Top 20 home sales of 2025: Melbourne wins with $131m+ sale

Melbourne has stolen No.1 spot in the Australian top 20 sales list for 2025 with a house that sold for more than $131m — highest in the country ever!

“Melbourne has provided the highest transaction in 2025, which is the first time this has occurred, ” says the director of leading prestige property valuers and author of the Dyson Austen Top 20 Prestige Residential Survey Simon Feilich.

But it’s not just top spot for the year.

Sources have confirmed to News Corp exclusively that the sale of Coonac in Toorak in February was in the $131m-$150m range, meaning it’s the highest house price in Australia of all time, beating last year’s winner, Elaine in Sydney’s Point Piper at $130m, and UIG Lodge, also in Point Piper, in late 2022.

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“It’s the most significant sale in Australian residential history, and there’s more coming,” the source said.

The total value of the top 20 sales this year is more than $1.1bn, 10 per cent up on last year.

Feilich notes the entry level to the exclusive list is higher this year — starting at $42m rather than $30m.

Not only has Melbourne robbed Sydney of top spot this year, it’s also secured the third top sale at $80m-plus and the 10th, too, at $50m.

And the man said to have had a hand in those three sales, Ross Savas of Kay & Burton, is rumoured to have sold other Melbourne trophy homes in the $50m-$100m range, off-market, that are yet to come to light.

While not able to comment about specific sales, Savas told News Corp exclusively: “People from Sydney and Brisbane are investing in Melbourne because they see terrific value compared to other states,” he said.

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“Trophy home properties are being snapped up by local and international buyers as once-in-a-lifetime opportunities as their generational homes.

“The rich are getting richer on a global basis, people are becoming multi-billionaires overnight … who would have ever thought Elon Musk would be worth $500bn!”

Back in Sydney, Ray White Double Bay principal Elliott Placks, who made five of the top sales and was buyer’s agent on another, says he’s not surprised about the rise of the southern capital.

“There’s a lot of wealth in Melbourne,” he said.

But Placks said the Sydney trophy home market remained robust with a deep pool of buyers.

“I’m aware of at least 15 buyers with budgets of more than $50m to spend on luxury properties,” he said.

Forbes agent Ken Jacobs, who made two of the top sales including the top Sydney sale of $82.5m, said demand exceeds availability. “I’ve had several unsolicited offers on homes that aren’t on the market that would have broken the current record,” Jacobs says.

“They say, ‘Do you think they’d sell?”

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“So I call the owner up and while they agree it’s a good offer, they say ‘where would I go’?”

Michael Pallier, of Sotheby’s, who made four of the top deals, said he’s personally made $1bn in sales this year.

Brad Pillinger, of Pillinger, appears in the top 10 again, as he has every year for 31 years.

“The top end market has been robust and there has been some good activity at $50m-plus,” he said.

“Last year I had a number of sales of $80m, including the [then] Aussie record $130m, it feels like some of those types of sales are about to happen again in the near future.”

Atlas principal Michael Coombs has two North Shore homes in the top 20, including 3 Kirkoswald Ave, Mosman which broke the region’s record at $50m.

His colleague Adrian Bridges shared the listing.

“The lack of trophy home sales in Mosman is just due to scarcity,” Bridges said.

“When available, these homes get snapped up quickly.”

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THE 2025 TOP 20 HOME SALES AROUND AUSTRALIA

1. Coonac, Clendon Rd, Toorak, $131m-$150m

Former Essendon Football Club boss Paul Little and his Melbourne University chancellor wife Jane Hansen sold their Clendon Rd Italianate mansion on a hectare with a pool and tennis court in February.

Billionaire Dennis Bastas denied he was the buyer.

The exact price for the off-market sale, via Kay & Burton’s Ross Savas and Gerald Delany, won’t be known until settlement, which is soon — the end of January or the start of February.

Settlement had been delayed because Little and Hansen have been renovating their next home, spending millions on a a historic Italianate manor in South Yarra built in 1885 that they purchased in 2019 for $19.5m.

They had paid $14.5m for the Toorak home in 2002, bought from Spotless managing director Brian Blythe. Little and Hansen had done a major restoration of the 20-room mansion, originally built in 1867 for pioneer pastoralist Robert Ronald.

