W
hen Ryan Serhant, the silver-haired reality TV realtor, left Nest Seekers in 2020 to start his own firm, he had a unique vision. "I built a production studio first," he says. "We need to be a media company that sells real estate." Serhant is part of a growing group of agents turning their social media feeds into modern-day New York Times real estate sections.

    These brokers are becoming gatekeepers for one-percent home buyers, but they're also attracting millions of strivers who want to peek inside Park Avenue's limestone façades. Some even buy properties after seeing them online. "I've had many buyers say, 'I saw your profile on Instagram. I'd like to learn more about you,'" says luxe broker Michelle Griffith.

    Griffith notes that Instagram tours put properties in front of other brokers, who can flag apartments for their clients. This is a flipped sales strategy from the traditional approach of secrecy and mystery. "It was very exclusive," recalls Griffith. "Hard to get information."

    Certain buildings, like River House and the Dakota, pride themselves on seclusion. But many tony co-ops are now being showcased online. Short-form video's explosion has created a rush of MTV Cribs-style videos on Fifth Avenue. For ambitious brokers, majestic New York pads double as content studios.

    Agent Anthony Park is trying to be the tour guide for point-one-percenters' homes. He amassed over a million followers across Instagram and TikTok, but his goal wasn't to drive real estate business – it was to travel the world and get free food and travel. Today, he tours some of the most expensive properties in New York City, including penthouses at Hudson Yards and Tribeca.

    However, not every on-the-market penthouse wants to be TikTok-famous. Some prefer the old-fashioned way: listing with a traditional brokerage like Brown Harris Stevens and quietly spreading word about their property. "It's really up to the individual owner," Serhant says. "Oftentimes, you'll take security into account."

    There's no one-size-fits-all approach to transforming into the MrBeast of realty. Co-op rules can make it less appealing for brokers to record videos. "It's a strategic play," says Griffith. "If you're looking at a co-op on Park Avenue where you have to be living there full-time, you can't be living there as a pied-à-terre."

    Unlike Park, Serhant says his social media posts are mostly his own listings. He built his brand in the 2010s reality TV world, when shows about real estate brokers were their own sub-genre. Today, ambitious brokers are taking a page out of the influencer playbook: it's not just about the product, but who you are and your branding.