Marketing genius Jade Shenker knows how to make commercial real estate fun and sexy. In Netflix’s Owning Manhattan — which follows Ryan Serhant‘s staff of real estate agents — she not only directed and starred in a music video that took place at one of her listings, but she also hung notorious con artist Anna Delvey‘s artwork in a Hell’s Kitchen building she was trying to sell.

Delvey, as we all know, was the subject of the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, which documents how she was able to swindle hundreds of thousands of dollars out of New York City’s elite by pretending to be a German heiress. Delvey was ultimately convicted in 2019 on grand larceny and other charges and while she has since completed her prison sentence, she is currently on house arrest for overstaying her visa. Still, she was granted special permission by ICE to compete on Dancing with the Stars, which aired its Season 33 premiere last week.

“She’s so good,” Shenker told DECIDER when she visited our studio, noting that she immediately texted Delvey to congratulate her on her performance.

“I was like, ‘Okay, to be on house arrest so long? That’s crazy.’ To get out and just fucking hit the ground running with dancing and all this stuff? I’m like, ‘You go girl. And you bedazzled your bracelet?'” Shenker continued. “I feel like more people are going to wear a bedazzled ankle bracelet. She’s going to start that trend.”

Shenker, who closed $42 million in deals last week alone, also dished on Owning Manhattan’s Season 2 renewal — which comes as no surprise to fans of the show.

“We started filming and things are great,” she said, teasing that we’ll see a different side of her now that she’s dating again in light of her divorce. “You guys will probably see some dating on the show because I’m dating in real life, so if the cameras are there.”

We sat down with Shenker to talk all things Owning Manhattan, including her “hot and cold” friendship with co-star Chloe Tucker Caine and which celebrity she’s currently working with. Check out the full interview below.

First of all, congratulations on the Season 2 renewal! What was your reaction to finding out the exciting news?

As soon as Ryan ever texts, only because he’s always messaging about business stuff, I feel like I have a ding in my forehead. So I was like, “OK, Ryan texted in a group chat.” And he was like, “Is everyone up?” And he FaceTimed us. I had no makeup on. It was wild. I think we were all on edge. This was the first time we’ve been on reality TV. None of us really know this — like, we know real estate. And now we know cameras are in front of us. So we’re doing the whole thing. It was kind of a sigh. We were like, “Thank goodness.” The feedback was really good, because you never know. I’ve never worked with Netflix. I love them. I also was like, “I need to eat a burger now, because diet starts next week!”

I know you guys recently started filming. How’s it going so far?

We started filming and things are great. I think we’re just test shooting right now. There’s a process so we’re really early on. I think it’s gonna be good. I feel like life has changed so much for all of us, so it’ll be interesting for the cameras to pick up on that. 

You are no doubt a marketing genius. Last season we saw you record a music video in one of your listings. Will we get to see more extravagant selling strategies in Season 2?

The reason I am very different from a lot of commercial agents is I’m very niche to the property. Right now, we’re selling a church. There’s someone going through hardship so one of the things we’re doing —  it’s not necessarily selling strategy —  but I’m going to be donating a portion of my commission to help a family. I’m always trying to figure out how to get the word out on something, whether it’s PR or a music video, where I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, is Ryan going to fire me?” I’m always trying to come up with different ways to market something.

I’m already doing it, so if the cameras capture it, that’d be cool. If not, I post a lot on my Instagram, so I’m sure people could tune along.

I’m sure a lot of other agents are getting ideas from watching you.

I saw someone is actually do a music video. Someone sent it to me and they’re like, “You’re starting a trend.” I was like, “OK. I love it.” Even when I did it, I didn’t want to be in the music video originally. I just wanted to direct it. And then everyone was like, “No, Jade. You need to do it.” And I was like, “Ok, twist my arm.”

At the end of the season, it’s revealed that you did ultimately file for divorce from your husband. Will we get to see you dating in Season 2? 

So I am dating. This is the first time I’ve been single since I was 19. So, dating apps? This is the first time I’ve been on it. I’m a very organized person. Dating in this world, there are so many guys with the same name. I think it’s really fun. My one rule is to not try to date anyone in my industry. So short answer long, you guys will probably see some dating on the show because I’m dating in real life, so if the cameras are there.

You super candidly opened up about your ex’s affair in Season 1. What was it like for you to be so vulnerable while filming? Have you heard from other women who’ve been through something similar? 

I found out a couple of months before, and I didn’t know if I was going to say it on camera. I remember Ryan texted me. He was like, “Hey, show’s on. We’re gonna have a celebratory dinner.” And I kind of was like, “Oh, shit. Everything’s happening.” Everything happened to my world. I remember calling Ryan and I was like, “Hey, so I have something to tell you.” And I told him. He was like, “I was not expecting that.” He told me, “Look, you don’t have to say anything on camera that you’re not comfortable with. But the more honest you could be, the more people you touch.”

