How Ryan Kanfer Brings a Modern Edge to Real Estate

This week, we shine the spotlight on Ryan Kanfer, a Newly Recruited Rising Star in our West Side office. Known for blending technology, and sharp market insight, Ryan has built a reputation as an AI-forward agent redefining the modern brokerage experience. As he builds his business at Brown Harris Stevens, Ryan shares what drew him to the firm, how AI is reshaping the role of today’s agent, and the philosophy that sets him apart in New York City’s competitive market. We also discuss his outlook for Manhattan’s Spring season, the evolving industry landscape, his favorite neighborhood eatery, and much more.

You were previously at Corcoran. What is it about Brown Harris Stevens that feels different?

My entire career I worked on teams and learned from people who shaped how I think, not just how I sell — Bryce Pennel and Fiora Aston in Los Angeles, then Frances Katzen and Ryan Kaplan here in New York. They all had a strong hand in who I am as an agent and as a person.

At this stage, I wanted to build something intentional as a solo agent. BHS gives me the space to do that without forcing me into a template. It’s a place where judgment, taste, and credibility still matter and they inform the brand I have always wanted to create for myself.

What are your thoughts on the consolidation happening in our industry?

Consolidation makes sense because brokerage brands and technology have become baseline. Clients don’t choose brokerages anymore, they choose people. We’re in an AI era where access, tools, and platforms are no longer differentiators. What matters now is the individual agent’s value add and, more importantly, how they guide clients through complexity. Not louder. Not flashier. Just genuine alignment with the people they serve.

What truly separates you from the other 16,000 agents in NYC?

My background is in entertainment. I was a professional dancer and a professional video editor, which gave me an instinct for audience, timing, and memory long before real estate. Listings and data are baseline. I bring life and taste by showing how an apartment is actually lived in. I approach product as narrative. Dressing an apartment isn’t different from dressing yourself. When you add motion and story, people remember.

I’m not an agent who “uses AI.” I work in conversation with it — translating taste, judgment, and timing into something intentional, repeatable, and human.

Favorite dining spot in Manhattan. What are you ordering?

Fresh&Co across the street from my apartment. I’m there almost every morning, talking with the women who work there. A shot of turmeric, americano, blueberry muffin, everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. Same order, good energy, part of my routine.

You’re known as an AI expert. What should agents know about AI that will actually help them?

AI works best when you treat it like a second brain, not a content machine. Our days are chaotic by nature, and AI becomes powerful when it helps you sift, organize, and decide, not just automate. I built my real estate playbook by discovering what AI could do as I was building it. Yes, it handles admin and output, but more importantly, I’ve trained it to think alongside me and ahead of me. When I have a showing, my AI brain is already preparing next steps, follow ups, and timing cues. When uncertainty disappears, you’re free to focus on judgment, presence, and knowing exactly when to act, which is where real value lives. 

What’s your forecast for the Manhattan Spring market?

Active but selective. Well priced, well presented apartments will move quickly. Aspirational pricing will sit. Buyers are informed, patient, and decisive when something makes sense. A lot of first time buyers who planned to move last year are ready to act now.

Share something few people know about you.

My first job after moving to LA was as the pool boy at the Hotel Bel Air. Every day felt like living inside a television show. It was a fascinating place to be at a formative time in my life. It taught me more about people, power, and quiet observation than any office ever could.

Share a photo from your camera roll that’s meaningful to you and tell us why.

Family is everything to me. This is a photo of my brother, my sister, and my sister-in-law at their wedding a few months ago.

Connect with Ryan at [email protected]