After starting out in real estate marketing as senior director of digital and social media at Douglas Elliman, Mike Fabbri pivoted to sales, becoming Rookie of the Year at Corcoran and, later, moving to NYC’s The Agency.
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Fabbri coached hundreds of top agents before becoming one himself and calls himself “an agent’s agent. I believe respect for fellow agents is how deals actually get done,” he said.
With a city home in Gramercy, a country home in Litchfield, Connecticut, and two dogs — Dart and Dany — who generate their own share of the business, find out how Fabbri works and why he loves the HBO-worthy levels of drama that a real estate career provides.
Name: Mike Fabbri
Title: Licensed real estate salesperson
Experience: 12 years
Location: New York City
Brokerage: The Agency
Team: The Mike Fabbri Team
Transaction sides: 15 (2024), 20 (YTD 2025)
Sales volume: $45.54 million (2024), $40 million (YTD 2025)
Awards: No. 1 individual agent (The Agency NY, 2024), Rookie of the Year (Corcoran, 2016)
What’s one big lesson you’ve learned in real estate?
Trust is everything, and reputation is the only currency that matters. Treat people with respect, communicate clearly and have empathy for everyone involved in a deal. People like to do business with people they like. I want fellow agents to see my name on an offer and light up — that’s what gives my clients the edge.
What’s the best advice you ever got from a mentor or colleague?
Dottie Herman told me on Day 1: “Listening to gossip is just as bad as repeating it.” In this business, reputation is the real currency. Stay above the noise. Lead by example.
What would you tell a new agent before they start out in the business?
Unfortunately, the odds are against you — something like 90 percent of new agents quit within the first two years. A passion for real estate — or scrolling Zillow — doesn’t make you a good agent. A passion for people, deal-making and problem-solving does.
And it’s not what you see on TV. You’re not going to be handed a penthouse and a film crew on Day 1. What you are going to get is rejection, long days, longer nights, emotional rollercoasters — and then the insane high of putting a deal together. You have to adapt, evolve, stay humble and keep learning — whether it’s Day 1 or Year 12.
If you can face that truth, then it’s only up from there. And if you stick with it, the reward isn’t just financial. It’s the relationships, the grit you build and the rush of pulling off something that looked impossible.
What is the one thing everyone should be doing to make their life or business better?
First, find a passion outside of work. Mine is writing — it keeps me anchored, especially on the dark days.
Second, outsource. Double down on your strengths, and get help with the rest. I focus on business development and client relationships.
The rest — operations, staging logistics, admin — goes to people who do it better. That’s the only way to grow without losing your mind. Leave room for the things that keep you grounded.
Tell us a story about your most memorable transaction
A penthouse in Lenox Hill almost broke me. Six deals fell apart — including three in contract. One buyer was supposed to close on March 20, 2020, and then the world shut down. Another was detained by the government the day before closing (yes, that actually happened).
We relisted, pivoted, survived a pandemic and three years later, finally found the right buyer. That deal taught me patience, grit and the most important lesson of all: Don’t spend your commission until it closes.
If you could do anything other than real estate, what would it be?
I’d be a writer in Hollywood. Storytelling has always been my thing — it’s why I love this business. Every deal has characters, conflict, stakes and plot twists worthy of HBO.
Real estate scratches that creative itch: I get to build narratives around homes, spin strategy into story and yes, occasionally live through a full-blown drama. But writing will always be my other outlet. Everyone needs one.
