PROVIDENCE — Luxury firm Serhant Real Estate, which is owned by the star of Netflix reality show “Owning Manhattan,” is expanding into Newport.
Founder Ryan Serhant, who grew up in Topsfield, Massachusetts, told HousingWire the move will be the largest single brokerage entry in the market to date.
“What I love about Rhode Island is that it has so many different markets within it — where it’s about luxury, but it’s also about lifestyle,” Serhant told the outlet.
A spokesperson for the firm could not be immediately reached by the Globe for comment.
“Owning Manhattan” follows Serhant and his team of agents as they work in New York City’s luxury real estate market. He was previously on the television show “Million Dollar Listing New York.”
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Aside from Rhode Island, Serhant has offices in 12 other states. The firm entering Rhode Island, which will officially open Oct. 6, will be led by Deborah Hauser and five founding agents, who closed about $550 million in sales volume in the last year.
In addition to Hauser, the firm’s founders include Dina Karousos, formerly of Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty; Devin Sheehan, who previously worked with RE/MAX; and Caroline Richards, Tammy Bass, and Hillary Olinger, who all worked for Hogan Associates/Christie’s International Real Estate.
Serhant said his firm has agents across the East Coast who have a lot of clientsin Rhode Island or have vacation homes in Rhode Island.
“Rhode Island as a state is is small in size, but I think it’s massive in opportunity. We don’t just chase the volume as a firm, especially not in head count,” he told HousingWire.
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Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.