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From the San Francisco Business Times: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2025/12/10/celebrities-highprofile-leasing-bay-area-sf-agent.html
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When athletes or movie stars needs a place to stay in S.F., these are the people they call
Maria Afzal of Christie's International Real Estate told the Business Times that celebrities want Bay Area agents to "fight hard to get them the right place at the right time, in a highly private and secure manner."
RAJ BHARDWAJ
By Ted Andersen – Digital Editor, San Francisco Business Times
Dec 10, 2025
Listen to this article 11 min
Story Highlights
Bay Area agents lease luxury homes to celebrities and athletes through trusted referrals.
Professional athletes typically rent furnished homes before potentially buying in the area.
Agents anticipate increased demand for 2026 Super Bowl and World Cup rentals.
When VIPs or MVPs need to find a place to stay in San Francisco, they don't turn to Apartments.com.
Instead, these high-stakes masters of the universe such as celebrities, pro athletes or business executives seek out tight-lipped Bay Area real estate agents who provide extra discretion, quick problem solving and white-glove service. Local agents who specialize in leasing luxury properties to high-profile individuals described to the Business Times how these clients value privacy and security above all else, and deals often happen through trusted referrals rather than cold contacts.
Many said that professional athletes tend to start by leasing furnished homes to test out neighborhoods before potentially buying, with popular areas including downtown San Francisco, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills and Atherton. Many athletes prefer to rent rather than buy homes, typically looking for high-end condos near sports venues like the Chase Center and Oracle Park.
Looking ahead to 2026, some agents also anticipate increased demand for luxury short-term rentals around major events like the Super Bowl in February and the World Cup in the summer, both at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
But in the end, despite the glamorous facade, agents emphasize that these clients want the same thing as everyone else: a peaceful home that fits their lifestyle.
The 'Warrior"
To achieve those ends, success comes from building trust and maintaining professional boundaries and not violating a nondisclosure agreement. Compass husband-and-wife team Milan Jezdimirovic and Dunja Green are these types of agents who have leased about 150 homes so far this year, some to high-profile clients. Jezdimirovic said each year, the two rent homes to at least a couple of professional athletes, whom he described as all " very nice and down to earth." And as such, the two have many stories that highlight challenges in meeting high-profile clients' specific needs. Here's one.
"The most interesting one is with a former Warriors superstar," Jezdimirovic said. "He was looking for a place near the Chase Center to crash after the game. Nothing that was on the market checked the boxes, so his representative reached out to see if we had anything off-market/coming soon available. After learning what they were looking for, we quickly found a few off-market luxury condos to show them."
That was two years ago, when the condo market in the city was soft, and the couple knew a few condo owners who wanted to sell but were not happy with the price they could get.
"We called these sellers and asked them if they would lease their homes to the Warriors player. They all said 'Yes.' We were showing the first unit in the Rincon Hill area. I knew the management and staff in the high-rise buildings we were touring. I informed them who would be coming to their building to tour and asked whether we could use the service elevator so that the player could have privacy and a good experience. Both buildings we went to that day accommodated us and even sent their best staff member to escort us up to the unit and to make sure no one bothered us. Even being one of the biggest superstars on the team, he did not ask for special treatment and was very appreciative of the staff's attention and professionalism.
"While we were showing the condo, the Warrior walked by the dining table and noticed that the laptop on it was showing a live Zoom board meeting. I expected he would be very upset about this situation. It was the opposite. He waves to everyone on camera and smiles. Everyone was so excited at the board meeting and couldn't believe who they just saw. The owner of that condo, who is a top executive at one of the Fortune 500 companies, stepped out of the house right before the showing. She later said she forgot to grab her laptop when she was taking off.
"We went to see another property in the same area, located in one of the newest buildings with a very unique design near the Embarcadero waterfront. The Warrior walks in and, after just a few minutes, says I want this place and instructed us to cancel the other viewings we scheduled for him. This condo rental was not pet-friendly, but the owners made an exception to accommodate the pet owner and his famous dog. The owners requested to review and sign the lease first. A few days after sending a lease out to them, they informed us they unfortunately could not take a tenant with a pet. The player's representative was upset and angry with this situation. They, of course, did not want to see more properties with us. The story does not have a happy ending, but we always remember it, and we learn a lot from it."
What high-profile clients want
So how is it that Bay Area real estate professionals begin to find and negotiate with some of the wealthiest, savviest and most powerful people in the world?
According to Karen Mendelsohn Gould, the Compass agent who listed 2898 Broadway a Billionaires' Row residence that sat on the market for two years before closing at the end of November these high-profile deals are done by lawyers in New York, but here in Northern California, it’s the agents who handle them.
Agent Nina Hatvany with Compass said the high-profile clients she has worked with have all been referred to her by their trusted advisers or friends typically an attorney, a real estate agent who has worked with them in another area or a friend who has had a successful transaction with her.
For Compass agent Darcy Elman, her referrals come from one specific lawyer who recently passed a client to her looking for a place to stay during the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in February.