2. 14 Tivoli Ave, Rose Bay, $82.5m

A Rose Bay home sold for $82.5m, sources confirmed in late October, the top Sydney residential property sale of the year.

The waterfront on a 1138sq m block had been for sale for years, with multiple sources telling the Wentworth Courier in November 2023 that the vendor, Sicilian-born property developer Orazio Cambuglia, wanted well above $100m.

Some said the owners of the property – consisting of three separate residences with a total of eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and a four-car garage to house parents and children – wanted as much as $130m (which would have matched the then national house price record for Elaine).

But the most recent guide via its sales agents, Ken Jacobs and Hui Xu of Forbes, was $85m in April.

3. Lansell Rd, Toorak, $80m+

This luxury home was bought by Jack Gance, one of the founders of Chemist Warehouse, in November.

The double allotment on Lansell Rd was listed for sale by Andy Zhang, who heads development firm V-Leader.

The deal was brokered by Kay & Burton’s Ross Savas and Nick Kenyon, who both declined to confirm the buyer’s name or price. However, industry sources across Toorak noted Gance as the buyer.

Gance was among those to make vast amounts of money from the more than $30bn merger of Chemist Warehouse with Sigma Healthcare earlier this year. The property settles in mid-January.

4. Crown Tower penthouse, Sub $80m

James Packer adviser Lawrence Myers pounced on the 849sq m six-bedroom, eight-bathroom residence on levels 81 and 82 of the Crown casino tower in Barangaroo in June, via The Agency’s Steven Chen.

It’s the highest price for a completed apartment in the country. Although there was a $140m transaction in 2019 – for the Lendlease Tower 1 development next door – that was off-the-plan and also an amalgamation of two apartments, which remains the nation’s highest property sale.

This latest sale was about $94,000 per square metre.

Designed by Meyer Davis, it includes a small pool with balcony.

All up there are four balconies, with views to Darling Harbour, North Sydney, the heart of the CBD and the iconic harbour.

5. 11 Coolong Rd, Vaucluse, About $62m

The Vaucluse waterfront next door to Menulog co-founder Leon Kamenov sold in September for about $62m.

The huge deal was a strong indication that the trophy home market was on fire at the start of spring, coming in the same week as two other big deals in the east – Iona in Darlinghurst for $37.5m and Carmel in Edgecliff for $28m..

The Vaucluse sale was a five-bedroom, six-bathroom residence with three-car garage at 11 Coolong Rd, the home of the late Magda Moss.

It had a $60m guide via Ray White Double Bay principal Elliott Placks in conjunction with Sotheby’s principal Michael Pallier.

There were several parties fighting over it.

Concierge East buyer’s agent Sean Huang, whose clients are often originally from China, represented the purchaser.

6. 10-12A Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, $59m

An unrenovated pink house and a neighbouring vacant block sold in early October for $59m to Gretel Packer, recently updated settlement records confirmed.

Packer’s mansion, Winston, was right next door, so it was a perfect opportunity to expand her luxury compound by an extra 2631sq m.

The property was owned by hardware tsar the late Graham Nock, of the Nock & Kirby family.

Nock had been approached many times by agents wanting to sell the huge property before his death in May at the age of 96.

His wife, Pamela, had died in 2022.

The $59m deal consisted of the 1960s house with pool on a 1442sq m block and the 1189sq m block next door.

Ken Jacobs of Forbes was behind the off-market deal.

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7. 38 Vaucluse Rd, Vaucluse, $56m

This property, sold by Ray White Double Bay’s Riki Tawhara and principal Elliott Placks on June 18, was owned by 98-year-old philanthropist Isaac Wakil.

It’s known that buyer’s agent Simon Cohen introduced the purchasers, a local family, to the Vaucluse residence.

Unsurprisingly, the plan is to knock it down and build their dream home.

Wakil had owned the 1400sq m property, with its house set for the demolition ball but with panoramic Sydney Harbour views, for 65 years.

Isaac and his late wife Susan were immigrants from Romania and Iraq and had no children.

They owned a range of commercial properties across Sydney, including the Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont and the landmark Griffiths Tea building in Surry Hills.

