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Josh Marzucco was 27 and working at his father's Naples bar when his life changed.
A father's friend, real estate agent April Keating, thought he should go into real estate sales. Keating kept at it.
"She used to tell me every day to get licensed," says Marzucco, now 36.
Marzucco was already a hard worker. He and his father lived in a small studio apartment from the time he was 10 to when he moved out. The two were the dynamic duo of making money, as various economic situations pinched his father's wallet and livelihood, which had been construction.
To make money, the two often found tossed-out furniture, fixed the things up to varying degrees and sold the items at flea markets. As an adult, Marzucco obtained a two-year degree and then went to work at his father's successful sports bar. It's there where Marzucco learned business well, attributing almost everything about his current work ethic to beginning to work at a sports bar at 21.
His father, Mark Marzucco, is Josh's mentor. He cites his father's dogged work ethic. But a work ethic doesn't mean one has the knack to sell. It turns out, Josh Marzucco has that, too.
He worked for a time for a real estate agency, then struck out on his own with Marzucco Real Estate LLC in 2017. As he organized his office, a hurricane hit Florida. Marzucco was not afraid.
Things soon took off. It seems Marzucco had a knack for sales as well as managing people: He employs 420 in five offices. To retain salespersons, he offers 100% commission. The strategy works. In 2021, Marzucco Real Estate did $318 million in sales volume. That figure grew 32% in 2022, to $420 million.
Marzucco says his work ethic includes real ethics: He won't sell homes he wouldn't sell to a family member. Karma and ethics seem tied, he says. "I just know what comes around, goes around," says Marzucco.
Another part of his ethic is to stay positive and happy. That's important because with more than 400 agents, "no one calls me with good news." Thus, Marzucco has to manage problems every day. A happy state of mind keeps one balanced, says Marzucco, who loves to fish on his motorboat.
"It helps," he says.
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