A home near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has sold for $14 million—complete with a rare privilege: guest access to the former president’s private club.
Why It Matters
The six-bedroom property is part of the only street on Palm Beach with a unique agreement that allows homeowners to apply for access to The Mar-a-Lago Club without paying the typical initiation fee, which can reach up to $1 million.
“This is the only street on the island that holds this declaration-of-use agreement with Trump, making it truly one of a kind,” read the listing from Douglas Elliman Real Estate, as reported by the Palm Beach Daily News.
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BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
What to Know
The buyer, linked to Boca Raton-based Beverly LLC, secured the deal in a market that has become emblematic of Florida’s pandemic-era boom.
From 2020 to 2022, Palm Beach’s home values surged, doubling and even tripling in some cases, with total sales hitting a record $5 billion in 2021 alone, according to Palm Beach Daily News.
But signs of market cooling are emerging. Properties are lingering longer—128 days on average in February 2025 compared to 70 days a year earlier—and homes are selling around 10 percent below list price, per Redfin data.
Still, high demand and limited supply keep values inflated. Median home prices reached $3.4 million in February, a 143.9 percent increase from the previous year.
Despite such figures, some luxury homes are struggling. A nearby neighbor listed their home for $13.9 million—less than the $14 million they paid for it in 2023.
“We have seen a slowdown in local buyers, as it’s really hard to upsize to a luxury home with a 7 percent mortgage rate,” said Juan Castro, a Redfin Premier agent, in a statement to Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Some may ask why would anyone desire to have property near a President’s residence, as security measures can make coming and going from your home more complicated than most would want it to be. However, in this situation, many view it as a benefit. Not only has property near Mar-A-Lago been desirable before the Trump Presidency, but some of the homes carry with them access to the resort.”
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: “Trump’s impact on Palm Beach real estate has been fascinating to watch. The ‘Trump effect’ as some local brokers call it, has split the market in two almost completely contradictory ways. On one hand, his presence has undeniably elevated the overall Palm Beach luxury market…”
“But here’s the thing about properties with those special Mar-a-Lago guest privileges. They’re not just regular luxury homes. They’re buying into a very specific lifestyle and social network. What makes these properties special isn’t just the physical real estate; it’s the golden ticket (pun intended) to that exclusive world where politics, business, and high society converge.”
LendingTree insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt told Newsweek: “People like living in exclusive neighborhoods, and there are probably few neighborhoods more exclusive than one where the sitting president of the United States spends his time.”
“We like to think that people who can afford houses like these look at money a little differently than the rest of us do, but a discount is a discount. The club’s initiation fee works out to about 7% of the home’s asking price. This would be comparable to getting a $35,000 initial fee waiver for a $500,000 home. It’s nothing to sneeze at.”
What’s Next
As mortgage rates remain elevated and buyer selectivity increases, Palm Beach’s ultra-luxury sector may face more price adjustments. However, homes near Mar-a-Lago, especially those offering club access, remain coveted.
“Mar-A-Lago has a $1 million initiation fee, and, of course, potential access to be near the President,” Beene said. “When you combine that with security measures sometimes restricting other traffic to the neighborhood, it’s easy to see why some big spenders have been trying to grab housing inventory as it comes on the market.”
Ryan said homebuyers are paying extra for access to a club where they could interact with the president and his inner circle, saying this makes it “catnip for some buyers and absolutely repellent to others.”
“For the buyer who ultimately purchased that property, those guest privileges weren’t just about status, though,” Ryan said. “They represent access to an incredibly powerful network. One dinner conversation at Mar-a-Lago could potentially lead to business opportunities worth millions. It’s networking on steroids, wrapped in palm trees and ocean views.”
