The Aussie celebrities struggling to sell their home

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.

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