The hard part for me was that I was going through it in real time. I was making those decisions and as somebody who was on reality TV for the first time, there were so many emotions. The fights are real. Everything is real. It was definitely hard, but it almost forced me to be like, “Alright, well I have to get through this because it’s not just me. I’m in front of the whole world now.” I had to be a representation for women who have gone through this. The response has been really good. I think people like seeing that I’m very open with my dating on TikTok with storytimes and giving guys nicknames. I have a little PowerPoint where I keep all my dates organized. That’s a big thing for me. If I’m going to go through pain, at least there’s a purpose to it.

Well, i’s so nice to see you so happy now!

I love my engagement ring but I was like, what does it symbolize? I actually just got it remade and I added my own little diamond because I was like, “You know what? He can buy me a diamond, but I can get my own diamond, too.”

Even for our premiere party, I took my wedding dress and gave it to my stylist and I was like, “OK, let’s make this into something.” It was kind of what I did for the show. I took this terrible experience and I was like, “OK, how do we recreate this for a new life and make it cool and edgy?” It was just wasted in my closet. I’m big on recreating stuff and creating a new story.

It’s no secret that you and Chloe hit a rough patch while filming Season 1. While we see you make up in the show, it seems like there was some unresolved beef on Watch What Happens Live when you hinted that she accused you of lying about your marital issues. What was that about?

She made a video on TikTok a couple of days before we went on Watch What Happens Live. Chloe and I have always been hot and cold. I’m an only child, so I don’t know what having a sister is like. It’s definitely hard because you have so much love for someone, but because of that there are definitely things from both of our sides that are triggers. I hate conflict. I’m very chill. I think that she is very fiery. Sometimes, when those two personalities clash, it’s hard. She went on TikTok. I think she was getting a lot of responses after the show aired and it sucked.

Whenever we went to Watch What Happens Live, that was the first time we saw each other since her TikTok video, where she did say at the time she thought I was lying about it. I wasn’t wearing my engagement ring months before. My friends knew. I texted my friends before the show was even greenlit. I was like, “Hey, I need space. Nothing on you guys. I just need my time.” I was like, “You kind of knew. It was kind of obvious that something was going on.”

Whenever I saw her at Watch What Happens Live, it was the moment when we realized, “Hey, this is stupid.” I would say we’re on and off, but in the end, I do love her. I have love and empathy for everyone for whatever they’re going through.

She did tell us that she would trust you the most to watch Charley.

I would take Charley shopping. She probably shouldn’t trust me with Charley because she would get home, and her apartment would be filled with clothes. She didn’t accept the gift because we were fighting at the time but I told her I was going to buy Charley her first pair of heels, and I still have them in my apartment.

Jordan March previously teased that he’s working with some celebrity clients and said that he even sent the Central Park Tower listing to Jay-Z and Beyonce. Are you currently working with any big names you can share? Or have you worked with any celebs in the past?

New York is small. I grew up in Miami for a good portion of my life and that’s really small, too. Once you know different managers and different clients, it’s kind of the people that they trust. As far as names I can say, I’m good friends with a client of mine, Shameik Moore. I’ve worked with him for about five years. I always rent out everything for his assistants. I think he’s working on Spider-Man 2 or something now. Other than that, a couple different celebrities, but no one that I would want to out. 

You famously hung Anna Delvey’s artwork in your Hells’ Kitchen building. How do you think she’s going to do on Dancing With The Stars? 

Oh, my God. Wait. She’s so good. I texted her and I was like, “Girl, yeah. No. 1, congratulations.” I don’t know people’s stories. I am barely on social media. I don’t know whatever you went through. I’ve been to her house a couple times, like, whatever. Whenever I saw that, I was like, “Okay, to be on house arrest so long? That’s crazy.” To get out and just fucking hit the ground running with dancing and all this stuff, I’m like, “You go girl. And you bedazzled your bracelet?” I feel like more people are going to wear a bedazzled ankle bracelet. She’s going to start that trend.

What can you tease about what’s to come in Season 2?

I think dating will be really interesting. I think dating in New York is the most amazing thing. I always say men are my favorite sport. I think that’s really fun. People get to see that side of me. You guys saw me at such a rough moment. I cried so much. I’m totally a Pisces.

And then, the deals. This week, I brought in close to $42 million in listings. It’s so awesome because the team is all women. I interview men and women, but the fact that we’re a very strong, mostly-female team is really cool. We work late at night in the office, and I’m texting Ryan like, “Ryan, can I have an all-access card key?” I’m ordering pizza. It’s really awesome.

One of the things on the show you don’t see is the hustle. I barely sleep. I’m not the poster child for work-life balance. You see the cool stuff, the fur coats, all of these things. But you don’t see the hard work, the tears— things with someone who’s successful. You kind of only see someone fail.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Owning Manhattan is currently streaming on Netflix.