Every real estate agent dreams of landing that life-changing client. The one who trusts you and sticks with you for years.  

The three clients who have spent the most money with me didn’t come from luck or referrals. They came from a mix of old-school prospecting, social media marketing, open houses, networking and picking up the phone. 

Here’s the real story of how I met my top three clients who spent over $20 million with me. 

Client No. 1: The Facebook ad lead 

Back in 2018, I was one year into the business. I didn’t know how to run a Facebook ad, but I tried anyway. I made a list of homes under $300,000 in an affluent neighborhood, dropped it into Google Drive and created a simple ad: 

“Looking for a ranch-style home under $300,000 in this area?” 

No sophisticated funnels. Just a picture and a PDF link. I spent $200 to $300 and got a few leads. I called them manually one by one. One out of 19 leads said, “I own a few multifamily buildings, and right now I’m looking to flip a house.” 

That one conversation turned into a flip, a six-unit apartment building and three condo purchases. He was a life-changing client for me in 2018. All from a basic Facebook ad and a willingness to pick up the phone. 

Lesson: You don’t need perfect marketing. One lead can change your career. 

Client No. 2: The $11 million transaction, or the developer who didn’t take me seriously 

This one came from a networking event. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. We talked for a few minutes. He’d been in the business for 40 years building, investing and flipping real estate. He didn’t need another agent. 

Nevertheless, I told him, “Try me out sometime.”  

Nothing happened. 

Two weeks later, I decided to call him. He invited me to his office, and I showed him a YouTube walkthrough video I’d done for one of my previous listings. It had a few thousand views. Nothing special, but it showed effort. 

He said, “I’m finishing up building a house and I might try with you there.” 

Months later, he called on a day when I was sick with a fever and said, “Come to my office. I have something for you.” 

I showed up, took the listing he gave me, did the work and sold his property in two weeks. I stayed in touch by sending him news articles and mortgage programs for investors every once in a while. Six months later, he gave me 15 new construction homes to sell. It took almost three years and 162 open houses, but we sold them all. 

Total volume: over $11 million. 

Total commission: Over $100,000 and we still do business together today. 

Lesson: Pick up the phone. 

Client No. 3: The open house visitor 

This client will likely end up being one of my biggest. I met him during one of those 162 open houses for the new development. He was comparing finishes. He walked in with his girlfriend, and something about them made me ask, “Are you guys real estate agents?” 

He said, “No, but I’m in real estate.” 

He owned multifamily buildings and had development experience. We connected on Instagram and casually stayed in touch — just likes and comments.  

Months later, after selling out the entire project, I messaged him: “The project we met at is now sold. If you have anything that needs to be sold, I’d love to work together.” (Businesspeople need to be asked.) 

He replied right away. We connected over the phone, and he said, “I’ve been watching you.” Since then, he’s given me two buildings to sell, I found him a property to buy, and he has two developments in the works where I’ll be the listing agent. 

Total volume so far: $15 million to $17 million. 

Lesson: Keep creating content, treat everyone as a potential client, and keep showing up. The 162 open houses I held could be a world record. I never thought about giving up.  

People watch you long before they trust you. Your best client has no idea you exist. You only meet them by showing up consistently, saying yes to opportunities, improving your skills and playing the long game. 

So keep going. Keep putting yourself out there. The client who will spend the most money with you in your entire career hasn’t met you yet. 

Oleg Komarnytskyy is the managing broker, owner and founder of Komar Real Estate.