then it isn't priced right. Agents will try to maximize their earning potential but sometimes they price things a little too high.
It looks like they are in the more expensive bracket which is harder to sell anyway. The fact that they aren't getting any showings tells me that people are scared off by the price. It doesn't matter what your buddy sold it for, it only matters what you can get.
I'm not a real estate agent but we went through a similar process. We dropped the price on our house and then sold it in a couple weeks. I hope that helps.