Raleigh native on Netflix’s ‘Owning Manhattan’ talks show drama, new real estate gig

After moving from North Carolina to New York, Raleigh real estate agent Savannah Gowarty is in the spotlight of one of Netflix’s newest reality TV series.

“Owning Manhattan,” which was filmed in 2023 and released in June, showcases an “look inside the glamorous, adrenaline-filled universe of high-stakes real estate in New York City” as a team of driven agents work for CEO Ryan Serhant to sell some of the priciest listings in the city.

Gowarty is one of the newer team members — and the only one from North Carolina — featured in the show.

She got a significant amount of screen time after one of her colleagues, Jonathan Nørmølle, spoke negatively about her on a company podcast and was ordered by Serhant to apologize. It didn’t go well.

Viewers of the show (spoiler alert) already know that Gowarty left Serhant at the end of the season. But even at her new firm, Gowarty said she has gotten to work with Serhant to sell a few listings — including one from the former co-founder of Peloton.

“It was actually one of the most significant home sales in West Village history,” she told The News & Observer. “Even though I’m not with Serhant anymore, I’m still doing deals with Ryan, with our team.”

Gowarty talked with The News & Observer team to share more about the highs and lows of her experience on “Owning Manhattan,” and what viewers didn’t see of her time with the Serhant firm.

(Note: The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.)

N&O: What was your experience on the show like overall?

Savannah: Overall, I would say, the filming experience was extremely intimidating, and stressful, slightly traumatic. I definitely needed to explore therapy after because it’s such a mind game. You know, sometimes it’s real. Sometimes you can’t really trust anybody, you have to watch out for your own self. Besides that, it was very thrilling and exciting, and the more comfortable,I got filming and being with the cast, and the more our relationships bloomed, I ended up really enjoying it at the end.”

N&O: How did you get connected with Serhant? What made you want to get into real estate?

Savannah: So I originally wanted to get into the real estate industry because my parents planted the seed.

My dad has been in advertising and graphic design for developers before I was even born. … and my mom, she did banking for 10 years and then she ended up getting into sales with a new home builder about 20 plus years ago.

As far as getting on the show, when I moved to New York, it was my second week living here. I was at dinner with a friend and I got an Instagram message DM from Ryan Serhant. Initially, I thought he was hacked. I was like, ‘There’s no way this is for real. Can’t be,’ and so I went along with it, and he called me within two seconds. He goes, ‘Hey, Savannah, you know, I I’m working on this project. These producers would love to speak with you. Would you be up for it?’

And then a few months later, I ended up working at the company. I left my current position for the show and just because Ryan ... convinced me and so I took the risk. I took the leap and did it.”

N&O: Did you have any expectations going into the show?

Savannah: My expectations were that I was going to get more time with Ryan, and he promised that he would put me on a great team because when you’re first starting out in real estate, no matter where you are in the world, you need to be on a team.

I ended up finding this sweet, sweet girl, Taylor, who I worked with at Serhant — just me and her. I started her team, I did all of her marketing and I was pretty much a partner with her and we did very well together. A very strong team for about a year … and right before this show started shooting, she left for Douglas Elliman.

Once we started filming the show … they wanted to see someone really fresh, new to the city trying out for multiple teams. So for instance, there was a scene where I asked Jessica if I could work with her, and that was what I was told to say from the producers. They were like ‘Savannah ... we want to see you being naive and young and new to the industry and trying to join a team here.’

At the same time right before we started filming, I was also getting calls from other teams, other really top teams from other brokerages, i.e. Compass. … And that was the reason why I approached Ryan and said, ‘Hey, you know, I got another offer? Do you think you can match this? Because if not, I don’t know if I can continue to be here. Because I’m not getting what I need out of it.’ And that is why I ended up leaving in the end.

N&O: A big portion of what was shown of your experience on the show was the drama with Jess and Jonathan. When did things get so rocky between you and Jonathan?

Savannah: I had no relationship with Jonathan whatsoever. We would just pass each other by in the office. Before we started filming, Jessica and I were hanging out a lot as friends. She approached me and said, ‘Hey, for the show, I think it would be amazing if we were a duo together’ and I said, ‘Sure, that sounds like it’d be great for the show.’

We ended up meeting with production, like a week before we started filming, and it was me, Jessica and Jonathan … and she’s not really talking to me. She’s being really weird, like very standoffish and the producers are there, and I am seeing Jessica put on a show. I’m like, ‘Who is this person? Why is she sitting next to Jonathan?’ and then she goes, ‘Oh, yeah, like, we are the next gen team’ and I’m just totally taken aback, very confused, not sure what’s going on.

