Celebrity-filled soirees aren’t out of the ordinary in Los Angeles, but there’s something uniquely magical about a Jacqui Getty party, according to agent Kristal Moffett.
“I’ve walked into that house and there’s been a party where it’s literally Robert Duvall and James Caan from 'The Godfather,'” she told Homes.com. “And then Scarlett Johansson in the corner and Leonardo DiCaprio in the plastic playhouse outside.”
Moffett, a lifelong Angeleno and longtime real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, said part of the magic is the house itself: a Spanish residence just shy of 2,000 square feet that was built in 1922.
“It’s a place where people feel comfortable to be natural, which is something I don’t experience in a lot of homes in LA,” Moffett said. “People that would normally feel super guarded feel safe and are able to let their hair down and have a great time.”
Now, Moffett is helping Getty sell the Hollywood Hills home.
The three-bedroom, four-bathroom residence hit the market Wednesday with a $2.25 million price tag, according to the listing on Homes.com.
The residence has deep connections to Hollywood
Getty, now 60, has lived in the home for nearly two decades. She bought it from director Francis Ford Coppola, her late fiancée’s father.
More than just hosting epic parties, though, Getty raised her daughter, Gia Coppola, in the home, according to Moffett.
Coppola is now a director behind such films as "The Last Showgirl," "Mainstream" and "Palo Alto."
Moffett said Getty, a costume designer known for her work on projects including "The Godfather III," is returning to her first home, New York.
“The house is two stories. It’s over 100 years old, so there’s always maintenance to be done,” she said of the LA home. “She’s a costume designer, and there’s more work in New York.”
Selling a celebrity home adds to history, but not price
Despite its celebrity connections, Moffett said, when it comes to selling the house, it’s more about the property itself.
“People will spend $20 million on Marilyn Monroe’s diamond necklace, but her house sells for market value,” she explained. “It doesn’t really change the price on a house, but it serves as history.”
That said, she anticipates a specific type of buyer — an “emotional buyer” — will be attracted to the property — one who appreciates the history of the home itself, but not necessarily its celebrity history.
“Everybody’s like, ‘authenticity, authenticity,’ but really, they want the marble. They want it new. They want it clean,” she said. "It speaks to a certain kind of buyer, which there aren't a ton of, but there's enough."
The property on Grace Avenue also offers its next steward the chance to live in Whitley Heights, a Hollywood Hills neighborhood that’s long been a favorite among Hollywood insiders, including other members of the Coppola family.
It’s “really been a Coppola watering hole,” according to Moffett.
The Whitley Heights Civic Association said other former residents included William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis.