The famous inhabitant might help Bay Colony, a private Florida enclave where the famous soccer player currently resides.
Soccer star Lionel Messi is increasing interest in the game not only in Miami but throughout the United States. His $10.75 million purchase of a residence has attracted interested people from all over the world to the Fort Lauderdale gated neighborhood where he currently resides.
Fresh off his World Cup win in Qatar last year, the 36-year-old striker joined with Inter Miami CF earlier this summer, and Miami saw Messi Mania as devoted followers and newcomers lined up for tickets and merchandise. Although it might not go nearly as wild, the real estate market is nonetheless susceptible to the hype, according to industry analysts.
“A 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,” said Chad Carroll from the Carroll Group at Compass. The area, which is already among the most exclusive in the city, will benefit from having a new high-profile neighbor like Messi.
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.
Messi and model Antonela Roccuzzo bought the nearly 10,500-square-foot mansion together, and the attention Messi brought to the area is expected to “create a stronger demand in the community and create a new price benchmark for future sales,” according to Samuel and Donna Simpkin of Compass’s Team Simpkin, who are the exclusive real estate agents for the Inter Miami CF and who represented Messi and Roccuzzo.
