They’ve got the fame, the fortune, and the glossy magazine spreads showing off their homes – but when it comes to selling, even Australia’s biggest celebrities aren’t immune to the harsh realities of the property market.

From Russell Crowe’s harbour penthouse that just won’t budge, to Rebel Wilson’s Balmain beauty pulled from auction, to the Hewitts’ Gold Coast mega-mansion with no takers, these cases prove that star power doesn’t always equal sold.

And it’s not just Aussies.

Overseas, names like Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage have lost millions on failed property deals – proof that real estate can humble even Hollywood royalty.

The Hewitts’ Gold Coast game, set … and eventually, match

Tennis champion Lleyton Hewitt and his actor wife Bec sold their luxury beach house for $4.9m after a sales campaign that was far from game, set, and match.

The star couple dropped the asking price of their coveted Gold Coast home by $200,000 to secure the deal.

It came two months after an onsite auction where nobody registered to bid, despite more than 100 spectators.

Known as The Palms, the property was then listed at $5.1m and sold in January this year to a Queensland buyer.

The latest deal closed just after Wimbledon champion Hewitt returned to the Australian Open, where he teamed up with Pat Rafter for the Legend’s Cup doubles tournament.

The house went under contract more than 102 days after hitting the market, with the buyer signing on the dotted line alongside a confidentiality agreement preventing the agents from publicly discussing details of the sale.

The agent who sold the home to the Hewitts in 2021, however, later revealed it online.

Read more here.

Rebel Wilson’s auction that flopped

Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson has relisted her stunning Sydney investment property after a failed attempted to auction the property in 2024.

The actress 45, has relisted the chic Balmain apartment for $2m – $300,000 less than her previous asking price.

Tucked away in the heritage-listed Lever Brothers soap factory, Rebel purchased the two-bedroom pad off the plan back in 2018 for $1.8m.

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Spread out over two levels, the ‘house-like’ apartment boasts 156 square-metres of indoor and outdoor living space, with two balconies, a rooftop terrace, two bedrooms and a well-equipped kitchen with stunning views of the CBD skyline and Anzac Bridge.

Rebel first listed the property back in June last year, with an asking price of $2.3m.

She then pulled the property from auction in July, before enlisting her younger sister Annachi ‘Anna’ Wilson to sell the pad.

Read more here.

Russell Crowe’s Sydney stalemate

Russell Crowe’s expansive Sydney penthouse, located on the iconic Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, has been quietly offered for sale on multiple occasions over the years, reflecting the challenges of selling ultra-luxury real estate in a niche market.

The Hollywood actor originally purchased the whole-floor residence in 2003 for $14.35m, setting a record for Sydney apartment sales at the time.

Spanning approximately 1000 sqm, the penthouse boasts a marina berth, seven car spaces, and breathtaking harbour views, making it one of the city’s most prestigious properties.

The property reportedly first appeared on the market around late 2016, listed off-market with an ambitious price expectation of $30 million.

This coincided with Crowe’s divorce settlement from Danielle Spencer.

Crowe later withdrew the property from the market after rejecting an offer of about $25 million in 2017 but later put it back on the market in late 2024, with price guidance of $42 million to $45 million.

He decided to sell the apartment to spend more time at his farm in Nana Glen and possibly retire from acting, according to media reports.

Read more here.

Ian Thorpe’s unsinkable apartment

You win some, you lose some. Just ask Ian Thorpe, the Australian Olympic swimming legend, who has faced challenges in selling his luxurious Woollahra apartment despite its prime location.

The four-bedroom townhouse was purchased by Thorpe in 2017 for $2.75m.

Initially listed for sale in late 2023 with a price guide of $3.7m, the property failed to sell at its first auction in September that year, passing in on a vendor bid of $3.95m.

Thorpe, who retired in 2006, was the youngest individual world champion when he won the 400m freestyle at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships, aged 15. He then won three gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Games and two at the 2004 Athens Games.

With 164sq m of indoor and 52sq m of outdoor living, the three-level townhouse has four bedrooms.

The communal heated pool is set at the front of its grounds amid tropical gardens.

In October 2024, the apartment was relisted with a reduced price guide of $3.5m, ahead of a November 7 auction. This relisting occurred amid a softer Sydney property market, characterised by reduced buyer interest and heightened competition.

Reports indicated fewer buyer parties at inspections compared to its initial listing.

Meanwhile, Thorpe has purchased a new apartment in Edgecliff for $2.79 million, with latest reports indicating he’s been renting out the Woollahra property for $1850 per week.

Thorpe, who retired in 2006, was the youngest individual world champion when he won the 400m freestyle at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships, aged 15. He then won three gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Games and two at the 2004 Athens Games.

Read more here.

Chrissie Swan’s ‘blood, sweat and tears’ renovation fails to deliver

Chrissie Swan has sold her Hollywood-inspired Hawthorn East home for approximately $2.5 million, a sale that occurred just under the lower end of her initial guide price of $2.6m, meaning the renovation project did not achieve a significant profit.

Swan renovated the address herself after purchasing it three years ago.

She named the main three-bedroom house featuring original teak timber panelling and floor-to-ceiling windows ‘Judy’ after the iconic Hollywood actor and singer Judy Garland.

The two-bedroom residence to the rear is named ‘Liza’ after Judy’s daughter, Academy Award-winning actor and singer Liza Minnelli known for the 1972 film Cabaret and the 1977 movie New York, New York directed by Martin Scorsese.

Swan will host a revamped version of the ‘90s lifestyle show Healthy, Wealthy & Wise on Channel 7 that’s set to air later this month.

She also presents The Chrissie Swan Show on radio station Nova FM.

Read more here.

Tobi Pearce sells penthouse at a loss

Fitness entrepreneur Tobi Pearce officially parted ways in 2024 with the Adelaide penthouse he famously purchased following his split from former fiance and fellow fitness influencer Kayla Itsines.

Property records show the two-storey home atop Adelaide’s Realm skyscraper changed hands for $5.1m in September 2024 – reflecting a small loss – with Pearce paying a record $5.287m in 2021, setting a new state apartment record.

The listing had a $5.7m to $6.25m price guidance and was originally tipped to break its own record.

The spacious home features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a study, a cinema room, a wine cellar, two kitchens and a rooftop entertaining deck with a built-in barbecue, wood fire pizza oven, and bar.The home also offers owners access to the complex’s amenities, including a wellbeing zone for indoor yoga, a 270sq m rooftop spa, sauna and steam room, a cross-fit enabled gym and climbing wall, two private function spaces and a games room and a 25m lap pool and spa.

Read more here.

Peter O’Brien patience tested as family home fails to sell at auction

It might not have sold under the hammer late last year, but Neighbours star Peter O’Brien’s Glenelg family home of almost 60 years has officially sold.

Mr O’Brien’s 5 Percival St home came up just short of the much-loved actor’s desired price at its October auction last year but sold after some negotiations for $1.47m.

Presented in largely original condition, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home sits on a 418 sqm allotment just moments from the beach and Glenelg’s prized amenities.

O’Brien’s late parents Betty and Jack bought the home as a holiday house in the mid-’60s while the family were living on a farm in Tailem Bend, eventually moving into the property while Peter was at school and university.

The Sacred Heart College, and Adelaide and Flinders University alumni – who would later go on to play memorable roles in Neighbours, The Flying Doctors, Cardiac Arrest, Water Rats, White Collar Blue, Casualty, Queer As Folk and X-Men Origins: Wolverine – took ownership of the home when the last of his parents passed away a decade ago.

Read more here.

No buyer’s luck – yet – for Buddy and Jesinta Franklin

It’s perhaps one of the nices homes on the street and yet, former AFL star Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin and his fashion influencer wife Jesinta are struggling to sell their glamorous Mediterranean-style property on the Gold Coast almost three years after buying it.

After numerous failed attempts to sell the home in 2024, the couple recently relisted the hinterland retreat, known as Villa Casa, with price expectations of about $12m, according to the Financial Review.

The property – which reportedly last traded for $8.75m in 2022 – comes with a five-bedroom main residence, a two-bedroom guesthouse, expansive living zones, a games room and a gourmet kitchen.

Outdoor amenities are reminiscent of a resort, with a glamorous terrace running the length of the magnesium pool with swim-up bar, while there’s also a built-in barbecue, games room and living room with panoramic views.

Franklin, who retired from AFL in 2023 after playing for both the Hawthorn Football Club and Sydney Swans, is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Read more here.

Johnny Depp’s French fantasy that became a money pit

In 2001, Johnny Depp snapped up a 19th-century French village, complete with a church, café, winery, and several cottages, pouring an estimated US$10 million into lavish renovations – including adding pools and even a skate park.

He first tried to offload the storybook estate in 2015 for approximately $26m but the property failed to attract buyers.

In 2016, amid his divorce from Amber Heard, the price was dramatically increased to around $55.5m, reflecting its luxurious renovations and Depp’s investment in the estate.

Despite the price hike, the village remained unsold.

Over the years, the asking price fluctuated between $27m and $63m.

Nicolas Cage’s real estate binge ends in foreclosure

Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage faced a dramatic financial downfall due to a failed property empire and substantial IRS debt.

The actor attributed his financial woes to over-investing in real estate and the 2008 market crash.

To address his debts, Cage sold numerous extravagant properties, often at significant losses. Among the notable sales were his Bel-Air Estate, which sold for $10.5 million, a fraction of its previous value.

A large home with Strip views in Las Vegas, which he reportedly purchased for $8.5 million, was also foreclosed upon and sold for less than half its value.

Other assets included a private island in the Bahamas and castles in Germany and England, all sold under financial strain.

Why celebs lose big on bricks and mortar

For everyday Australians, it might be tempting to assume celebrities always come out ahead in real estate – but these high-profile missteps prove otherwise.

From Depp’s fantasy French hamlet to Cage’s mass property sell off, and from Crowe to Wilson and the Hewitts, the lesson is the same: property isn’t foolproof, even with millions in the bank and a famous name on the deed.

The post The Aussie celebrities struggling to sell their home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Queensland homebuyers are faced with plummeting stock levels as the number of homes listed for sale dropped heading into spring selling season.

The latest PropTrack listing report revealed the number of homes for sale in Brisbane fell 12.4 per cent between August 2024 and August 2025.

This decline was helped along by a 6.7 per cent monthly drop in the total number of listings in August.

The report, which analysed realestate.com.au data, showed the number of new Brisbane residential property listings was also down 12.3 per cent in August and 18.4 per cent year-on-year.

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In regional Queensland, new listing dropped 6.3 per cent month-on-month and 14.6 per cent year-on-year.

This pushed total listings in regional Queensland down 4.2 per cent in August and down 13 per cent in the past year.

REA Group senior economist and report author, Angus Moore said listings, new and total, had dropped across most of Australia.

“National new listings in August were down 12 per cent year-on-year, with broadly consistent declines in metro and regional markets,” he said.

Year-on-year, new listings were down 25.4 per cent in Darwin, 19.4 per cent in Perth, 18.4 per cent in Brisbane, 16 per cent in Canberra, 12.3 per cent in Sydney, 10.6 per cent in Hobart, 10 per cent in Adelaide and 7.3 per cent in Melbourne.

“These declines reflect, in part, a particularly strong August last year,” Mr Moore said.

Mr Moore said the total volume of listings on market was also down compared to last year, with 8 per cent fewer properties listed for sale.

“The decline was similarly sized in regional areas and capital cities,” he said.

“However, the declines differed across the cities.

“Buyers in Sydney (-3%), Adelaide (0%) and Perth (-3%) are facing similar or modestly smaller stock, while buyers in Melbourne (-12%), Brisbane (-13%) and Hobart (-19%) have seen larger declines.

“Darwin (-44%) has seen a particularly sharp decline in active stock, driven by both a smaller flow of new listings and homes selling faster.”

The post Property stock drops as selling season hits appeared first on realestate.com.au.

ERA Real Estate is expanding its Coached Up Program with a Spanish-language component, part of a broader strategy to reach Spanish-speaking market segments while growing its national footprint.

The program — led by brand president Alex Vidal — delivers training in English first, then offers Spanish sessions to support Hispanic agents and clients.

“What we found was that we were starting to open up and expand in markets that we typically weren’t in, like Austin, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta — huge markets that ERA just hasn’t been in in a really long time,” Vidal told HousingWire. “And what we found was there’s a lot of Spanish-speaking agents in these markets. And we also have somebody in me that could offer coaching in Spanish. Why not do it?”

‘If you build it, they will come’

Vidal said the bilingual coaching program helped spur ERA’s efforts to expand in Spanish-speaking markets.

Hispanic homebuyers have recently accounted for a much larger share of homeownership growth. In 2024, the net gain in Hispanic homeowner households was 35% of all homeownership growth in the nation.

“By virtue of offering the Spanish coaching, the markets also presented itself at the same time,” Vidal said. “So it’s almost an ‘if you build it, they will come’ type thing. I’ve been doing this coaching program since 2016 and it’s evolved over the course of the years, and honestly, I don’t know why I just never offered it in Spanish.”

