‘Owning Manhattan’ Star Peter Zaitzeff Opens the Doors to His NYC Loft Where He Unwinds When the Netflix Cameras Stop Rolling

“Owning Manhattan” star Peter Zaitzeff spends his days ushering clients through some of New York City’s most jaw-dropping properties and stepping in front of the camera for Netflix’s real estate drama.

But when the deals are done and filming wraps, the 41-year-old broker retreats to a different kind of luxury—his own thoughtfully designed downtown loft.

Zaitzeff joined powerhouse brokerage Serhant—and the cast of "Owning Manhattan"—just months before the show’s June 2024 debut, but he wasn't a cast member until Season 2, which aired in December 2025.

The series quickly won over fans with its glossy listings, multimillion-dollar negotiations, and the behind-the-scenes tension that comes with closing high-stakes deals in New York’s competitive market.

By Season 2, viewers watched the ambitious newcomer rack up a string of impressive listings, cementing his place among the firm’s top performers.

Yet off camera, Zaitzeff’s world looks far more intimate.

In an exclusive interview with Realtor.com®, the luxury broker opened the doors to his New York City loft for the latest installment of Celebrity Sanctuary—revealing a minimalist, art-filled retreat where he unwinds with his two sons, Jack and Walter, and pours his energy into the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation, which he co-founded to support Walter and other children living with the rare genetic disorder.

While he may specialize in multimillion-dollar properties, Zaitzeff’s proudest role unfolds at home. The meticulously curated space balances clean-lined design with deeply sentimental touches, reflecting both his disciplined aesthetic and his devotion to family.

At the heart of it all is the chef’s kitchen, where he often cooks for hours at a time while keeping an eye on his boys. “It’s my therapy,” he says.

I got the place around three years ago. The design, the location, the proximity to the kids’ schools—everything just clicked. I walked in and was like, this is the place I want to live.

A lot of changes. Just decorating things, bringing in my stuff. But not a lot of structural changes. There could be changes in the future—renovating, adding another bedroom, maybe an extra floor.

But right now, as is, it works perfectly for my family. And it’s a walk-up. My kids are 10 and 12, so they can manage the steps. If I had a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, that would be a different story.

It’s a very unique apartment. I think only like 1% of the population could move into something like this. Recently divorced, two kids, three bedrooms—it works. It works perfectly for me.

It’s a really awesome open-style loft, which I love. The layout makes the whole apartment feel bigger and brighter.

The bathroom design is super efficient. There’s a wall-mounted toilet, clean fixtures, stone finishes. Everything is Danish midcentury modern. I love it.

What’s really nice about the apartment is all the storage. I’m super OCD, so all my glassware and stemware is neatly tucked away. I don’t like clutter. Everything has its place. I keep knives and cooking tools in drawers. No knife block on the counter. Olive oils, balsamic vinegar—they all have a spot.

This is the kitchen. I cook for the kids most days—breakfast and dinner. I’ll cook for three hours. It’s my therapy. I can watch the kids while they play games or watch TV. That’s really nice.

All the appliances are Gaggenau from about 10 or 15 years ago. They still work perfectly. I always tell my developers, if you can use Gaggenau, use it. Their newer products are amazing too.

This big wine fridge is perfect. Lots of storage. All my cutlery is organized in drawers.

The fridge is a little empty right now—I haven’t had the kids for a few days—but everything has a place. You could tell Democrat or Republican by looking at the fridge back in COVID—it was a thing!

This lamp is by Lindsey Adelman. I love her lighting. It’s timeless. It’s on the floor for now because I didn’t have room, but it looks great.

This photograph is from the Met. It’s a Van Gogh painting. You’re not allowed to take pictures at the museum, but the photographer got a perfect shot with no one there. We blew it up and framed it in museum glass. It’s been in my family a long time.

My bedroom doesn't have a ton of closet space, but enough. My life is super minimal. Black and white T-shirts. Jeans neatly organized. Sweaters. Underwear and sleepwear. Workout clothes over here.

This painting of the cow was commissioned by my mom about 25 years ago. I thought we were going to get a traditional black-and-white Vermont cow, and then this came, with a halo around its head. It’s kind of a religious cow. Our family wasn’t very religious, but over the years it’s grown on me. I got it when my mom passed away. It’s very near and dear to my heart.

I left my shoes out. I have a bunch of Travis Scott Jordans I wear occasionally on the weekends with the kids.

I’ve been collecting glasses recently, so I have two drawers just full of eyewear. I buy a pair every two weeks—it’s a little obsession.

This is Jack’s bedroom. He designed it himself. Legos and art supplies are here. We got him a real gaming PC for Christmas a couple of years ago—he was obsessed with Fortnite at the time.

The painting in here was done by my brother. It was one of my mom’s favorites. I got it after she passed away.

This is Walter’s room. We really like Alex Katz. This was one of the first pieces we got from him. The room is cozy, clean, simple.

When I moved in here, it was the first time the kids had their own rooms. My mom always had the most comfortable beds, so I went to ABC and got the best sheets, comforters, and pillows—for them and for me. They absolutely love it.

This is the living area. The kids play games here. We lounge on the couch, watch movies on Friday and Saturday nights after we cook. You can order popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs from AMC and have it delivered—it’s awesome. The kids are obsessed.

These are just design books and knickknacks I’ve collected over the years. We moved some things out to Long Island during COVID, but this is what’s here now. I like to keep everything clean, neat, and organized.

The kitchen is my favorite room of the home for sure. Cooking for the kids is therapeutic for me. Even if I cook for three hours and they eat in three minutes—it’s still the best part of my day.

My favorite meals depend on the time of year. In the summer, I love to grill—burgers, hot dogs, steaks, fresh vegetables. I’m also very into making different salads right now. In the winter, it has to be cozy. Christmas time, I make potato latkes and steak. And, of course, spaghetti Bolognese.

I do have another home in Long Island, but I would love for this to be my forever home. I also have my eyes on another apartment a couple of blocks away on Late Street. I always thought that most apartments don’t feel special. You walk in and it’s like, oh, it’s fine. But this place—I had to have it. Then I saw a friend’s apartment, and I was like, Holy shit, this is insane. We’ve been talking about possibly moving over there.”

I love to run, I work out six or seven days a week. I also love skiing, and now the kids are really getting into skiing too.

My younger son was diagnosed with Kabuki syndrome around 6 months old. That’s been a big part of our life. So we co-founded the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation. It’s a genetic disorder that affects kids in different ways. Walter has delays with reading, writing, his size, his muscles—he’ll need help for the rest of his life.

The idea behind the foundation was to try and create the best possible life for Walter. He’s 10 now. He’s taught me so much about life. He’s the most amazing, thoughtful, considerate, beautiful soul. Wonderful.

We started the foundation about six or seven years ago, so around 2017.