For this week’s edition, I want to take a look at Ryan Serhant. If you don’t know him, he’s a NYC based real estate broker turned media mogul. Check out one of his recent videos:

Ryan Serhant

Real Estate Rapid Fires

♬ Make It Better (Instrumental) - Anderson .Paak

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For the past few years he's been building a media empire, and here's what I find working in some of his content:

Turns "work" into content

One of the reasons "behind the scenes" content works, is because 99.9% of people never get to see or experience what you're doing. Whether that's working an oil rig, selling real estate, or working in a marketing department at a Fortune 500. The day to day seems mundane to you and your team, but your job can in-fact be incredibly interesting to most viewers, and why I always encourage posting "the boring stuff."

Here Ryan took the otherwise boring "day-to-day" and turned it into a skit.

It quickly shows the viewer what he does in a way that’s easy to follow and fun to watch.

Watching him interview candidates, negotiate with buyers, or approve event budgets isn't exciting on it's own, but when he runs through it in this rapid-fire format, it gives us a surprisingly engaging look at what a typical day looks like.

Breaks character

At the end of the video, Ryan and his team break character when they can’t stop laughing. It’s a small moment, but it adds warmth and personality. He’s not a robot or a stiff corporate actor. He’s a real person, surrounded by a team that clearly enjoys working with him. That makes you like him, and more importantly, want to work with him.

An important point here: Serhant frequently sells listings north of $20mm. Most selling at this price-point to a HNWI audience would shy away from any content that seems too "fun" or unpolished — a reminder that even if you're a "luxury" brand, you can also find ways to make this kind of low-fi, personable content.

So what's the takeaway for brands and creators?

1. Format beats topic - You don’t need a sexy industry to make great content, you just need a format that makes it feel alive. Ryan turned standard real estate tasks into engaging, skit-style videos with energy and humor. The how matters more than the what.
2. Polished doesn’t mean perfect - Audiences love content that looks good and feels real. Ryan mixes crisp visuals with BTS slip-ups, giving the video polish without losing personality. Show the lighting rigs. Keep the bloopers. People want to see the seams. If he can sell $50M homes posting outtakes you can too.

Thanks for reading. Send me any videos that catch your attention, and if you have any thoughts on this newsletter, please share!

Ashwinn