Real Estate Sales Prowess Meets Confidence Trick – The Jay O’Brien Way

• O’Brien suggests using a bit of generosity to boost referrals from clients. Apparently, nothing screams “refer me!” louder than a designer handbag or a case of wine.

• The stratagem, revealed at Inman Connect New York, pivots on sending potential referrals gifts they didn’t know they wanted. Bizarrely, like a restaurant projector screen or personalized gym equipment.

• The Client Giant founder’s proposition revolves around the idea that surprising a client with ‘above and beyond’ gifts makes them more likely to extol your services.

• O’Brien favors smaller fetes over grand gestures, advocating its effectiveness in laying the groundwork for something substantial.

Pop a Bottle, Ink a Deal – Oprah does it better, though.

• More in the side notes: O’Brien doesn’t indiscriminately fire gift-giving cannons. He only pulls the trigger for clients who he believes can put a good word for him to their community or colleagues.

• The idea is to ensure that the client feels so special that they automatically become the real estate salesperson’s ambassadors. You’ve got to admire the guy’s chutzpah, don’t you?

• We’re told money you spend isn’t wasted if invested in good relationships. By the same token, expenses become fruitless if they don’t convert into referable relationships for O’Brien.

Play Cupid with Clients—Myth or Masterstroke?

• Here’s a twist in the tale. One of the striking examples of O’Brien’s strategy was sending a couple on a surprise trip to Ireland. Close your mouth, we’re not done. This baller move allegedly led to the couple recommending him to 20 other potential clients.

• O’Brien also purports sending clients home makeovers and celebrity cooking lessons. Maybe he should start a TV show!

• According to O’Brien, to be successful, you don’t have to gift something monumentally pricey. The trick is to give something the clients genuinely appreciate and will remember.

Now, lay back and enjoy my unbeatable take.

Hot Take

In this flashy, fast-paced real estate saga, one would imagine that Jay O’Brien was staging the newest episode of “The Property Bachelor.” His ‘kill-them-with-kindness’ strategy seems like he’s inviting his clients to a never-ending birthday party. If throwing surprises and gifting experiences was a sport, let’s just say O’Brien would be an Olympian.

However, we need to remember that client relationships are not just about ‘wow’ factors. Sure, getting a surprise vacation or a personal gym can put a smile on anyone’s face. But, there’s a thin line between generosity and triviality. As they say, all that glitters is not gold—it could just be a well-placed chandelier in a prospective flat.

Importantly though, O’Brien’s strategy places huge emphasis on the ‘human element.’ Despite its Oculus-Rift-like bending of reality, the idea at its core seeks to strengthen client relationships. And honestly, who doesn’t want to feel valued?

Let’s wrap this up in style, shall we? Jay O’Brien’s gifting strategy—excessive and extravagant? Perhaps. But hey, if it keeps the referrals coming and clients smiling, then why stop the party? After all, it’s a Beyoncé world, and we’re just living in it! Remember, it’s not about the price tag. It’s about the thought that counts—or so they say!

Original article: https://www.inman.com/2024/01/23/closing-gifts-are-no-longer-enough-to-win-repeat-clients/