Homeowners often receive a token gift like a bottle of wine after selling their home, but one next-level act may ignite a new wave of creative customer service in the real estate industry.
Speaking at the recent Australasian Real Estate Conference (AREC) on the Gold Coast, globally renowned restaurateur Will Guidara recounted how a simple but deeply personal gesture from a real estate agent earned his lifelong loyalty.
Mr Guidara and his wife were moving to a bigger home after having their first child, working with an agent who was selling their existing home and buying their next one on their behalf.
After months of home inspections and moving, the young family finally landed in their new home and were astonished by a surprise in their kitchen.
“When we walked into our new home and opened up our refrigerator, every single thing we loved was already in there,” Mr Guidara told the crowd.
The agent had secretly taken photos of the couple’s fridge during dozens of open-home inspections while selling their old apartment.
Before move-in day, the agent and his assistant reviewed the images to identify recurring items and stocked the new fridge with everything that the family loved.
Restaurateur and author Will Guidara said real estate agents should try to create more memorable moments for home sellers. Picture: Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty
“It was his system, and it required very little time, but I will never work with another real estate agent again,” Mr Guidara said.
He said the gesture didn’t just surprise him; it made him feel deeply understood and valued at a time of major transition.
It transformed a routine transaction into a moment of connection, the kind of experience Mr Guidara has spent his career trying to create for others in the hospitality industry.
Mr Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which was ranked the world’s best restaurant in 2017, and has become a leading authority on customer experience.
Mr Guidara and his family were surprised when they moved into their new home and found their fridge full of things they loved. Picture: Alicia Windzio/Getty
A graduate of Cornell University’s hospitality school and author of the bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality, he has built his career on crafting unforgettable moments for guests.
Mr Guidara challenged the real estate industry to think differently about customer service and focus on really getting to know their customers.
“It only takes a moment to create a moment,” Mr Guidara said, quoting AREC founder John McGrath from earlier in the day.
He said agents should try to identify big moments in their clients’ lives, whether buying a first home, moving after the birth of a child, or downsizing after kids leave home, and use them as opportunities to build emotional connections.
Mr Guidara rose to fame for similar acts of service at Eleven Madison Park, transforming milestones such as engagement dinners into lifelong memories for customers.
Mr Guidara shared a story on how he and his team wanted to level up their experience for couples celebrating their engagements at the restaurant.
To do this, he convinced jewellery retailer Tiffany and Co to gift the restaurant 1000 Tiffany gift boxes with two champagne flutes in each box.
When a couple came to the restaurant for their engagement dinner, they would serve the couple champagne as many restaurants do.
Eleven Madison Park in New York was named as the world's top restaurant at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2017. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty
But after finishing the champagne, the staff would take the flutes away, wash and dry them, package them into the gift boxes, and then gift them to the couple at the end of their meal.
“I've talked to people who got engaged there who, despite the fact that we were serving some of the best food on the planet, don't remember a single thing they ate,” he said.
“But they will never forget how we made them feel when we gave them those glasses.”
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