"When they announced the Super Bowl, the people who wanted to position themselves in the San Francisco area moved on it really fast," Elman said. "I've been a realtor a long time and I was like, well, all right, I know people in highrises and that have penthouses, you know, newer developments that haven't sold, and I thought, honestly, that this was going to be so easy for me it'll just be a few calls and I will have this under wraps. But it hasn't really been that easy and there are a lot of reasons why."
Compass agent Darcy Elman said celebrities who want to stay in San Francisco for the Super Bowl started very early.
COMPASS
In this situation, she said the client wants a high amount of square footage and also at least six bedrooms, which takes most condos out of the running. The client's personal assistant asked Elman personally if she knew anybody.
"I do think I could probably find something, but it may be a little closer to February, because what I'm coming across is a lot of perfect houses that meet their criteria, they're on the market for sale, and if they don't sell and it's sitting there, then they may very well be like, 'Sure, just let them come in for a week'," she said. "There's a lot to this conversation. I'm just kind of keeping it as simple as possible because when it comes to 5,000 square feet of a house, No. 1, whoever the owner is doesn't really need a week's worth of rental income."
Then there's the issue of financial protection when staying at someone else's multimillion-dollar San Francisco mansion. "There are insurance things that go along with short-term rentals," Elman said.
MILES CALIBOSO
Phil Chen, an agent with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno in Burlingame, told the Business Times that he has helped several professional athletes either directly or indirectly with their agents or managers contacting him. "Most of the professional athletes I have placed have been in Hillsborough," he said.
Chen said most of his professional athlete clients rent, but all of them look at potentially buying depending on where they are in their careers. "Most want
clauses for if they get traded and/or want a property which is leased only through their seasons, " Chen said. "Most are younger and want that cool, modern home, but their money managers usually tell them what they are able to spend. Some end up in the East Bay because Hillsborough is such an expensive market."
How Bay Area agents deal with famous people
As for Shalini Sadda with City Real Estate, working with NBA stars can be seasonal since they're off for the summer, and then when they come back they are ready to find something before the season starts and suddenly it's a rush. This type of situation calls for many living options to be available, but depending on the timing, what they are looking for may be difficult to track down.
"If you don't jump on it right away, then you miss out on that opportunity, and have to wait for the next right opportunity, and they're very specific in their needs. I often find properties that are not on the market," Sadda said. "In terms of white-glove service, I'm very high touch when it comes to my clients, and especially when working with high-profile clients, you know, there's that extra touch. You go the extra mile to take care of their needs it may not necessarily even be part of your scope or the things that you do. So wherever I can, I absolutely help them with anything I can to make the process as seamless as possible, so they are happy. In my real estate business with any client, it is always a long-term relationship for me. "
Maria Afzal, an agent with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno in Los Altos, said she has represented many high-profile clients in various fields, from professional athletes relocating to Bay Area teams, to founders and executives expanding their company ' s presence, as well as entertainment professionals working on film or partnership projects centered in the Bay Area.
"The luxury business is largely built on trust," Maria Afzal of Christie's International Real Estate told the Business Times.
RAJ BHARDWAJ
Although they come from entirely different networks, all of these clients have a common factor: they prioritize privacy, security and a curated design that accommodates their lifestyle.
"When you work closely with someone on making a significant purchase, you get to know them beyond their profession, to understand what drives them to succeed in their careers and what motivates them in their lives," Afzal said. "In all of this, my objective is always the same to fight hard to get them the right place at the right time, in a highly private and secure manner. "
The celebrity’s lifestyle and profession generally direct the choice of location, she said. Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Atherton and Menlo Park remain favorites thanks to privacy, proximity to Silicon Valley and exceptional architecture. Additionally, San Francisco's Pacific Heights and Sea Cliff neighborhoods draw those who prefer a city backdrop while maintaining luxury and seclusion. Among professional athletes, the theme has generally been opting for scenic spots that allow them to feel the city but are still accessible to their respective stadiums.
There are also a number of high-end buildings scattered around the city that she said her clients have opted for, including the Lumina, Chorus and Nema.
She said in her experience, approximately 60% of celebrity buyers purchase and 40% lease. She said many athletes and visiting executives begin with a luxury lease — often turnkey and fully furnished estates to get a sense of the area before committing to making a significant purchase.
Looking ahead to the Super Bowl and World Cup, Afzal said she expects a bump in business. "Global events like these always heighten short-term demand for elite
rentals," she said. "It’s an exciting time for those watching as well as those who are part of the sports. We anticipate an uptick in high-end leases and short-term purchases from athletes, corporate sponsors and media teams seeking privacy near major venues. I am really looking forward to the coming days as these events approach."
"You meet a good number of great, fascinating people in the luxury market. At the end of the day, humility is no different across price points. We all just want a home that is peaceful and reflective of the people we are, " Afzal said. "The luxury business is largely built on trust. High-profile clients want agents who understand the nuance between visibility and discretion, people who will protect their privacy while delivering exceptional results."
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