Sets New Orange County Home Sales Record
An oceanfront estate in Laguna Beach has been sold for $110 million, setting a new record for the highest residential real estate transaction in Orange County history.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the luxury home, located in the exclusive gated community of Emerald Bay, was quietly sold in an off-market transaction. The sale easily surpassed the previous Orange County record of $70 million, set by another Laguna Beach property in 2021.
The deal marks a milestone for Orange County’s luxury housing market. Although the county’s median home price exceeds that of Los Angeles County, it has rarely seen the nine-figure transactions common in ultra-luxury communities such as Beverly Hills and Malibu.
The property’s extraordinary value is largely attributed to its unmatched location. The estate sits directly on Emerald Bay, one of California’s most exclusive private beaches. While California law generally guarantees public access to beaches, Emerald Bay is located within a guard-gated community, making access effectively limited to residents and authorized guests. The beach is also bordered by rocky bluffs on both ends, leaving virtually no practical public access from neighboring shorelines.
John Stanaland of The Agency, who represented both the buyer and the seller, described the property as “a one-of-one location.” He estimated that the oceanfront lot alone is worth between $40 million and $50 million. Combined with construction costs of roughly $5,000 per square foot for the approximately 10,000-square-foot residence, he said the $110 million price tag is justified.
Because the property was never publicly listed, few details about the home have been released. Aerial photographs show a contemporary five-story residence featuring four levels of ocean-facing balconies and an infinity pool overlooking the beach. The home was completed in 2021 by a developer who originally intended it to serve as a family residence.
The identities of the buyer and seller have not been disclosed. Property records show the seller as Faith 5 LLC and the buyer as Dlareme LLC, a name that spells “Emerald” backward. Stanaland described both parties only as “highly sophisticated” real estate investors.
The record-setting transaction highlights the growing strength of Orange County’s ultra-luxury housing market, with affluent buyers increasingly seeking exclusive coastal properties offering privacy, security and direct beach access.
By Inseong Choi
