A Look at Ellen DeGeneres’s and Portia de Rossi’s Gigantic Real Estate Portfolio
This article was originally published on 4/6/21; it has been updated to reflect new information.
While Ellen DeGeneres’s name might remind many of her 2020 workplace controversy, the former daytime TV host is making headlines again for a different reason. She’s returning to the spotlight with her new Netflix special, Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval. In it, she opened up about some of the personal struggles she’s been dealing with, saying, “So, I have ADD, I have OCD, I’m losing my memory. But I think I’m well-adjusted because I obsess on things, but I don’t have the attention span to stick with it, and I quickly forget what I was obsessing about in the first place.” DeGeneres also revealed that she’s been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Beyond her decades of experience as a daytime host, presenter, and actor, DeGeneres and her model-turned-actress wife, Portia de Rossi, are well-established house flippers in Los Angeles. Their real estate ventures are notable for their large-scale purchases, significant profits, and the sheer volume of properties they handle. We can’t lie—we’re incredibly impressed by their rapid buying and selling pace.
Don’t believe us? Read on to learn everything about Ellen DeGeneres’s real estate portfolio, which is focused entirely on the Southern California area. Who knows? By the time you finish reading, she may have added two more properties to the list.
2004: DeGeneres Purchases Hollywood Hills Home
In 2004—the year Ellen and Portia started dating—DeGeneres purchased a 2,000-square-foot midcentury home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.275 million. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, the comedian sold the property one year later, for $2.1 million, to none other than actor Heath Ledger. Since then, the property has also been owned by actor Josh Hutcherson, who sold it for $2.94 million in 2020.
2007: DeGeneres and de Rossi Buy Montecito Mansion
DeGeneres and de Rossi purchased this home in 2007 for $15.75 million, before flipping it and selling it for $20 million in 2011. According to Architectural Digest, the property served as the backdrop for Kim Kardashian’s second wedding to Kris Humphries, which was televised on cable network E!.
2008: DeGeneres and de Rossi Purchase Beverly Hills Estate
In 2008, the Golden Globe–winning comedian and SAG award–winning actress dropped $29 million on a 9,200-square-foot estate in Beverly Hills—and got married there themselves that same year. They went on to sell it to Ryan Seacrest in 2012 for $37 million. This home was also featured in Architectural Digest.
2008: The Couple Buys a Horse Ranch in Thousand Oaks
The same year the couple purchased the Beverly Hills estate, they spent $8.5 million on a horse ranch in Thousand Oaks—inspired, possibly, by de Rossi’s love of dressage. They sold this property in 2013 for $10.85 million.
2011: The Couple Buys Brad Pitt’s Old Malibu Beach House
For $12 million in 2011, Ellen and Portia bought Brad Pitt’s former beach house in Malibu—then sold it for $13 million the following year.
2012: DeGeneres and de Rossi Purchase Historic Beverly Hills Residence
The Hal Levitt–designed Skouras Residence, built in the 1950s, was added to Ellen and Portia’s ever-expanding real estate portfolio in 2012, to the tune of $17.4 million. The couple flipped the home shortly thereafter, selling it for $20 million in 2013.
2013: The Couple Buys a Historic Montecito Estate
In 2013, the star couple (who are worth a reported $550 million—combined!) spent $26.5 million on a Wallace Frost–designed estate in Montecito that dates back to the 1930s. They sold the home, complete with a lap pool, badminton court, and sunken tennis court, for $34 million in 2018.
2014: DeGeneres and de Rossi Buy the Brody House in Holmby Hills
Designed by architect A. Quincy Jones and known as the Brody House, this property was purchased by DeGeneres and de Rossi in 2014. After paying $40 million for the home in January 2014, the couple sold it for $55 million—a mere six months later! It was reportedly purchased by Napster cofounder Sean Parker.
2014: DeGeneres and de Rossi Purchase a Condo Pairing in Westwood
Although it may seem like DeGeneres and de Rossi are invincible when it comes to flipping properties for profit, they, too, have experienced the whims of the real estate market. Case in point: a pair of L.A. condos the couple purchased in 2014 for $13.2 million. Three years later, they sold them for $11.85 million at a loss of $1.35 million. Better luck next time!
2014: DeGeneres and de Rossi Buy Beverly Hills Villa
It wasn’t long before Ellen and Portia made quite the comeback, selling a Beverly Hills villa they’d bought for $16 million in 2014 for a cool $35 million in 2017.
2017: The Couple Purchases Iconic Montecito Home
Rancho San Leandro was added to the couple’s impressive real estate portfolio in 2017 when DeGeneres and de Rossi spent $7.2 million for it—before selling it to Tinder founder Sean Rad for $11 million the following year.
2017: DeGeneres and de Rossi Buy Beachfront Mansion in Carpinteria
At this point, we’re beginning to wonder why we aren’t as invested in flipping houses as Ellen and Portia are, because almost everything they touch turns to gold. Example: the Carpinteria beachfront mansion they purchased in 2017 for $18.6 million and sold two years later for $23 million.
