In Conversation with The Agency’s Mike Fabbri: Building a Luxury Real Estate Practice Through Digital Innovation and Discretion
“I like to say I’m two degrees of separation from every broker and buyer in Manhattan,” says Mike Fabbri, who was recently named The Agency‘s top-producing agent in New York City for 2024 by sales volume. This extensive network, built through years of working behind the scenes at some of New York’s most prestigious brokerages, has become one of Fabbri’s most powerful tools in Manhattan’s competitive luxury real estate market.
In Manhattan’s high-end market, where discretion often matches property value in importance, Fabbri has developed a distinctive approach by combining his industry relationships and digital marketing expertise to facilitate off-market deals for high-profile clients who prefer to keep their real estate moves private.
From Digital Strategy to Sales Success Fabbri’s real estate career began not on the sales floor but in the digital realm. “I started on the executive side as the director of digital and social media for Douglas Elliman,” he explains. This role, followed by a position at Compass as an internal coach helping agents with business development and branding, gave him an insider’s view of the industry that would prove invaluable.
The transition from digital strategist to sales agent was natural for Fabbri, who earned “Rookie of the Year” at Corcoran during his first year in sales. His background in business development and marketing, combined with the relationships he built while working with top agents, created a foundation that would ultimately lead him to The Agency.
The Power of Off-Market Deals One of Fabbri’s distinguishing strengths is his ability to source and close off-market properties, a service particularly valuable to privacy-conscious clients. “I have a lot of clients who are very private or in the public eye… discretion is very important to them,” he notes.
His approach combines traditional relationship building with modern digital marketing techniques. “The first showing is always online,” Fabbri explains, emphasizing his commitment to high-quality content even for off-market properties. “I always get a team in there, the best-in-class production team to do video and photos.”
This strategy has proven successful, with Fabbri recently closing a deal within a week of photographing a property, before it even hit the market. He leverages his substantial Instagram following and targeted digital marketing to reach qualified buyers while maintaining discretion.
Market Insights and Buyer Preferences In the current luxury market, Fabbri observes that distinctiveness is essential. “The desire for something special and unique has never been more important,” he says, noting that properties with distinctive features like pre-war details, high ceilings, or spectacular outdoor spaces are particularly sought after.
Health and wellness features are increasingly influencing buyer decisions. Fabbri recently sold a property featuring a cold plunge, and he’s seeing growing interest in dedicated wellness spaces. “I recently toured a property with a buyer, and they had a meditation room… that really helped sell the space to him,” he shares.
Several other notable patterns have emerged in the market. “Most of the transactions we’ve done over the past year have been all cash,” Fabbri notes, explaining that while this trend is partly due to interest rates, many luxury buyers are simply not rate-sensitive and prefer cash deals to remain competitive in securing prime properties.
Manhattan’s co-op market is also evolving. “Co-ops are becoming more desirable to people that were really very much condo purchasers,” Fabbri observes. This shift is largely driven by co-op boards becoming more flexible with their traditionally strict requirements, adapting to changing buyer preferences and how people want to use their spaces.
New York is also experiencing increased interest from West Coast buyers, particularly from the tech sector. “New York is always a safe, secure place for people to invest their money, to put down roots,” Fabbri explains. His strong network of brokers in other markets helps facilitate these cross-country moves, ensuring clients have immediate access to the best opportunities.
Building for the Future Following his recognition as top individual agent, Fabbri is launching the Mike Fabbri Team. “I’m really excited for that because it’ll help me service my clients better, but also allow collaboration and helping to build other agents and help them with their careers,” he explains.
To date, Fabbri has largely been a buyer’s agent, and his practice evolves to include more listings, he remains focused on his core principles. “One of the biggest tenets or values that I’m instilling in my team is communication above all else,” he emphasizes. “Treat everyone with kindness, respect and empathy throughout the process.”
With ten new listings launching in early 2025, Fabbri’s combination of digital expertise, industry relationships, and commitment to discretion positions him to address New York’s inventory challenges while continuing to serve the luxury market’s evolving needs.
