Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is raising the sport\u2019s profile not only in Miami but the U.S.\u2014and his purchase of a $10.75 million estate is now drawing curious eyes from around the world to a gated community he now calls home in Fort Lauderdale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the 36-year-old forward signed with Inter Miami CF earlier this summer\u2014fresh off his victory during the World Cup in Qatar last year\u2014Messi Mania hit Miami, with stalwart fans and the newly initiated lining up for tickets and merch. Although the real estate market may not go quite as crazy, it\u2019s not immune to the hype, industry experts said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA buyer with a massive international following is a magnet for attention, and ever since the news broke that Messi was house hunting in Fort Lauderdale, and then closed on a home in Bay Colony, all eyes have been on the area,\u201d said Chad Carroll with the Carroll Group at Compass. \u201cA new high-profile neighbor like Messi will up the ante for the neighborhood, which is already one of the most exclusive in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bay Colony is an island community of about 100 waterfront mansions that attracts boating enthusiasts and those who want maximum security, as it is guard-gated 24 hours a day, Carroll added. The average price for a home in the area is $4.6 million, according to Zillow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attention brought to the area by Messi, who purchased the nearly 10,500-square-foot mansion with his wife, model Antonela Roccuzzo, can definitely \u201ccreate a stronger demand in the community and create a new price benchmark for future sales,\u201d according to Samuel and Donna Simpkin of Compass\u2019s Team Simpkin, who represented Messi and Roccuzzo and are the exclusive real estate agents for the Inter Miami CF.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But others note that while a buyer with a bold-faced name may bring attention to the area, it\u2019s not likely to move the needle in terms of prices, according to Ron Shuffield, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBuyers aren\u2019t necessarily going to spend a million dollars more because they\u2019re living next door to a celebrity,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a collective, positive stamp for a neighborhood, and it certainly adds to the reason why people might want to move to said location or why it might be more of a draw \u2026 people may be more interested in living in that enclave because the celebrity singled it out for its status and offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, Shuffield noted the popularity of the Fort Lauderdale area\u2014beyond just Bay Colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n