8. 69 Wolseley Rd, Point Piper, $55m

Just before the 38 Vaucluse Rd sale, the luxury four-bedroom home on a 703sq m block owned by Retail Apparel Group co-founder Stephen Liebowitz and his wife, Pam, sold via Ray White Double Bay’s Adam Reichman and Elliott Placks in conjunction with Michael Pallier of Sotheby’s. It had a pool and iconic harbour views.

It’s yet to settle so we don’t know the purchaser.

9. 12 Dumaresq Rd, Bellevue Hill, $54.6m

The Bruce Stafford-designed six-bedroom residence owned by recycled shopping bag tycoon Frank Qiang Gengh and his wife Juanjuan Zhao sold in February, having had a $20m price cut from the $75m when first listed last June.

But the sale, via Michael Pallier of Sotheby’s and Brad Pillinger of Pillinger, was still sufficient to nab the Rose Bay house price record at the time, later surpassed by the $82.5m Tivoli Ave sale.

Back then, Gengh and Zhao were highly motivated sellers, having exchanged on the Point Piper mansion Rockleigh, home of medico specialist Philippa Harvey-Sutton, for about $82m.

10. Lansell Rd, Toorak, $50m

The third Melbourne residence in the national top 10 was the home of the late Marc and Eva Besen.

News Corp reported the sprawling Lansell Rd estate exchanged in May in an off-market deal via Ross Savas and Nick Kenyon of Kay & Burton.

Property documents confirmed the Besen’s four adult children – billionaire Daniel Besen, Sussan boss Naomi Milgrom, philanthropist Carol Schwartz and Besen Family Foundation chief executive Deborah Dadon – owned the property.

A well-placed source said the residence was a longstanding family base, steeped in private gatherings, philanthropic vision and commercial strategy, although the buyer’s identity remains a closely guarded secret.

“In Toorak, this is as close as it gets to royalty changing address,” the source explained.

“The Besens helped shape Melbourne through fashion, retail and philanthropy, selling the family home quietly.”

11. 3 Kirkoswald Ave, Mosman, $50m

The North Shore hit a new price record with this sale after less than a week on the market.

The contemporary Susan Rothwell-designed mansion had potential buyers swarming long before it appeared online, according to selling agent Michael Coombs, who listed the home of philanthropist Diane Balnaves with colleague Adrian Bridges from Atlas Lower North Shore.

Although both agents declined to comment on the sale, Coombs confirmed more than a dozen parties had been shown through the residence in three days, adding that half of them had put forward solid offers.

The campaign had launched with a guide of $45m to $50m. Sources close to the sale suggested the property sold at the very top end of the guide.

It last exchanged in 2001, before the full rebuild, for $6.525m.

When interviewed prior to the winning offer, Coombs said the six-bedroom house had long been coveted by neighbours.

“This is one of those iconic homes that throughout my career people have asked about buying. I’ve always told them no, now it’s a yes.”

12. 69 Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, $50m

Scape student housing boss Stephen Gaitanos and his wife Emma bought this six-bedroom mansion in November, moving from Hunters Hill.

The deal was done by Ray White Double Bay’s Elliott Placks and Ashley Bierman.

The vendor was Paul Oppenheim, the chair and co-founder of Plenary Group, and his wife Cathie.

The Oppenheims had bought it for $18.8m in 2017.

The three-storey home with tennis court and pool is on a 1714sq m block. There’s also a gym, an office, a steam room, a library and a rumpus room. The Oppenheims had done a reno, including updating the kitchen, but retained period details such as the leadlight windows.

The gardens are by Will Dangar.

13. 78 Kambala Rd, Bellevue Hill, $48,499,999

Award-winning film producer Warwick Ross, whose first big break was the 1980 classic The Blue Lagoon, sold his stunning mansion ahead of a mega international campaign in March.

McGrath Double Bay’s Luke Hogan and William Manning did the deal with buyer’s agents Simon Cohen and Isabella Lucas.

14. 19 Kent Rd, Rose Bay, $45.1m

This grand Rose Bay estate sold at a private auction in late August, setting an auction record.

Fittingly named due to its elevated position overlooking the Royal Sydney golf course, The Knoll at 19 Kent Rd – a deceased estate – is a rare six-bedroom trophy home and was always going to be popular.

But selling agents Michael Dunn and James Dunn of Richardson & Wrench Double Bay had few comparisons and struggled to find an appropriate guide in time for the Wentworth Courier House of the Week feature, though at the time they cited early interest in the $30m-$35m range.