Hispanic homebuyers accounted for just over half of homeownership growth in the past 10 years and are likely to account for 70% of new homeowners by 2040 if current trajectories hold, according to the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, where Vidal holds a regional board seat.

Addressing an underserved community

According to the National Association of Realtors, Hispanic Realtors now make up about 10% of the industry.

“There are 65 million Hispanics or Latinos in the U.S.,” Vidal said. “So we have 120,000 Realtors trying to service 65 million people. That’s wild, right? They’re underserved. We can get more being in the business who speak Spanish, but we also already have this existing base. So how do we help them?

“I think the way we can attack it is by understanding that most of these markets have Spanish-speaking agents, have large Spanish-speaking populations — and now we have something that can not only attract the agent but then better serve that clientele in those markets.”

Early program feedback

Vidal said the Spanish-language coaching component has already reached more than 100 ERA offices — with more than one-quarter of participants staying on for the second Spanish portion of the sessions.

The program also helps ERA attract new Spanish-speaking agents. He often reaches out to prospective recruits himself.

“I will call these potential agents personally, and have these conversations with these agents in Spanish,” Vidal said. “Just like any customer, Hispanic customers, Latino customers, want to feel like they’re heard and they’re understood in their own language.”

He added that many older Latinos only speak Spanish and often rely on their children to translate during major transactions like a home purchase.

“Imagine now being able to speak directly with the people that are helping you do more business at a national level, and then be able to do it in your own language,” Vidal said. “What my team does, and what I’m all about, is helping my people make more money and live a better life. Boots on the ground is a good way to sum it up.”

A Bannockburn couple who paid $10,000 for a renovator’s delight on Gumtree is selling up after relocating the Edwardian beauty from Ararat and restoring it to its former glory.

Vendor Stacey Binnie took a gamble on the 1928 weatherboard home, paying another $60,000 to move it to her family’s acreage property.

She admits to a few nervous moments as it made the journey to Geelong on the back of two trucks almost 10 years ago.

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“It was exciting to get the ball rolling but it was also scary because it was the middle of winter and the trucks were getting bogged,” she said.

“Luckily they knew someone in the area and we ended up with a massive John Deere tractor pulling the trucks with the house.”

Only one window was a casualty of the move, though the double fireplace, being brick, sadly had to be left behind.

There was no plaster on the walls, just internal framing, so the pair had its work cut out with just 12 months to get a certificate of occupancy while living in a shed.

But restoring the home in authentic fashion was a passion project for the vendors, who have a soft spot for vintage homes and cars.

The completed three-bedroom house is now the centrepiece of their 8015sq m lifestyle property at 180 Burnside Rd, Bannockburn.

“We have replaced the roof so I would say that 90 per cent of it is original to the home. So all the doors hardware, the doors, the hand-blown glass windows, the leadlighting, the Baltic pine floors are all original,” Ms Binnie said.

“She was a diamond in the rough and now she’s a bright and shiny diamond.

“It feels like home and if could take it with us we would, but we’re moving to Tasmania.”

She said the property, which includes a large multi-car garage, bike jumps, fruit trees, a chicken coop and a fire pit area, had been a fabulous place to raise a family.

Geelong Real Estate Co agent Michaela Miller is handling the sale and has set a $949,000 to $999,000 price guide.

The post Bannockburn couple transforms $10k Gumtree find into dream home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Home sellers expect to spend about $18,500 on expenses, but the actual cost is more than $67,000, according to a new report from Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate.

The report found that on average, recent sellers spent:

• $21,024 on pre- and post-listing repairs and improvements
• $14,204 on seller’s agent commission
• $13,691 on buyer’s agent commission
• $8,217 on closing costs
• $5,277 on concessions to the buyer
• $2,439 on moving costs
• $2,393 on marketing and staging

That total is more than triple what sellers anticipated.

More than half (55%) said they were surprised by the costs — and nearly one-quarter (22%) went into debt to cover them. Forty percent reported feeling financially strained during the process.

In 2025, the average seller profit was $166,702 — up 14% from 2024. Still, 51% of those surveyed said their profits were lower than expected due to high expenses.

Other findings of the report include:

• 80% of sellers reported regrets, most commonly about agent commissions
• 67% of sellers who went without an agent believed they saved money, although only 68% of this group turned a profit versus 84% of those who used an agent.
• 81% of sellers who worked with agents said costs were clearly explained, versus 29% of those without representation.

Overall, 75% of sellers said they would have made different decisions had they known the true costs and believed they could have earned nearly $36,000 more on average.