The most successful real estate agent in New York City doesn’t wear suits, doesn’t drive fancy cars, and has never given a speech before.
Clayton Orrigo, founder of the Hudson Advisory Team, is quite formidable.
His team ranks number one among 32,000 agents in Manhattan, closing more than USD$1 billion annually without cold calling.
Yet, standing on stage before thousands of agents at AREC he admits he’s never addressed an audience larger than his own staff.
“I don’t do speeches,” Clayton said.
“I have never stood on stage in front of 50 people, let alone 5,000.”
What follows is a masterclass in authenticity over artifice, delivered by someone who built an empire by rejecting every conventional rule of professional presentation.
Clayton’s rise from zero to selling USD$72.5 million townhouses reads like real estate mythology.
He didn’t grow up wealthy, attend prestigious schools, or inherit connections.
Instead, he discovered something more valuable: the power of being genuinely, unapologetically himself.
Ten years ago, Clayton wore suits daily, believing professionalism meant playing a part.
The transformation came when he stopped pretending.
“The second I stopped pretending and I lean into who I actually am, things turn off,” Clayton said.
His professional photos now show him in casual clothes.
His team jokily created an action figure featuring anxiety medication and a calculator for commissions.
He shows multimillion-dollar properties in workout gear because, he argues, buyers feel less pressured when they don’t sense a sales presentation.
This unconventional approach extends beyond wardrobe choices.
While competitors arrive at showings in chauffeured cars, Clayton rides an electric bike, often arriving before everyone else to connect with potential clients on the street.
His philosophy centres on becoming “annoyingly accessible” – a phrase he uses in every pitch.
His phone number appears everywhere, from email signatures to Google searches, connecting directly to his pocket rather than an answering service.
The strategy of hyper-visibility paid off spectacularly when Orrigo decided to specialise.
Rather than chasing every opportunity, he focused obsessively on one building: 25 Hudson Street.
He handwrote letters to all 89 owners, secured listings, then bought an apartment in the building himself.
Eventually joining the building’s board, he sold 12 apartments while living there, essentially paying for his own unit through commissions.
“Specialisation creates predictability, and predictability creates power,” he said.
This laser focus transformed him from generalist to specialist, creating the kind of market dominance that generates predictable income streams.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Clayton’s success stems partly from an Instagram cycling group he created during COVID.
Despite barely knowing how to ride when he started the Bridgehampton Cycling Club … that single decision generated over $100 million in deals.
The lesson isn’t about cycling – it’s about building authentic communities around shared interests rather than pushing property listings.
“You’re not trying to attract everyone,” Clayton said.
“Once you find them, lead them.”
For Australian agents facing similar challenges – standing out in crowded markets, building genuine client relationships, creating sustainable business models – his framework offers a radical alternative to traditional approaches.
His success suggests that in an industry obsessed with image and networking, the most powerful strategy might be the simplest: be genuinely yourself, become indispensable in your chosen niche, and never stop moving.
As Clayton puts it, channelling Newton’s first law of motion: “Objects in motion stay in motion.”
In real estate, the ones who keep moving win.
