'I love real estate reality TV shows. I've just discovered the best one on Netflix.'

Let's just get one thing straight: I have spent enough time watching beautiful, wealthy people awkwardly pretend to hate each other in houses they don't actually sell. Selling Sunset? It was great, until it wasn't. The show became less about closing a multi-million-dollar deal and actual high-stakes drama and more about staged arguments and censored moments. 

I'm tired. I need substance. I need actual workplace tension.

Which is why I am declaring that the only property show worth your time right now is Owning Manhattan, Season 2. Forget the West Coast sunshine and passive-aggressive glances. We are in New York, baby, and the stakes are real. It's everything that other show should be, but just isn't.

Watch: The trailer for Owning Manhattan season 2. Article continues after video.

Call me old-fashioned, but when it comes to real estate reality TV, I'm a sucker for the actual, well… real estate.

Give me the penthouse, give me the dizzying views of Central Park, I'll take it. And what Owning Manhattan does that others fail at, is balancing the opulence with the absolute grind of the Manhattan market. The drama here isn't manufactured; it's a direct result of the insane stress of selling a multimillion dollar apartment.

The agents on Ryan Serhant's team are competing, sure, but their conflict is rooted in the fear of losing a listing or the pressure of a deadline. It's grounded in real business, with a sprinkling of petty drama we're all here for. It shows you enough of their personal lives to make them interesting and relatable, but the core is always, always about the real estate.

Now, don't get me wrong, the drama is plentiful. We've got screaming matches in the office, we've got palpable tension, distinct factions within the brokerage, and we see friendships tested to their absolute limits as agents compete for supremacy. The interpersonal heat is high, but the difference is that it all feels entirely justified. 

Image: Netflix

This isn't just people sipping champagne and going to lunch (though we love this on occasion). This is a real brokerage with real consequences. When an agent misses a closing, or when a deal falls apart, you can actually see the financial and professional impact ripple through the office. They're dealing with demanding clients, market fluctuations, and the brutal reality of commission-based work.

But the truth is, there's one big reason why this show works where Selling Sunset no longer does: Ryan Serhant.

In a world where we've become accustomed to watching the Oppenheim brothers — who, let's be honest, seem to spend their days sharing exactly nothing, resolving exactly zero issues, and generally just shrugging when the office implodes — Ryan Serhant is a goddamn revelation.

He is not just a figurehead. He is the heart of the business, and he shows up. You see him hustling and actually selling things himself — imagine that! He sets clear boundaries with his employees, and takes the time to resolve workplace drama like a competent boss who values his company's culture. He actively pushes them his employees to grow. He's the kind of boss you'd actually work hard for.

Image: Netflix

But the most compelling part of season 2 is his vulnerability. This whole season has a massive arc around his personal dilemma: how do you balance growing a massive, global real estate empire with spending time with your family?

It's a relatable, brutal challenge, and he doesn't shy away from it. There's a scene where Ryan legitimately breaks down in tears over the difficulty of running a business and being a present father, and you know what? It feels real. 

That sincerity is what sells it. We are so sick of seeing beautiful people who are perfect and untouchable. Give me the real estate, give me the money, but for the love of God, give me the genuine emotion of a man who is actually invested in his business, his people, and his life.

As a real estate reality show fiend myself, I promise you, Owning Manhattan season 2 delivers. Go watch it.

Feature Image: Netflix.