As Naples residential sales have fallen 20% and inventory has reached five-year highs, one brokerage’s strict pricing strategy is producing measurable results. Kathryn Zangrilli, broker/owner of Broker Brothers LLC, says her firm closed over 50 deals last year by refusing to take on overpriced listings—even if it means turning down potential business.
“We won’t take a listing that’s $100,000 overpriced,” Zangrilli says. “We don’t. That doesn’t affect us. We do see a lot of price reductions going on. We also see a lot of homes going off the market now, and that is a function of seller education, not just being an order taker.”
This approach runs counter to the traditional real estate practice where agents compete for market share by accepting any listing, regardless of price. Zangrilli believes that declining unrealistic listings costs less in the long run than carrying properties that linger on the market or never sell.
The Data-Driven Conversation
Zangrilli’s strategy centers on shifting the discussion from seller hopes to actual market conditions. “If you can explain to a seller why this house is worth more, it can’t just be because you say so,” she says. “There’s got to be data. There’s got to be reasons behind that. And if there is, wonderful, but if there’s not, I think sometimes agents are resistant. They would rather have a listing, even if they can’t sell it.”
In Naples, where many homes are similar in style and features, Zangrilli says agents must dig deeper to justify pricing. “Especially in Naples, where the homes can look a little bit more cookie cutter, there will be less things we have to go to,” she explains. “Things like the lot. We have to go to things like what a homeowner put in, where is it located? Is it on a lake? Is the lake a little lake, or is the lake a very long lake? It’s all of those matrix that are going to help us formulate some pricing.”
By referencing recent comparable sales in the same neighborhood and identifying specific factors that set a property apart, Zangrilli says agents can keep conversations focused on facts rather than emotions. “When you’re in a community or a town, and you can show the value in your service and say, Look, this is what the five other homes in your neighborhood over the last 90 days have sold for. What makes yours different? Let’s figure that out.”
The Client Filter Effect
This disciplined approach acts as a natural filter for the firm’s client base. Sellers open to realistic pricing are fundamentally different from those who insist on listing at inflated numbers. “We want to work with customers that are like minded and understand the current market,” Zangrilli says. “We cannot take listings we cannot sell. Most agents think we’re silly for saying that, but we have to have some sort of like mindedness, or we’re not going to be able to get the job done for them, and then they’re going to just end up being unhappy. We don’t want that.”
This self-selection leads to clients who are more satisfied with the outcome, more likely to refer future business, and less likely to create operational headaches. Zangrilli says it also translates into faster sales. “Our philosophy has always been, if you price it right out of the gate, you shouldn’t need more than one price reduction to get it sold in today’s market, even with elevated inventory.”
The Market Reality Check
Zangrilli observes that many sellers remain disconnected from current market trends. “We pick up a lot of expired listings, and they’ll say we were not aware that the market is continuing to change,” she says. “And that is not all markets. It is not all communities, it is not all towns, but when you’re in a community or a town, and you can show the value in your service,” the data tells a story that sellers cannot ignore.
The challenge is greatest for sellers who remember the higher prices of two years ago. “It’s more of a price. It’s a hey, I want to get what I got two years ago. And unfortunately, two years was different than it is today,” Zangrilli says. “Our goal is to communicate that to our customer and say, Look, I can’t get you all the profit that you thought you were going to get two years ago, but you’re still going to make a nice profit. Now some sellers want to hear that, and some do not.”
Competitive Positioning in a Shifting Market
This strategy is particularly relevant now, as Naples inventory has increased significantly but pricing remains inconsistent. While some agents juggle expired listings and frustrated sellers, Zangrilli says her firm is gaining market share by insisting on realistic pricing from day one.
“We want to take listings that are fairly priced, and that doesn’t mean fairly to the seller,” she says. “That means that can sell over time.”
Executing this approach requires operational discipline and a willingness to challenge seller expectations. Agents must position themselves as market experts, not just facilitators. Zangrilli says the payoff is clear: faster sales, higher client satisfaction, and a stronger position in a difficult market.
Whether other brokerages will follow suit may depend on how long current market conditions last—and how many expired listings agents are willing to manage before reconsidering their approach to pricing and client selection.