Dunn was ecstatic with the result.

“I think it could be a record for a residential property sold at auction,” he said. “The vendors are very happy with the result, but it was a spirited auction and good properties like this always attract good interest.”

15. 45 Kambala Rd, Bellevue Hill, $45m

Ellie Tavakoli of the eastern suburbs’ Tavakoli family, who operates national retail group ACS Designer Bathrooms, sold a rebuilt home with a pool and tennis court on a 1183sq m block via Highland Double Bay Malouf director David Malouf with Alex Lyons of Raine and Horne Double Bay.

Updated property records show the buyer was Elham Dalvand.

16. 4 McLean Crescent, Mosman, $43,500,000

Louise Grinham and her fund manager husband, Richard, of Castlecrag snapped up this home on waterfront reserve at Chinaman’s Beach in August.

It was 1035sq m of land near the beach carpark, owned by property developer Vic Virgona and his wife Maria, who bought two neighbouring homes and combined them.

They owned the first one, then when the next-door home came up for sale in 2010 they bought that for $5.5m and joined them up.

The house had an indoor pool, a gym and four bedrooms, but its value was all in its position.

The Virgonas are moving to a Manly penthouse.

Rob Klaric, of The Property Expert International, said three buyers were after the property, and he represented the underbidder.

“You’ll never get that size of house anywhere so close to the water and it was presented beautifully,” he said.

The sale was negotiated by Glenn Curran of The Agency and Guido Scatizzi of BresicWhitney.

17 28 Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, $43,456,500

The French Riviera-­inspired residence on a 1252sq m block of hardware tsar turned property developer Fedor Czeiger and his wife, Elizabeth, sold in a private deal between neighbours in March.

They had bought the four-bedroom home for $6.25m in 2012 from the estate of the late Lady Sonia McMahon.

A caveat on the title revealed it was snapped up by Yi Dong and Moquan Dong, who are believed to have links to the owner of the neighbouring 774sq m property, Xiao Bei Shi, wife of billionaire property developer Phillip Dong Fang Lee, of 26A Victoria Rd.

The developer and his wife were in the news for clashing with Mid North Coast locals over their plans to carve up a rare 400ha bush block for housing. The locals say it should be national park.

18 16 March St, Bellevue Hill, $43m

The Bellevue Hill mansion of fashion stylist and personal shopper Natalie Jacobson and husband “Wazza” sold in April.

The five-bedroom recently completed three-level home on a 1278sq m block came with a resort-style heated magnesium pool, a championship-grade tennis court with lighting, a state-of-the-art gym, an infra-red sauna and a cinema.

It sold after three weeks via Ray White Double Bay’s Ashley Bierman and Elliott Placks.

It’s understood private equity investor Nick Speer and his wife, Camilla, snapped it up in a late-night deal via buyer’s agent Simon Cohen of Cohen Handler.

The deal smashed the previous street record of $25.2m set last January for a home across the road.

Jacobson and her husband Warren, chief executive of Camp Australia, bought the March St home for $8,625,000 in 2017 and rebuilt to a Nick Tobias design.

19 49 Coolawin Rd, Northbridge, $42,750,000

The largest waterfront landholding in Northbridge reset North Shore records when it sold in February via Michael Coombs and Andrew Drury of Atlas.

Sydney-based Manrong Xu snapped up the grand estate on a 3434sq m block.

Coombs said at the time of the listing in late January: “In my two decades of real estate, I’ve never come across a waterfront property like this.”

The vendor was Kristie Ward of the Primo Smallgoods family. She’d bought the six-bedroom mansion in 2017 for $21m from Robert and Kelly Salteri of the Transfield and Tenix infrastructure family.

20 26-27 Olola Ave, Vaucluse, $42m

Owned by freight boss Arthur Tzaneros, the five-bedroom, six-bathroom residence on a massive 2,266sq m block came with a pool, a championship-sized tennis court and harbour views to the Manly headlands, yet it took 21 months to sell, in March.

Its most recent agents, Highland Double Bay Malouf’s David Malouf with Michael Pallier of Sotheby’s, had a $45m guide.

When listed initially with different agents the guide was $50m-$55m. Tzaneros and his wife, Maude, had bought it in 2021 for $32m.

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