In New York City’s luxury real estate market, multimillion-dollar deals are inked every week, but the most coveted amenity isn’t a rooftop pool or a private elevator — it’s an in-unit washer and dryer.
“That is my big selling point,” Jessica Markowski, a luxury real estate agent for Serhant and star of Netflix’s "Owning Manhattan" told Homes.com in an interview. “That’s the one thing I think most people in New York City need.”
Season 2 of "Owning Manhattan," premiering Friday, follows real estate mogul Ryan Serhant — CEO of Serhant — and his team of agents as they take on New York City’s most expensive listings in their quest to become the top brokerage in the city.
'I got to see everything'
Among the agents featured this season is Markowski, who brings a unique perspective shaped by her Brooklyn roots. Markowski grew up in a multifamily home in Brooklyn, New York, that her family owned. And she witnessed firsthand the challenges and aspirations of city living.
Her parents, who worked blue-collar jobs after immigrating from Poland, prioritized homeownership as part of their American dream — a value that shaped Markowski’s appreciation for real estate from an early age.
With her father often on the road as a truck driver, her mother managed most of the upkeep, tackling repairs and improvements herself and hiring help when needed. Those early experiences taught Markowski what it takes to maintain a home — lessons that now inform her approach to helping clients find properties that fit their lifestyle.
“I got to see everything,” she recalled. “I would go to Home Depot with my mom, we would just be doing a lot of the work ourselves, or my mom rather, and she would outsource whenever she couldn’t do it herself. I always knew I was going to go down [the real estate] path. I just didn’t know when exactly.”
Markowski made her debut in Season 1 as the “new girl” at Serhant, navigating the high-pressure world of New York City luxury real estate. She faced skepticism from colleagues and found herself in the spotlight after a podcast controversy, where castmate Jonathan Normolle made disparaging remarks about fellow agents during an episode recorded with Markowski.
‘Owning Manhattan’ returns for Season 2
In the second season, Markowski is ready to show viewers a different side of her journey.
“Season 1 was harder on me in the sense of being the new girl at the company, people questioning my competency — and the podcast obviously didn’t help at all," Markowski said.
This season, fans will see more than the high-end listings — they’ll get a look at the real process behind closing deals, including how Markowski navigated fiduciary duties while representing both sides in a transaction.
“I think what I’m most excited about Season 2 is that I was one of the first ones to sell a property and get it to the final close," she said. "I’m excited to actually watch how I managed to do a deal so quickly on the show.”
“It’s showing the actual process of it all, which, luckily, I got to really share on Season 2,” she added.
New York will never 'disappear,' she says
The luxury market isn’t just competing for buyers; it’s navigating a wave of political uncertainty. The recent New York City mayoral race brought speculation and questions concerning the real estate market.
“There was so much fear that New York was going to die, but that’s not the case," Markowski said. There are so many "contracts being signed.”
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, has made history as New York City’s youngest mayor since 1980 after defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The real estate community has been paying attention. Landlords, developers and tenants are wondering if rent hikes might finally hit pause. Mamdani’s platform included rent freezes, city–run grocery stores, free public buses and higher taxes on the wealthy.
“New York is still New York. It's hard to see it ever disappearing. People are building their careers here. It can’t just disappear,” Markowski said.
Still, according to Serhant data, the city's luxury market is cooling. For the week of Dec. 2, Manhattan experienced a 14% year-over-year decline in contracts on for-sale homes, while Long Island City posted a 36% drop in volume contracts.
In contrast, Brooklyn's contracts increased 7% during that period, highlighting its growing appeal among buyers seeking more space and value. Pricing also shifted: The most expensive contract closed at $23.29 million, compared to $54.5 million during the same week last year, and average new development pricing fell from $6.2 million to $4 million.
Despite these shifts, activity remains strong at the street level. “We’re just noticing with the amount of showings … I’m more active than ever,” Markowski said. “We’ve had a very busy week. I’ve been nonstop [showing properties] every single day.”