Celebrity Real Estate: Notable Purchases & Sales, Fall 2026

By the RealEstateWeb Editorial Team · Updated October 14, 2026 · 4 min read

Peter Thiel's $130 million Casa Encantada, Madonna buying Angelina Jolie's DeMille estate, and recent sales by Selena Gomez, Meg Ryan, and Josh Brolin.

Illustrative photo of a mansion entrance; not a property mentioned in this article. Photo: Matt Jones mattrobinjones via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Editorial note: Every deal below is summarized from published news reports, linked at the end, with the reporting date. Prices are as reported; buyers are often LLCs, and some identities are reported rather than confirmed by public records. Last reviewed October 14, 2026.

From a record-setting foreclosure auction in Bel-Air to a Hollywood estate changing hands between two pop-culture icons, autumn 2026 has been busy for celebrity real estate. Here are the deals making headlines, and what they reveal about the luxury market.

Peter Thiel buys Casa Encantada for $130 million

The Los Angeles Times reported on September 30, 2026 that billionaire investor and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel bought Casa Encantada, the roughly 40,000-square-foot Bel-Air estate built in 1938, for $130 million. The purchase was made through a limited liability company at a foreclosure auction in Pomona in July, with the buyer's identity first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The estate, once owned by Conrad Hilton, previously belonged to businessman Gary Winnick, who died amid mounting debt. The Guardian (October 2) reported the price was the most expensive home sale in Los Angeles so far this year, though well below the property's previous asking price.

Madonna buys Angelina Jolie's Cecil B. DeMille estate

Angelina Jolie sold her Los Feliz estate for $24.75 million, according to real estate records cited by USA Today on September 24, 2026. Jolie bought the property for $24.5 million in 2017 and listed it in May 2026 for about $29.9 million. Robb Report reported on October 2 that the buyer was Madonna, and The Real Deal followed with the same report on October 6. The roughly two-acre property in the gated Laughlin Park neighborhood was long the home of film pioneer Cecil B. DeMille, who bought it in 1916 and lived there until his death in 1959. Jolie has said she planned to leave Los Angeles once her youngest children turned 18.

Selena Gomez sells her Encino home for $5.39 million

The New York Post reported on September 11, 2026 that Selena Gomez sold her longtime Encino estate, where she filmed parts of "Selena + Chef," for $5.39 million. That was about $1.1 million below the $6.49 million asking price when it was listed in May, but above the $4.89 million she paid in 2020. The house was custom-built for rock musician Tom Petty in 1989.

Meg Ryan sells in the Hamptons at full asking price

Realtor.com reported on September 25, 2026, citing the Wall Street Journal, that Meg Ryan closed the sale of her Bridgehampton, New York, home for its full $15.25 million asking price. She had purchased the 1.5-acre property for $13.5 million in 2024 and listed it in June, finding a buyer within about a month.

Josh Brolin sells his Atlanta-area estate after a price cut

Actor Josh Brolin and his wife Kathryn Boyd Brolin sold their Sandy Springs, Georgia, estate for $4 million, according to a Realtor.com report on September 29, 2026. The seven-bedroom home was first listed in April at $4.999 million and later reduced. The couple had bought it in 2020 for $3.25 million.

On the market: the Lacheys' Tarzana home

Not every headline is a closed deal. Vanessa and Nick Lachey listed their Tarzana, California, home for $8.2 million, as reported by Architectural Digest in September 2026. According to that coverage, the couple first bought the house in 2020 for $5.1 million, sold it to tennis star Naomi Osaka for $6.3 million in 2022, and bought it back in August 2025 for $7.9 million.

What these deals tell us

Even stars take price cuts. Gomez and Brolin both sold below their original asking prices, reflecting a luxury market that has softened as mortgage rates rose.
Provenance sells. Homes tied to Hollywood history, like the DeMille estate and Casa Encantada, continue to attract trophy buyers.
Well-priced homes still move fast. Ryan's Hamptons home sold at asking in about a month.
Privacy is the norm. High-profile buyers typically purchase through LLCs or trusts, so identities often emerge weeks or months after closing.

Sources

This article is for general educational purposes and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. See our disclaimer.