Owning Manhattan newcomer Peter Zaitzeff reveals his decision to join SERHANT. came down to a coin flip

Owning Manhattan season 2 premiered on December 5, 2025, featuring Ryan Serhant and his crew of real estate agents, featuring all familiar faces.

However, in the first couple of episodes, viewers were introduced to Peter Zaitzeff, whom Ryan scouted from The Corcoran Group. 

Although Peter joined SERHANT. and started closing big deals early on, he recently revealed that the decision to join Ryan was not easy. 

In an interview with Realtor.com, published on December 5, 2025, Peter opened up about his decision to jump ship, saying:

“I don’t know if Ryan knows this, and I don’t know if I’ve told anybody, but I was in my apartment, and I flipped a coin, and I was like, ‘All right, I’m going’”

Peter, who had worked with Corcoran for seven years and specialized in the West Village area of Manhattan, decided to switch to SERHANT. after the quarter landed on tails. 

Although he let the final decision depend on a simple coin toss, he admitted that he had been considering the offer for a while. According to Peter, the SERHANT. CEO had been trying to recruit him for several years. 

The newcomer shared that he ultimately gave in when Ryan convinced him that the opportunities at his company would be significantly better. 

Owning Manhattan star Peter Zaitzeff shares that it took Ryan’s agents eight to 12 months to accept him into their circle

While speaking about his switch, Peter stated that although it all came down to a coin flip, it was Ryan’s ability to pitch a plan and convince him of the benefits of changing companies that influenced his decision. 

“Ryan was very persistent in the way that he recruited me. So that was the first part of it because I was really happy at Corcoran, and I was doing my thing there. I could have stayed there,” he said. 

However, he believed that Ryan “made a good argument” when he told him of the opportunities at SERHANT., which ultimately convinced him to change his brokerage. 

Despite the benefits, Peter, who transitioned from working at Douglas Elliman to Corcoran, knew how challenging a change could be. 

Consequently, he hesitated to accept the offer, but Ryan remained persistent, and ultimately it worked. Peter decided to quit Corcoran, but the transition came with its own challenges. 

At first, he faced backlash from his colleagues at Corcoran, who tried to convince him to reject the offer, calling Ryan a “one-hit wonder who was on TV.”

Regardless, Peter went ahead with the switch and joined Ryan’s brokerage, only to face another obstacle – an unwelcoming behavior from Ryan’s existing agents. 

In season 2 of Owning Manhattan, the SERHANT. agents were shown expressing their displeasure at Peter’s arrival. According to them, there was no need for Ryan to outsource when he had them at the company. 

However, over time, they began to notice Peter’s skills and his network, acknowledging his abilities. 

Peter, too, was aware of what the rest thought of him. 

“I certainly saw it when we were filming the first episode or when we were filming. I certainly felt it when I was in the room with them, and everything was going on that you see that airs on the show. It was very uncomfortable,” he said. 

The Owning Manhattan star further revealed that it took the agents eight to 12 months to accept him. 

In the series, Peter closed a record-breaking $60 million deal for an off-market apartment in the West Village, which Ryan was also trying to secure for his client. 

When Ryan failed, he smashed a vase behind closed doors after praising Peter for his immediate success. 

While reflecting on that, Peter said that some “healthy competition” could not harm anyone. Unlike Ryan, who had previously closed high-end deals in Florida, he had a grasp of the West Village, which was why he was able to succeed. 

Consequently, Peter noted that Ryan understood that and the two were able to move past the tension. 

Stay tuned for more updates.