From assistant to agent: Jordan Hurt finds growth and redemption in ‘Owning Manhattan’
Through two seasons of the Netflix hit show “Owning Manhattan,” Jordan Hurt has enjoyed perhaps the most dramatic career rise of any cast member, blossoming from an executive assistant into a standalone real estate agent selling luxury residences in some of New York City’s most coveted buildings. That career jump was so pivotal that it … Read More
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Through two seasons of the Netflix hit show “Owning Manhattan,” Jordan Hurt has enjoyed perhaps the most dramatic career rise of any cast member, blossoming from an executive assistant into a standalone real estate agent selling luxury residences in some of New York City’s most coveted buildings.
That career jump was so pivotal that it became something of a subplot in the show, which focuses on Ryan Serhant’s growing real estate brokerage, known as SERHANT. But for Hurt — the show's only out gay cast member — it was just one chapter in a much longer journey to success that originated hundreds of miles west of New York City.
Fifteen years ago, Hurt, then 22, boarded an overnight train from his home state of Ohio and traveled to New York City with little to his name: He had no job lined up, no college education, and $1,500 in his pocket.
Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Hurt made his way to Williamsburg, shared a futon bed with someone for three months, and managed to secure a job as a bellman at a luxury hotel in Tribeca, where his duties included hailing cabs for guests and moving luggage. Soon enough, he worked his way up to a hospitality management position.
“I realized that my favorite part of that role was upselling guests, [offering] different room categories, or talking about different layouts and needs,” Hurt said in a recent interview with Gay City News at 75 Wall Street, one of the buildings featured on the show. “That whole conversation really intrigued me, so I felt like the only logical next step would be to get into real estate.”
Once he dipped his toes into the real estate world, Hurt immersed himself. He met Ryan Serhant and went on to serve as his executive assistant for over five years. But, as Hurt mentions on the show, he only wanted to work in that capacity for a limited time before taking his own shot at becoming a real estate agent.
"If you ask [Serhant], I would still be his assistant," Hurt said. "I absorbed as much knowledge as I could from that experience and from him, while also getting a salary, which is helpful because this role as an independent contractor and real estate agent is solely commission, so it's pretty cutthroat. That's how I got to where I am now. I worked hard. I sold myself. I put in the time and effort, and now I'm on a show on Netflix, which is crazy."
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Jordan Hurt's career has blossomed since he moved to New York City from Ohio 15 years ago.Carl Timpone[/caption]
Hurt landed the role on "Owning Manhattan" after Serhant called him about five years ago and said he was in discussions about a new show. One of the most challenging parts about taking part in the show, Hurt said, was waiting.
"We interviewed with different networks," Hurt said. "We got a green light from Netflix, but then we waited a year, and then we shot a pilot, and then we waited another year, and then we started filming, and then we wrapped filming... It has been stop, go, green light, red light, pause, shopping different networks, casting different people."
Between waiting and filming, Hurt experienced his share of highs and lows as he settled into the real-life world of real estate. Early on, Hurt struggled to finalize deals at 15 West 96th Street, prompting the location’s developers to give Serhant an ultimatum: Either Hurt had to be be pulled off the project or Serhant would lose it entirely. A subsequent scene showed Serhant informing Hurt that he was being removed from the project — a major missed opportunity for the aspiring real estate agent’s budding career.
“It starts out a little rocky for me,” Hurt told Gay City News. “It's like this full circle moment. There's a redemption component to it because then I come down here and I sell two penthouses in this building,” totaling $6 million.
“So it was like a bit of a roller coaster, but then it ends with them all getting fired off 96th Street anyway,” Hurt added. “So it's kind of like a ‘I told you so’ moment.”
In the second season, Hurt also carved out his own niche as an out real estate agent. At one point, the cameras captured a meeting between Serhant, Hurt, and others as they prepared for a trip to Miami in a bid to strike deals there. In no uncertain terms, Serhant implied that Hurt had an opportunity to target LGBTQ clients.
“Yeah, he said, ‘You know, you have access to a certain demographic,’ and I was like, dot, dot, dot, the gays?" Hurt said. "Like, is that what you're talking about? Because that's what I'm thinking about. And I think that that's true. I think that being the only LGBTQ+ person on the cast, that's super important to me. Representation matters, and I think that, yes, a lot of my clientele is LGBTQ+, and I think going down to Miami, there is a big demographic of people that we're talking about: the wealthy gays. So yeah, I was happy to represent.”
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The second season of "Owning Manhattan" came out in early December.Isaiah Gill[/caption]
Beyond his career, however, Hurt’s personal life also came to light in the second season. During a particularly vulnerable scene at the end of the second season, Serhant broke down with emotion as he became overwhelmed by the weight of his career — and nonstop work ethic — during a conversation with Hurt. As tears began to flow, Hurt also opened up about his own personal journey, pointing to his sobriety and struggles with alcohol.
“In that scene, [Serhant] is showing vulnerability to the exhaustion of it all — and that it's catching up with him and he's like, ‘I can't stop. There's so much opportunity.’ And then that's where I was like, ‘Well, that sounds exactly like what I used to say with like my drinking days.' There's always going to be something or some reason not to stop or quit or take a moment. There's always going be a Christmas or a birthday party that you have planned that you're like, 'Well, I can't stop drinking today because I'm going be with my family next week and I need to get plastered off boxed red wine."
