Real-estate salesperson Jonathan Normolle appeared in Netflix's Owning Manhattan and walked away from the show as the subject of controversy.
Owning Manhattan starred Bravo real-estate familiar face Ryan Serhant and several new faces to the industry as they made major real-estate deals.
Particularly given the show's focus on real people, fans may be interested to learn more about Normolle outside of Owning Manhattan and to see how he has fared since being fired at the end of the season.
Who Is Jonathan Normolle? Biography Details
Jonathan Normolle Is an Actual Real-Estate Salesperson
Jonathan Normolle can actually currently be hired as a real-estate salesperson.
He works for a company called Highline Residential and runs the Next Gen Team, which is comprised of seven other people.
Normolle's team currently has several active listings across New York City, including in DUMBO, Park Slope, the Meatpacking District, Midtown West, and the Lower East Side.
He is profusely praised in testimonials from clients on his website for traits like "his expertise and dedication," as noted by Sara Pettinella:
Sara Pettinella: "Jonathan Normolle from Highline Residential exceeded all our expectations as first-time homebuyers. His expertise and dedication made the process smooth and stress-free. He went above and beyond to find us the perfect home, and his guidance was invaluable. He still cares about us, and provides us with crucial advice and friendly support. We can't recommend him highly enough!"
Stine Wicks reflected on his "professional and attentive help in the real estate market" in her review of his work:
Stine Wicks: "I had the pleasure of working with Jonathan, as I was looking for an apartment for my daughter and her two roommates. Being out of state created an extra challenge, but with Jonathan’s help and willingness to go the extra mile the process became smooth and simple. Jonathan answers messages quickly and at all hours of the day. Would recommend him to anyone looking for professional and attentive help in the real estate market."
Normolle Is Also a Model
Represented by Elite Models, Normolle has a large modeling portfolio.
He has been photographed for Prestige Magazine Iran and Gmaro Magazine, among others.
In most of his professional shots, Normolle can be seen in poses and outfits that accentuate his neck and arm tattoos.
More of his modeling can be found on his Instagram, including when he posed on the red carpet for Owning Manhattan, in a collision of his real-estate and modeling worlds.
Before Being Fired, Normolle Was Considered a Major Up-And-Comer
In the build-up to Owning Manhattan, Normolle seemed to be primed as a new major player in the real-estate business.
Owning Manhattan host Serhant told the LA Times that he "saw something in [Normolle] that [he] also saw in [himself]," being a fellow "fish out of water."
He said that Normolle could have sold himself to clients as "the face of the next generation," which would help him "have the biggest career ever:"
"I give Jonathan a lot of credit. I saw something in him that I also saw in me. I’m not tattooed on my my head, but a little bit of a fish out of water. I had a dream in my head: 'Dude, here’s what you should do — people are gonna look at you and they’re gonna judge a book by its cover. You have seconds to change people’s minds. You sell something big, you show them you’re a great, great person who’s also fun and awesome and cool and the face of the next generation, you are gonna have the biggest career ever. Or you could blow it all up.'"
Despite Serhant giving Normolle "credit for being his authentic self," he ultimately called the younger man "probably [his] biggest disappointment:"
"And so it was probably my biggest disappointment. But I give him credit for being his authentic self."
Normolle Claims He Got Fired on Purpose
Near the release of Owning Manhattan, Normolle told the Daily Mail that he purposefully got fired by Serhant at the end of the season.
He explained to the Daily Mail that he was asked three times to come on the show, and after the third decided it could help "open [him] up to the world:"
"Ryan reached out to me twice ... I said no, twice. Every time he called there was a little more incentive ... [By the third time] I thought it was a great opportunity for me to get my foot in the door and open up me to the world."
According to what he told the Daily Mail, partway through his contract, he changed his mind, but the only way to get out of that contract was to be fired. So, he alleges he purposefully antagonized Serhant:
"'The only way I could get out of those contracts was if I got Ryan mad enough for him to fire me ... And the only way I could do that is by saying all these things like; Ryan had done nothing when he was my age, whereas I have been on Forbes under 30 ... I made my first $100 million my first year in real estate. I was on the cover of Downtown Magazine, I was Rookie of the Year and I won most influential broker at Broker of the Year Awards ... I went in on Ryan with all these things and he got upset enough to fire me on TV - and instantly these contracts were completely void."
Normolle also said that since getting fired, Serhant has asked him back multiple times. However, this contradicts much of what Serhant has said in interviews like the aforementioned conversation with the LA Times.
Normolle added on his Instagram that he "morally cannot stand" the allegedly false story shown on TV:
"Believe what's real, Otherwise, you are being guided by something that doesn't exist. Not only is that something I and my team is trying to change, but it's also something I morally cannot stand."
Where to Find Jonathan Normolle on Social Media
Fans can find Jonathan Normolle on Instagram @jonathannormolle.
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Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
