There are distinctive techniques for marketing a luxury home that go beyond listing the house on the Multiple Listing Service and hosting an open house.
Real estate agents who work with top-end clientele will occasionally host intimate, invitation-only cocktail parties at their priciest listings to demonstrate the homes’ amenities to potential buyers.
If the listing has a unique feature, such as a tennis court, the agent may invite a likely buyer to enjoy a match at the home.
Ultimately, high-end real estate agents are experts in marketing—and just as important, understanding their clients’ needs.
Here are a few highlights of Orange County luxury home sales in July:
Lovely French Chateau
The 8,000-square-foot estate at 25 Grey Owl in Irvine brings to mind a chateau in the French countryside. It sold on July 14 for $7 million, under its May asking price of $7.3 million.
The five-bedroom, 6 ½-bath home sits on 0.85 acres, tucked away in the corner of a cul-de-sac. It has unobstructed canyon views, and the grounds also offer extensive gardens and winding pathways of flowers, mature fruit trees, and rows of vegetable plantings.
The home has custom stonework inside and out, distressed wood-beam ceilings and French doors.
There is a wine room, library/study, media room and an office, as well as a gourmet kitchen and gym. Outside, there’s a swimming pool with an outdoor casita/bath.
Chris Valli of Surterre Properties Inc. represented the seller, and Roderick Daley of Coldwell Banker Previews International represented the buyer.
Island Flavor
A four-bedroom, four-bath home at 2506 Altamar Drive in Laguna Beach sold on July 11 for $6.7 million, just under its April asking price of $7 million.
The 3,448-square-foot ocean-view home is two blocks from the private Irvine Cove beach.
Its features have a unique Balinese influence. The flagstone entry leads to the large living room with a high vaulted ceiling capped with a skylight. The floor plan includes a formal dining room, formal living room, and a den/office that could be transformed into a fourth bedroom.
The family room boasts disappearing sliding doors that lead to the large ocean-view patio.
Frederick Balzer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices represented the seller, and Brian Thomas of Surterre Properties represented the buyer.
European Appeal
The newly constructed beachfront estate at 1211 E. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach has all the appeal of a classic European home but with the amenities that come with a brand-new house.
It sold on June 18 for $5.9 million, under its April list price of $6.4 million.
The 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, 4 ½-bath home has walls of glass that open to the ocean to allow for indoor-outdoor living.
The floors are reclaimed French oak, and the living and dining rooms connect to a professional-grade kitchen in a modern, open layout. Other highlights include custom wood doors, a hand-plastered fireplace, and wood-planked ceilings.
The home is on a 2,400-square-foot lot, and its lower level opens to a brick patio next to the boardwalk, and beyond that, the beach.
Tara Foster Shapiro of HÔM Sotheby’s International represented the seller, and Victor Voss of Realatrends represented the buyer.
Classic to Customize
The 4,550-square-foot home at 1409 Emerald Bay boasts one of the best views in the Emerald Bay community in Laguna Beach. It is perched on an 8,712-square-foot, hillside lot overlooking the ocean.
The home sold on July 15 for $5.6 million, down from its April list price of $6.3 million.
The traditional-style home has four bedrooms and 5 ½ baths. The new owners have the option to renovate the classic interior of the three-level home to further enhance its many unique features, some of the most notable of which are its family room, dining room, and chef’s kitchen all opening to a wraparound deck, allowing for seamless indoor/outdoor living.
Harold Noriega of HÔM Sotheby’s worked on behalf of the seller, and Amanda Hogan of Seven Gables Real Estate represented the buyer.
