"I think it's too much": Owning Manhattan's Ryan Serhant refuses to put Jade on the 281 Park Avenue South listing due to lack of experience

Owning Manhattan returned to screens with a new season on Dec. 5. It gave viewers a glimpse into the competitive real estate market in Manhattan and the lengths agents go to secure top deals and improve their portfolio. 

Among them was Jade Shenker, who wanted to prove her abilities to SERHANT. CEO, Ryan Serhant. In Episode 3, titled There’s No Business Like Chlo Business, she asked Ryan to allow her to handle the 281 Park Avenue South listing, which is famously known as the one Anna Delvey, the con artist and fraudster, tried to purchase. 

Although Ryan believed in her skills, he was unsure whether she was prepared to handle such a luxurious property given her experience. 

“I think there’s a strong likelihood you’ll bring the buyer for 281. This is all amazing. You should do this with every single buyer. But I don’t think you’re ready to be on the listing yet. I think it’s too much. You gotta take those steps, right?” Ryan said as he refused to let her in on the listing.

According to him, Jade needed more experience selling mid-range commercial properties before handling a $125-$135 million listing.

Owning Manhattan Season 2 Episode 3: Ryan fears Jade is losing herself by overwhelming herself with work

In one segment of Episode 3 of Owning Manhattan, Jade brought Ryan to Silver Art Projects Artists Studios and introduced him to the developer, Cory Silverstein, for a tour of the space. 

However, Ryan remained confused as to why Jade brought him there to look around. It was shortly after that that Jade revealed her honest intentions:

“I wanted to bring you to a space that I think has magic and impact, and have a proper discussion with you about 281 Park Avenue South."

She began her pitch by telling Ryan that selling commercial properties was different from selling houses, and that she was good at handling the commercial space. 

According to her, the commercial deals were “driven by dreams and by legacy.” That said, Jade mentioned that she knew how to price the property and sell it, too. 

The Owning Manhattan star then went into further details of how she planned to handle the listing if given the chance.:

“I have a plan. Other than the investor, the target buyer is gonna be somebody who appreciates history and art. So, I was thinking about staging it kind of like how they did with Silver Art."

At the end of her pitch, after she detailed all her plans, she asked Ryan to imagine how much more she could bring to the table if allowed to be on the listing. 

Although Ryan liked her ideas, he pointed out that the listing was big and challenging. Moreover, he felt he would breach protocol by taking on Jade, who worked in Bernadette’s team. 

Even at the individual level, Ryan felt Jade lacked the experience that RFR Holding would expect from their agent.

Consequently, he refused to let her in on the listing, saying she needed to put in the “work” and the “hours” before taking on such properties.

That said, Ryan worried that Jade was overworking herself with excessive workload as she tackled life after her separation from her ex-husband, Matt Denham.

“I see you in the office at two in the morning, on the cameras. I see you there. I just wanna make sure that you don’t lose yourself in work because that’s what I do,” he advised her. 

He urged her not to “lose sight” of herself and continue working to bring him a buyer for the 281 Park Avenue South listing, proving to everyone how capable she was. 

Stay tuned for more updates.