PHOTO: Clayton Orrigo: Redefining Real Estate Success Through Authenticity and Access. The Hudson Advisory
At AREC 2025, Clayton Orrigo, founder of the Hudson Advisory Team, shared a candid and unconventional account of his journey to becoming one of Manhattan’s top-performing real estate agents. With over USD $1 billion in property sales annually, Orrigo’s team ranks first among more than 32,000 agents in New York City—yet his methods challenge almost every traditional real estate norm.
A Quiet Achiever with a Clear Strategy
Despite never having delivered a public address before AREC, Orrigo presented a powerful case for building success through authenticity rather than performance. His approach centres on abandoning the formalities often associated with the industry—no designer suits, scripted presentations, or high-profile networking events.
Instead, he has embraced transparency, accessibility, and hyper-focus. Orrigo describes his strategy as being “annoyingly accessible”—his personal phone number is easy to find and connects directly to him, not an intermediary. He meets clients in casual clothes, arrives at showings by electric bike, and connects with potential buyers on the street.
Specialisation Over Generalisation
Orrigo’s turning point came when he stopped trying to appeal to everyone and instead focused on a single building: 25 Hudson Street. He personally reached out to every owner, secured listings, purchased a unit, joined the building’s board, and ultimately sold 12 apartments in the complex.
His key insight:
“Specialisation creates predictability, and predictability creates power.”
This principle underpins his broader strategy—rather than chasing scale, he refines depth within a niche to build trust and consistent results.
Building Community, Not Just Contacts
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Orrigo established the Bridgehampton Cycling Club—despite having little cycling experience. That single initiative, based around shared interest rather than sales, generated over $100 million in property deals. It’s a prime example of his focus on genuine relationship-building over transactional engagement.
“You’re not trying to attract everyone,” he noted.
“Once you find them, lead them.”
Lessons for Real Estate Professionals
For agents and leaders working in competitive, high-pressure markets, Orrigo’s story is a reminder that success doesn’t always come from following the crowd. His approach highlights three key takeaways:
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Authenticity builds trust—be unapologetically yourself.
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Access matters—be easy to reach and responsive.
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Specialisation drives consistency—deep focus yields deeper results.
As Orrigo reflected in closing, his philosophy aligns with a simple but powerful law of motion:
“Objects in motion stay in motion.”
In real estate—as in life—the key is to keep moving, with purpose and authenticity.