And so that was kind of the end of us, because I just lost trust. And shortly after, that’s when we shot the scene where we were having champagne, and that’s why it was kind of awkward and uncomfortable because the producers were like, ‘Yeah, like, you should, you know, ask her if you could join the team’ and I was like, ‘I don’t really want to because this is what happened between us.’

They cut out a lot for the show. I was telling her I think it’s best — and this is why Jonathan ended up hating me — I said, ‘I think because of your experience, you should find someone who has a lot more experience than you do, has been in the city a little bit longer, has a great network and is doing a lot of business and someone you can really learn from. And I don’t think that’s Jonathan. I don’t really know him. I get that you guys are friends, but I think what’s best for you, because this is what I’m trying to do too … you should find someone else.’ And so she ran and told Jonathan and then Jonathan was kind of like cyberbullying me.

The producers didn’t tell me that I was going to run into him [later when he came to apologize to her for trashing her on his podcast]. They gave me like an hour notice in the middle of my work day … and I ran over. I sit down and they said, ‘We can’t tell you who’s coming in the door, but just sit there … keep working and then low and behold, Jonathan rolls up and I’m like, ‘Lord have mercy’ — like give me a break. And I was just like, over him at that point.”

N&O: Looking back on everything that happened between the three of you — with the podcast and when he approached you with an apology — what are your thoughts now watching it back? Is there anything you would’ve done differently?

Savannah: I think the way, again, they cut out about 100-plus scenes, and there were a few scenes that I shot with Jessica and Jonathan after all of that went down, where I really spoke my mind. And they didn’t keep that in the show, because I think they wanted to portray me as a weak link out of the crew. And I wish that they kept that because I really, you know, stood my ground and spoke my thoughts in a very nice manner, to Jessica and Jonathan.

I handled it the best that I could. I think if anything, I would have tried to take it a little less seriously and have more fun with it.

N&O: What would you say were your biggest highs and lows from working at Serhant?

Savannah: I think I would have tried a little bit more and filmed more of my day to day to really show folks how hard I was working and how challenging it was to get my hair and my makeup, facials, nails, clothes, all of that done simultaneously. I don’t think anyone really, none of the cast members really touched on how difficult that was, to just constantly be prepared. I think that was my major low of filming — trying to fund the entire preparation. It was very time consuming, very financially straining … because I came here with nothing like absolutely nothing.”

And then my high, I would say it’s getting closer with Chloe. I love that girl. She’s just, she’s the best, she’s so fun and spunky and just such a big personality, and I think that’s why we complement each other so well as friends. And I think getting to grow my friendship with Chloe — and even Ryan, too — that was the best part about this experience. And gaining confidence in myself to speak my mind and become my own person because I’m still trying to figure out my identity and who I am as an adult.

N&O: What was the most important thing you learned working with Ryan?

Savannah: There’s so many things because every single time we would chat together, every single time I spent with Ryan, he would just say 5 to 10 things that were like life lessons. He’s a book. He just speaks as if you were reading one of his books., He really is that good. He always had words of wisdom to share with me every time we were together, so I did learn a lot.

N&O: You’ve already kind of touched on this and it was mentioned in the last episode that you moved on to work for another brokerage. Can you tell more about that?

Savannah: So the other thing Ryan told me is nothing is ever set in stone … So, Compass. I was actually very close, still am very close with the team, the Maggie Wu team, who was also on the show. She was one of the first agents that left out of the cast. … [Now] we are actually sharing the same floor at the Compass headquarters … and we get to, you know, hang out every day.

They’re super polished, very buttoned up, the optics of their business are so sharp and I haven’t really seen that with any other teams that I’ve explored previously. I mean, it really is a completely different ballgame. The way they conduct their business is very discreet, under the radar, most of our deals are done off market.

I really, really enjoy it and it does feel like a family, and that’s most important to me — working with people who are good, genuine people who feel like family … We align very well with our similar values and morals, and that’s most important to me. And I think that’s the biggest difference between here in North Carolina — in North Carolina, it’s easy to find nice people. Here, it’s not so much. They will stab you in the back if you give anyone the opportunity. So you really have to be strong and watch out because the business is fairly sharky.

N&O: Any chance you’ll bring your real estate career to Raleigh or any other part of North Carolina?

Savannah: I still have my North Carolina real estate license, and I would love referrals … I want to have my North Carolina license for forever. Do I see myself coming back home? Eventually yes, I do.

How to watch ‘Owning Manhattan’

The full season with all eight episodes of “Owning Manhattan” is available to stream on Netflix.