Crack. Thwack. Thud.
Mark O’ Brien
Those were the sounds that launched veteran NYC real estate broker and developer Mark O’Brien’s TikTok stardom.
“I was at a project in the West Village at 94 Bank Street, called The Pink House. There were all these beautiful old floorboards — hard pine, wide plank, beautiful boards with square head nails,” he recently told Inman. “I was there with one of the guys on my team, Brian Worthman, and we’re like, ‘Let’s do some content.’ He wants to talk about interest rates and the [Federal Reserve] meeting. And I was like, ‘I can’t stand talking about interest rates.’ I’ve been around for so long. I’ve seen so many, so many market cycles. It’s just boring.”
Although O’Brien was uninterested in crunching numbers on camera, Worthman won the debate, arguing that younger homebuyers and homesellers who hadn’t been through the double-digit mortgage rates of the 70s and 80s would find a TikTok on interest rates useful. O’Brien powered through the video; however, his thoughts were still focused on the floorboards upstairs, waiting for their chance to be restored to their former glory.
“We finished the interest rate video, and [Brian] is like, ‘Let’s talk about something else along the same lines. That was so f—— boring to me,” he said. “I went upstairs and I started ripping up all the floorboards that I could because I need to figure out, as a developer, what it is going to cost me to rip all these floorboards up. I used to do it all myself, but I’m not gonna do the whole house. I’m gonna hire people.”
“So, I’m upstairs, ripping up floorboards, and Brian’s yelling to me, ‘Would you stop? I’m trying to film. I’m trying to do some content here. You’re ripping up floorboards? Jesus Christ, do you have to do this now?” he added. “The girl who was filming our content followed me upstairs, and I became an accidental TikTok influencer.”
@themarkobrienteam Preserving history, one floorboard at a time! 🔨 Restoring this 1800s townhouse is a labor of love. 🧰🏡 #restoration #tips #floors #property #realestate #realestatedevelopment #maintenance #newyorkcity ♬ original sound – Mark O’Brien
The candid video garnered nearly 338,000 views and led to a widely popular home renovation series, where O’Brien showcased his other properties, evaluated other development projects throughout the boroughs, and explained the rules of NYC’s one-of-a-kind real estate market.
“I didn’t even know what being an influencer meant. Back in the day when I was building kick-ass waterfront homes in Greenwich, Connecticut, and kick-ass homes on Lake Wanaka in New Zealand, I didn’t have a phone in my back pocket,” he said. “A lot of my stuff is not documented other than a picture of a picture in some photo album that my ex-wife made for me to show the stuff that I’ve built. So all this documenting and photos, you know, it’s kind of new for me.”
The broker and developer said he hasn’t allowed TikTok stardom to change his approach to social media, which centers on capturing organic, no-frills moments of his day.
O’Brien’s top videos, all of which have millions of views, include him haphazardly removing 45-year-old marble tiles above a vintage fireplace, explaining how to remove rats from a historic property, highlighting the beauty of scuffs and marks on 150-year-old flooring, and restoring the facade of a 145-year-old brownstone that had been encased with protective metal bars in the 1980s.
“Don’t try to fluff it up for the camera. I’m the underbelly of real estate. I love the rats. I love the hole in the roof where water has been pouring down for years and years. I want to rip out the bad choices and show off the good choices,” he said. “I’m not interested in showing off my $10,000 watch and falling backwards into the pool of my billion-dollar home. You know, homes all start as a piece of dirt, and then somebody turns it into a billion-dollar home. You know, it’s about taking the path less traveled and showing the process of what I do.”
@themarkobrienteam Look at all this history that got destroyed. 😮 My demolition guys had to come check on me. 😂 #restoration #tips #property #realestate #realestatedevelopment #maintenance #newyorkcity #newyork ♬ original sound – Mark O’Brien
O’Brien said TikTok has boosted his namesake company’s profile, with him fielding a steady stream of requests from homesellers, homebuyers and homeowners who want O’Brien’s magic touch. He now has 71,000 followers, including some celebrity fans, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, John Mayer, and Jeremy Piven.
Piven, who’s most known for his role on Entourage, chose O’Brien to be his representative for a project on his Austin estate.
“I went to his house. I met with his builder. He wanted me to check out his builder and figure out whether he was ripping him off. ‘Why is it taking so long? Why is it so expensive?’ So I went, and we figured it all out,” he said. “I know a lot about value and what’s behind the walls, as well as you know, the beautiful kitchen and the beautiful floors. I know what it costs to build it. I know whether we have the time it takes to get a permit. I know what people like. I’m honored and excited that these people seem to like what I talk about.”
As for the future, O’Brien said he’s fully embraced his role as the “Brownstone Whisperer” and looks forward to showcasing the beauty — and grit — that makes NYC special.
“The New York market is a stand-alone, stand-out market. It’s a very unique market, and it’s very challenging to do renovation projects, even if it’s tweaking your bathroom, because of the rules here,” he said while explaining the city’s co-op system. “It takes a little time and takes some know-how to see around corners. You have to have the right team.”
“[My TikTok videos] lend a lot of confidence to clients. They know I can speak to investors, and they know I can also speak to homeowners,” he said. “They can tell that I’m not too fancy. I’m just a hard worker who’s knowledgeable about everything from a one-bedroom apartment and a co-op to a free-standing brownstone or townhouse in Brooklyn to the West Village, the Upper East Side or the Upper West Side. Everything is organic and in the moment, and people love that.”
Mark O’Brien’s takeaways:
- Don’t worry about being perfect. Authenticity with your looks, content style and interests will always win the day.
- Be purposeful with your content, but don’t get too obsessed with planning. “Take risks. Just do it,” he said.
- Don’t make a spectacle when you’re filming. Be engaged in the moment and watch the sparks fly with those around you.
- Skip the expensive cameras and use your phone’s full potential. Film 4K with the back camera and use a 0.5x wide angle for a more “forgiving” shot.
- Your content means nothing without a good team. Have the agents, brokers, attorneys, contractors, etc. needed to help you deliver the experience you’re promising online.
