Homebuyers are trying out properties with sleepovers

When Eric Albert put his 11,095-square-foot Newport Coast, California estate on the market for a cool $60.2 million last year, an overseas couple considering the purchase had an unusual request: Before signing, they wanted to move in temporarily.

Albert, a veteran of the aluminum industry, didn’t hesitate. 

“Houses are a huge expenditure,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “For $60 million, you should try it before you buy it. It’s a smart thing to do.” 

The parties agreed to a two-month lease at $250,000 a month, which covered the fully furnished residence, staff and cars. 

Although the couple ultimately bid below his asking price, Albert still came away satisfied. 

“They paid me a nice price for their stay,” he noted, adding that the pair purchased another house nearby through his agents.

For some brokers, the idea is an emerging sales strategy. 

“If you can drive a car off a lot, why not test-drive a home?” asked Compass agent Ari Afshar, who once arranged a one-night stay in a $14.6 million Hollywood Hills spec house. 

The trial came at no charge, though his client carried a renter’s insurance policy. Afshar was amused by the practical challenge that cropped up: “The house didn’t have toilet paper,” he told the Journal.  

In the end, the buyer walked away, realizing he preferred a smaller footprint, but soon bought elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Other markets are seeing similar requests. 

New York–based Douglas Elliman agent McKenzie Ryan worked with clients eyeing a Hudson Valley retreat priced around $600,000. 

The couple, used to apartment living, wanted reassurance about space and maintenance. Ryan helped arrange a one-night stay in the empty house.

“Small but rather major aspects when you live with them everyday,” she told The Journal, describing how her clients tested utilities, listened to the crickets at night and gauged the light in the morning. They closed on the property soon after.

Sometimes it’s sellers who extend the invitation. 

Retired teacher Connie Howell, hosting a garage sale at her four-bedroom house in Holly Lake Ranch, Texas, suggested prospective buyers spend the weekend. 

“I said, ‘Why don’t you bring your family here and spend the weekend?’” she recalled to the Journal. 

The visitors adored the place, though the costs of renovating their existing home ultimately kept them from buying. Her listing remains active.

The practice has long been common among the wealthiest buyers, according to Compass agent Carl Gambino, who said requests are nothing new. 

Still, not all brokers embrace the concept. 

Coldwell Banker’s Jade Mills called the idea unusual: “You have to have an agent who can be a good judge of people. I can’t imagine letting anyone in.”

Yet even she acknowledged a recent case where a client’s sleepover led directly to a full-price deal before the holidays.

Others are more wary. 

Douglas Elliman’s Ruthie Assouline said, “I get it in theory, but it’s Pandora’s box for liabilities.” 

She recalled one Miami property where a prospective buyer’s brief dinner on the deck turned into an eight-hour stay, uninvited guests and a fire alarm. The seller went on to sell to someone else.

Some buyers, though, want longer trials. 

John Serra, a New Jersey resident working with Elliman’s Alejandro Sulser, hopes to rent for months before buying in Florida. 

“A day, three days, a week — that’s not enough time to get the vibe of a place,” he told the Journal. “You need to stay there for a season.”

Serra added he is willing to pay a premium for the privilege.

“I’m not looking for a discount. I’m willing to spend money to get what I want.”