio

2. If you’ve got a seller who wants to price their home for much more than it’s worth, show them recent sales of comparable homes and then ask: “Why would you want to buy your own home?”

3. Talk to seller clients every day. That’ll help you build trust with your clients, making it much easier to convince them that making certain adjustments, like accepting a lower price, is in their best interest.

“You’ll be able to say, ‘Listen, this is the only offer we’ve had in two months. What do you want to do?” he said.

4. Give the right data to the right clients.

Some buyers with lots of options are going to want to pore over lots of statistics. Others, perhaps under pressure to act fast, may be more inclined to buy with their hearts.

Besides StreetEasy, Serhant said his favorite data sources are the New York City listing database OLR and Miller Samuel, a real estate appraisal and consultant company,

5. You never know what a home will sell for.

Even if you run a seemingly bulletproof comparative market analysis, your suggested list price might end up miles off — in one direction or another.

Serhant says he’s overpriced homes that have sold way above their asking price, and also heard nothing but crickets after underpricing homes to spark bidding wars.

That’s why having a close relationship with a seller is so important. If you’ve gained their trust, they’ll make the price changes you suggest.

6. “Every market is different, and everybody is smart.”

Not a statement that’s likely to alienate anyone. But Serhant says that his experience working in different housing markets, from Miami to London, have shown him that there are many ways to successfully approach buying and selling real estate.

Consumers hunting for properties in New York City may have a cosmopolitan streak to them, but Serhant says buyers and sellers everywhere are often savvy in their own special ways.

Email Teke Wiggin.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×