EXCLUSIVE: Serhant Investor Opens Up About $45 Million Deal—as Star Broker Shares Behind-the-Scenes Details on Her ‘Owning Manhattan’ Cameo

An investor who partnered with Ryan Serhant’s eponymous powerhouse brokerage has shared the story behind getting the star broker to work with investors—while a competing agent opened up about her own cameo on "Owning Manhattan."

Jeffrey Berman, a partner at Camber Creek, which is a venture capital firm that invests in real estate technology innovation, made a surprise appearance in Season 2 of Netflix’s "Owning Manhattan."

On the hit real estate show, Berman is seen trying to persuade Serhant to collaborate with investors, despite his initial hesitations. While the season finale left viewers with Ryan weighing Berman’s $45 million offer, it has since been confirmed that the star broker ultimately accepted.

Speaking exclusively to Realtor.com®, Berman shared details that didn’t make it to the screen, including how much of Serhant Camber Creek now owns.

"So we were doing diligence on another company, and this company, their No. 1 client was Serhant. I had heard of him, but I had never watched any of the TV shows. Reality TV is not really my thing.

"We have a conversation with Ryan, and it was immediately clear to me that this guy was an absolute rock star. I thought to myself, 'Wow, I want to invest with this person,'" he revealed.

Berman then convinced Serhant to schedule another meeting with him and learn more about the firm's practices.

"We spent the next year-plus getting to know each other, because Ryan had been approached by a number of private equity firms that were thinking about investing in with him, but we were willing to think a little bit out of the box as far as an investment went," he added, noting that Ryan "didn't need it."

While Berman confirmed that Camber Creek owns a meaningful stake in Serhant, he declined to share specific numbers.

He also reassured fans that he has no influence over the show’s content, emphasizing that Netflix producers and Ryan have complete control over what appears on screen.

Berman's wasn't the only surprise appearance on the Netflix series. Michelle Griffith, a broker at Douglas Elliman, also made a cameo on "Owning Manhattan."

Griffith was seen having a drink with star agent Jordan March, who questioned her about her thoughts at Elliman after his on-screen tension with Ryan.

Although Griffith was approached by Ryan to appear in the series, Griffith admitted that she had no idea how the conversation between her and March would unfold, adding that the producers were the ones who requested she film the scene.

"Producers had asked me if I would film a scene with Jordan, and to be honest, I had no idea what he was going to ask me. I didn't know he was going to ask me about my thoughts at Elliman.

"I've always known that Jordan and Ryan were very, very close, and they had a great relationship. So, I wasn't privy to a lot of this information. I did find it interesting that Jordan was not in Miami when I saw that they were all going to Miami.

"Jordan had never really opened up to me about what was going on. So, when he first started to ask me questions about other firms, and specifically ... Douglas Elliman, I was surprised," she explained.

Although Griffith was overjoyed to appear on the show, she admitted that reality TV may "glamorize" the industry, which is "really difficult."

"Watching the show can glamorize New York, and I think it can glamorize the industry. If more people can find that real estate is their passion, I think that that's a very positive thing. But the reality is, it is very, very difficult," she said.

'Owning Manhattan' Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.