An array of iconic homes are for sale — and buyers will almost certainly pay extra for that pedigree.
However, that premium is hard to quantify since some uber-wealthy buyers will pay almost anything to own a piece of pop culture, according to real estate experts.
“It’s like owning a Picasso” or a Fabergé egg, said Tomer Fridman, a real estate agent based in Los Angeles who specializes in luxury and celebrity homes.
“You’re buying something that’s super unique and something that is very rare,” he said.
Buying for ‘Hollywood cachet’
Among recent notable listings: The Victorian home depicted on the sitcom “Full House” hit the market Thursday in San Francisco for $6.5 million. Last month, the “Home Alone” house — the brick estate famously boobytrapped by character Kevin McCallister — listed for $5.25 million.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first New York City home, a two-story SoHo loft, also hit the market for $5.5 million in May. The Los Angeles home of the late Paul Reubens, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, is also for sale, for about $5 million.
Luxury real estate prices recently hit a record high. The uber-wealthy are largely insulated from high mortgage rates since many can afford to make all-cash deals, according to real estate experts.
Famous homes generally command even loftier price tags than their market equivalents, those experts said.
Josh Altman, a luxury real estate agent in Los Angeles who is featured on the Bravo show “Million Dollar Listing,” estimates the premium can be perhaps 5% to 10% if the home is tied to a “household name” celebrity.
“There’s definitely this Hollywood cachet of ‘I bought so-and-so’s house,’” said Altman. His firm’s clients have included stars like Justin Bieber, James Cameron, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears.
“Home Alone” is “one of the most famous movies ever,” he added. “That’ll definitely get a premium, in my opinion.”
The rich often pay ‘whatever it takes’
The ultimate price tag on such homes generally doesn’t matter to their uber-wealthy buyers, said Fridman, of Jones Fridman International & Associates at Compass. He has sold properties owned by celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Sylvester Stallone, and Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott.
Many view the house as a collector’s item and make an “emotional purchase,” Fridman said.
Sellers can rake in a premium for a particular famous property via an initial pie-in-the-sky asking price or if potential buyers get into a bidding war, experts said.
“They’re one of one,” said Amanda Pendleton, a home trends expert at Zillow. “Some people with means will pay whatever it takes to own that home.”