He added: "It's your call to put your foot down and be like, 'All right, this stops right here, right now.' I think that [Serhant] just knew that he could trust me and be emotional, and that I was going to be there to listen and support, not judge, and try to give a little friendly, helpful advice."
Hurt is appreciative that his sobriety has been well-received by viewers, many of whom have reached out to him directly.
“[Sharing my story] wasn't for me,” Hurt said. “It was for other people. It was for viewers to feel something from that. And know that there's hope. If you are struggling with anything, there is help, there's a way through.”
Heading into 2026, Hurt is continuing to develop his real estate career — he talked to Gay City News between showings on a busy weekday — but he also has other plans in the works.
“I am in the process of launching another business," Hurt hinted. "It's a passion. It’s LGBTQ+-focused. I can’t say too much right now, but it’s something I’m super excited about, super proud of. I’m working on that every day. And, as I said, that is for our community — and that’s all I can say for now.”
Jordan Hurt's career has blossomed since he moved to New York City from Ohio 15 years ago.Carl Timpone[/caption]
Hurt landed the role on "Owning Manhattan" after Serhant called him about five years ago and said he was in discussions about a new show. One of the most challenging parts about taking part in the show, Hurt said, was waiting.
"We interviewed with different networks," Hurt said. "We got a green light from Netflix, but then we waited a year, and then we shot a pilot, and then we waited another year, and then we started filming, and then we wrapped filming... It has been stop, go, green light, red light, pause, shopping different networks, casting different people."
Between waiting and filming, Hurt experienced his share of highs and lows as he settled into the real-life world of real estate. Early on, Hurt struggled to finalize deals at 15 West 96th Street, prompting the location’s developers to give Serhant an ultimatum: Either Hurt had to be be pulled off the project or Serhant would lose it entirely. A subsequent scene showed Serhant informing Hurt that he was being removed from the project — a major missed opportunity for the aspiring real estate agent’s budding career.
“It starts out a little rocky for me,” Hurt told Gay City News. “It's like this full circle moment. There's a redemption component to it because then I come down here and I sell two penthouses in this building,” totaling $6 million.
“So it was like a bit of a roller coaster, but then it ends with them all getting fired off 96th Street anyway,” Hurt added. “So it's kind of like a ‘I told you so’ moment.”
In the second season, Hurt also carved out his own niche as an out real estate agent. At one point, the cameras captured a meeting between Serhant, Hurt, and others as they prepared for a trip to Miami in a bid to strike deals there. In no uncertain terms, Serhant implied that Hurt had an opportunity to target LGBTQ clients.
“Yeah, he said, ‘You know, you have access to a certain demographic,’ and I was like, dot, dot, dot, the gays?" Hurt said. "Like, is that what you're talking about? Because that's what I'm thinking about. And I think that that's true. I think that being the only LGBTQ+ person on the cast, that's super important to me. Representation matters, and I think that, yes, a lot of my clientele is LGBTQ+, and I think going down to Miami, there is a big demographic of people that we're talking about: the wealthy gays. So yeah, I was happy to represent.”
[caption id="attachment_60704" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The second season of "Owning Manhattan" came out in early December.Isaiah Gill[/caption]
Beyond his career, however, Hurt’s personal life also came to light in the second season. During a particularly vulnerable scene at the end of the second season, Serhant broke down with emotion as he became overwhelmed by the weight of his career — and nonstop work ethic — during a conversation with Hurt. As tears began to flow, Hurt also opened up about his own personal journey, pointing to his sobriety and struggles with alcohol.
“In that scene, [Serhant] is showing vulnerability to the exhaustion of it all — and that it's catching up with him and he's like, ‘I can't stop. There's so much opportunity.’ And then that's where I was like, ‘Well, that sounds exactly like what I used to say with like my drinking days.' There's always going to be something or some reason not to stop or quit or take a moment. There's always going be a Christmas or a birthday party that you have planned that you're like, 'Well, I can't stop drinking today because I'm going be with my family next week and I need to get plastered off boxed red wine."
He added: "It's your call to put your foot down and be like, 'All right, this stops right here, right now.' I think that [Serhant] just knew that he could trust me and be emotional, and that I was going to be there to listen and support, not judge, and try to give a little friendly, helpful advice."
Hurt is appreciative that his sobriety has been well-received by viewers, many of whom have reached out to him directly.
“[Sharing my story] wasn't for me,” Hurt said. “It was for other people. It was for viewers to feel something from that. And know that there's hope. If you are struggling with anything, there is help, there's a way through.”
Heading into 2026, Hurt is continuing to develop his real estate career — he talked to Gay City News between showings on a busy weekday — but he also has other plans in the works.
“I am in the process of launching another business," Hurt hinted. "It's a passion. It’s LGBTQ+-focused. I can’t say too much right now, but it’s something I’m super excited about, super proud of. I’m working on that every day. And, as I said, that is for our community — and that’s all I can say for now.” 
