Shaq and his real estate team are making some moves to increase the chances of selling O’Neal’s super-sized home in the Orlando, Florida area.
The property in the prestigious Isleworth gated community has been on the market for about three years – on and off. Here at the ShaqFu Radio blog, we’ve reported on the property several times. There was even news that a buyer was ready to sign on the dotted line earlier this year, but apparently that deal fell through.
The estate is in the Orlando-area community of Windermere. It was originally listed back in May 2018. The listing with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty started out with a price tag of $28 million dollars. Since then, the price has been reduced to $16.5 million, which is the current asking price.
Along with Shaq, plenty of other rich-and-famous types call Windermere home, including PGA superstar Tiger Woods, Joey Fatone (formerly of the boy-band NSYNC), and another NBA heavy-hitter, Dwight Howard.
Shaq’s place is one of the gems of the community. It’s about 31,000-square-feet in total, on a three-acre lot overlooking Lake Butler. Since it was built for Shaq, of course it includes a full 6,000-square-foot basketball court along with a fitness room and dance studio.
Of course that’s not all. The home includes a showroom-style garage for up to 17 cars. Personally, we’re big fans of the giant-sized, 95-foot-long pool and Tiki-style cabana and boat dock.
When it was first listed, the description from the real estate company said “Every exquisite detail has been curated to deliver the ultimate luxury living experience. While it was built for a basketball legend, the world-class amenities and fine finishes will delight any discriminating homebuyer.”
Yet the fact that the home was built specifically for Shaq and still has his personal touches everywhere may be a bit (shall we say) intimidating for some potential buyers.
When the latest deal fell through earlier this year, Shaq and his team made the decision to make the estate a bit more “generic” … a little less Shaq-centered. The idea was to let other potential buyers see themselves in the home, not the former NBA superstar.
On a recent TV interview, current listing agent Benjamin Hillman reported the home has undergone some changes to make it more attractive to an affluent clientele. “The person who is going to buy this house is going to put their own stamp. I had to do a big bold move and take Shaq out of the picture and put the new buyers in the picture.”
For example, the giant-sized round Superman bed has been removed. Call it “de-Shaq-ing” if you like. The makeover shows off the home as the big, beautiful estate that it is… and not necessarily the former home of a basketball legend.
Will that help the home sell? Stay tuned… we’ll let you know!