Following the release of its annual “Celebrity 100” list, a ranking of America’s most powerful stars, Forbes asked The Agency’s Billy Rose what qualities in a home do the world’s most powerful celebrities look for most when buying in Los Angeles.
“The number one feature celebrities need in a house is that it’s ‘stoparazzi,’” said Rose, who noted that his clients mostly prefer properties that are “quietly tucked behind long, gated driveways, outfitted with extensive security systems and guard houses.” Rose tells Forbes that privacy concerns often begin long before the celebrity is settled into their home. It’s not uncommon for Rose to have to deal with a pack of paparazzi when taking a celebrity house-hunting around L.A. How does Rose address this problem? He wouldn’t reveal his secrets but he did say he does everything possible to ensure the privacy of his Hollywood elite clients.
As the article points out, L.A. has ordinances that prohibit new construction of high walls and hedges, so there’s a limited inventory of homes that can truly afford the utmost in privacy. Often, it is these select homes that are traded between the A-list, with one star moving in as the other moves out.
A few homes currently listed by The Agency that offer premium privacy, or “stoparazzi,” include: 3051 Antelo View Drive, the secluded former Bel Air estate of Merv Griffin; 444/448 14th Street, a high-hedged, gated compound in Santa Monica’s exclusive Gillette Regent Square neighborhood; and 10899 Chalon Road, an extremely private and secure Mid-Century modern in lower Bel Air.
View more luxury real estate listings here. Read the full article on Forbes.com.