2018: The Couple Purchases Another Beverly Hills Estate
The daytime talk show host and Arrested Development star acquired a Hollywood Regency–style abode, designed by John Elgin Woolf, in 2018 for $15 million. They sold it less than a year later for $15.5 mil.
2018: The Couple Buys a Santa Barbara Ranch
That same year, Ellen and Portia dropped $6.7 million on a Santa Barbara ranch, one year prior to selling it for $6.98 million to Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins.
2019: DeGeneres and de Rossi Splurge on Montecito Mansion
DeGeneres and de Rossi sold their Montecito mansion (purchased for $27 million) for $33.3 million in 2020, according to The Real Deal.
2019: DeGeneres and de Rossi Spend Even More on Beverly Hills Villa
In May 2019, the couple spent $45 million on a Beverly Hills mansion that had recently been renovated by then-owners Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo. In 2021, it was listed for $53.5 million, and it sold for roughly $47 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
2020: The Couple Purchases an Estate in Montecito
In 2020, the famous duo purchased a $3.6 million house in Montecito, which they then sold to Ariana Grande for $6.7 million. This unique estate actually consists of two Tudor-style barns that were relocated from the English countryside and reconstructed on-site in the 1980s.
2020: DeGeneres and de Rossi Purchase a Mansion in Montecito
This $49 million mansion just happens to be situated in the same enclave as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s own sprawling Southern California pad. The sale took place in September 2020, and according to Siteline Santa Barbara, the couple sold this property just a year later in a private sale for $55 million.
2021: DeGeneres and de Rossi Flip Another Montecito Mansion
Yet another Montecito home is on this list—this time, it’s one that DeGeneres and de Rossi paid $12 million for in September of 2021, according to People. The couple sold the property for $13.9 million in 2022.
2021: The Couple Purchases a Midcentury Gem in Beverly Hills
Originally listed for $9.35 million by talent agent Greg Cavic, DeGeneres and de Rossi bought this midcentury gem in September of 2021 for $8.5 million. When they bought the 4,600-square-foot home, it had already recently undergone a lengthy renovation, so it’s a mystery what the couple had planned for this house flip. However, with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a sunken living room, and a gorgeous backyard area, it’s not surprising that this property sold just months later for $8.8 million.
2022: The Couple Purchases a Montecito Property
Once more, DeGeneres has added a Montecito estate to her real estate portfolio. Built in 2014, this $21 million property boasts three bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, across 11,947 square feet. The dwelling originally had an asking price of $35 million, so the comedian appears to have gotten a great deal! Just a few months ago, DeGeneres reportedly sold the estate to record executive Scooter Braun for a cool $36 million.
2022: DeGeneres and de Rossi Buy Yet Another Historic Montecito Home
In April of 2022, the dynamic duo (who probably deserve their own HGTV show at this point) purchased a 1915 Montecito home for $5.4 million. This charming cottage is a three-bedroom, 2,280-square-foot dwelling surrounded by hedges and featuring gorgeous original details. However, as you’ve probably guessed by now, DeGeneres and de Rossi don’t purchase these homes to live in them but to flip them for a generous profit. Only a few months later, the couple put the property back on the market to no avail, finally selling it for $5.1 million in March 2023.
2022: The Couple Buys an Iconic Bel-Air House
Known as the Brown-Sidney House and designed by Richard Neutra in 1955, DeGeneres and de Rossi purchased this iconic Bel-Air home in an off-market sale for $29 million. This midcentury time capsule was previously owned by fashion designer Tom Ford and features three bedrooms, six bathrooms, an open floor plan, and a pool. Later in 2022, the couple reportedly sold the property to Ryan Murphy, creator of the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.
2022: DeGeneres and de Rossi Break Records Buying a Santa Barbara Estate
For a record-breaking $70 million, the famous couple purchased two adjoining properties in the upscale enclave of Carpinteria. Apparently, they bought the first property—a Tuscan, farmhouse-style mansion on almost 3.5 acres of land—for $41.7 million and a vacant 6.6-acre property next door for $28.2 million. DeGeneres and de Rossi stayed on this estate for two years before selling it to billionaire Robert Friedland in 2024 for a staggering $96 million in an off-market deal.
2023: DeGeneres and de Rossi Take a Break Before Snatching Up Another Montecito Mansion
It seems after that last huge property purchase, the duo needed a bit of a break before buying up more houses in the L.A. area to flip. However, it didn’t last too long, because in June 2023, they bought a 1919 home known as Pompeiian Court in Montecito for $22.5 million. This villa sits on eight acres and featured many of the original architectural details with plenty of modern amenities as well, like a pool, art studio, and gorgeous kitchen. A few months later, the couple put the European-style home back up on the market for $46 million, finally selling it in early 2024 to Robert Friedland—yes, the billionaire who also bought the couple’s Carpinteria estate—for $32 million.
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