Ryan Serhant Reflects on the Evolution of Real Estate at NAR NXT 2026

Before Ryan Serhant became a household name and a powerhouse in luxury real estate, he was just another hopeful face in a massive crowd. Back in 2010, he joined roughly 3,000 real estate agents in New York City’s Times Square, all of them showing up for an open casting call with dreams of breaking into television. When producers asked him why he had come, Serhant delivered a response that left no room for hesitation or self-doubt: he declared himself the greatest real estate agent in the universe.

That audacious moment launched him onto the hit series "Million Dollar Listing" and transformed him into what he frequently describes as a "walking billboard." It provided him with an unprecedented platform that he was determined to leverage into a lasting empire. Speaking at the NAR NXT 2026 conference in New Orleans, Serhant reflected on that career-changing break, the relentless social media strategies that followed, and why he believes modern real estate agents must now embrace artificial intelligence to build and scale their businesses.

Addressing an audience of industry professionals navigating an uncertain housing market, Serhant offered a straightforward philosophy: markets do not dictate an agent’s income; they dictate their strategy. For Serhant, learning how to direct his energy effectively was a crucial part of his professional evolution. He recalled spending far too much time early in his career stressing over variables entirely outside of his control, including unpredictable economic shifts and what the distant future might hold for the industry.

Instead of worrying about tomorrow, he encouraged modern agents to focus entirely on the work they can tackle right now. The future will arrive regardless of how much anxiety precedes it, and fretting over hypothetical scenarios does nothing to move a business forward. Reflecting on his journey from a stressed newcomer to a major brokerage CEO, Serhant noted that one of his earliest mistakes was wasting mental bandwidth on things he could not change. He urged agents to attack what they can control today without letting fear of the future paralyze them. Branding himself as an "optimist and a futurist," he added a grounded reminder that, at the end of the day, no one truly has it all figured out.

Serhant readily acknowledges that his initial years in the industry were exceptionally difficult, and he suggests that breaking into the business today is even harder for newcomers. His own breakthrough required seizing a high-risk opportunity during a major economic recovery period. Out of the thousands who auditioned for "Million Dollar Listing," the initial season was filmed with just four individuals, and only three ultimately made the final cut. Once the cameras rolled and the show aired nationwide, Serhant understood that the resulting exposure had given him a rare chance to distinguish himself from the competition. He knew he had to capitalize on every ounce of that visibility.

Recognizing that the media landscape was shifting rapidly, Serhant aligned his marketing efforts with the changing habits of consumers. He realized he needed to meet his clients where they spent their time, which meant leaning heavily into the early days of social media. Long before digital marketing packages and automated social media agencies were commonplace, Serhant adopted a relentless approach to Instagram. He began posting photographs of his listings featuring himself in the images every two to three hours. His goal was to establish

a constant, familiar presence on prospective clients’ phones, building brand recognition and trust long before any formal meeting ever took place.

That foundational strategy helped him build a loyal audience and paved the way for his broader entrepreneurial ambitions. Today, Serhant finds a new kind of fulfillment in helping other agents succeed under his brokerage umbrella. Watching his team win and surpass their professional goals has become the primary source of excitement in his career. He expressed genuine passion for teaching others, noting that empowering the next generation of agents drives him forward. Having weathered countless market challenges, he views investing in the future of the industry as part of a mission to help the entire real estate sector progress.

For agents trying to envision what the future of the profession looks like, Serhant placed artificial intelligence at the center of his strategic advice. He emphasized that the true excitement surrounding AI extends far beyond simple text generation and language tools; it lies in its ability to automate and streamline actual work. Serhant encouraged agents to identify tedious administrative tasks that technology can shoulder, thereby freeing up valuable time for activities that rely heavily on human creativity and personal connection. In his view, humans should only be doing what humans do best, which means meeting clients face-to-face and creating unique value.

He pointed to potential practical applications such as negotiation support and compiling homeownership data, while urging professionals to think expansively about how AI can help generate new business. The metrics that truly matter, according to Serhant, include increasing the number of transactions per agent and improving overall gross profit margins. In this framework, the value of adopting artificial intelligence is measured entirely by what it enables an agent to accomplish in their daily operations.

However, Serhant also shared a cautionary anecdote that highlighted the potential pitfalls of clients interacting with AI independently. He recalled a recent instance where a prospective buyer abruptly pulled out of a lucrative $50 million real estate deal after asking ChatGPT whether they were overpaying for the property and receiving an affirmative response. The account underscored a unique modern challenge for real estate professionals: clients can now arrive at negotiations armed with AI-generated conclusions that directly influence their willingness to move forward with a purchase.

To combat this, Serhant advised agents to proactively utilize the technology as their own copilot, staying ahead of the data and ensuring they remain indispensable advisors rather than easily replaceable middlemen. Whether discussing the early days of reality television, the grit required to maintain a nonstop social media presence, or the integration of advanced artificial intelligence into everyday workflows, Serhant consistently returned to the fundamental importance of approaching every opportunity with a willingness to take decisive action. Reflecting on the mindset that carried him from an open casting call in Times Square to the helm of a major brokerage, he left the audience with a simple guiding principle: optimists are successful because they refuse to let uncertainty dictate their potential.