Many real estate agents have come to fear an appearance on Zillow Gone Wild, a social media juggernaut that has captured the attention of millions of followers who gawk at the baffling architecture, zany landscaping and bizarre decor of Zillow’s most uncommon listings. But last week, the platform bestowed California-based real estate agent Sarah Rogers with a truly unusual gift — the rare distinction of listing the “perfect modern” home.
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Many real estate agents have come to fear an appearance on Zillow Gone Wild, a social media juggernaut that has captured the attention of millions of followers who gawk at the baffling architecture, zany landscaping and bizarre decor of Zillow’s most uncommon listings.
But last week, the account bestowed The Agency Estates Division Executive Director Sarah Rogers with a truly unusual gift — the rare distinction of listing the “perfect modern” home.
“I keep getting more and more social media attention from agents and architecture aficionados from kind of a wide range of areas,” Rogers said of the post that currently has 10K likes, 2.8K comments and 2.1K shares on Facebook alone. “We’ve certainly gotten plenty of attention from people across the Los Angeles Basin. It has definitely helped [to be on Zillow Gone Wild].”
Sarah Rogers | The Agency
Facebook users noted the five-bedroom, five-bathroom $4.48M San Gabriel Valley estate looks like it was ripped out of a movie, with its striking wood spiral staircase, pristine vintage MCM furniture and decor and ceiling-to-floor windows that provide a one-of-a-kind view of the San Gabriel Mountains and Downtown Los Angeles.
The home also has an executive office, wine room, steam and sauna room with a jet tub and a sunken family room — a feature that’s slowly coming back into vogue after its heyday in the 1970s.
“This house is gorgeous!” a commenter said. “I really love the design and all the wood. It’s certainly not current-day modern but I actually like that. Looks like a peaceful spot in a crazy busy city.”
“Every photo kept getting better,” added another. “If I lived in the area and had the budget, I’d be scrambling to make this happen. Stunning!”
Although some ZGW fans didn’t like the “overly monochromatic” color palette, it didn’t stop them from appreciating the simple beauty of the listing in contrast to normal ZGW fare, which includes Freddy Kreuger-themed kitchens, basement prison cells and fully-carpeted bathrooms.
“Because I’m used to Zillow Gone Wild posts, I kept waiting for the house to entirely go off the rails,” a commenter said. “In this case, it didn’t! I’m not sure what to think…”
Added another, “This is Zillow gone tasteful. I love the decorating [and] interior design. It’s perfect.”
Over on Instagram, Compass real estate agent Samantha Rehr stoked envy when she confirmed the house is just as perfect in person as it is in the listing photos.
“I was able to see this masterpiece in person this weekend — the pictures don’t even do it justice,” she said. “Every inch of this house is jaw-dropping and huge with carefully designed built-in pieces everywhere you look. I have a couple more pictures on my grid of the sauna, the office and a sunken card table.”
Rogers said the 48-year-old home is the work of noted architect John Andre Gougeon, who designed multiple SoCal landmarks, including the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Park Marino Convalescent Center and the Herrick Interfaith Center at Occidental College.
“I think it starts with having the narrative, the story of the property,” she said. “It has been all about understanding what we’re selling and having everything about the marketing and the personal presentation of the home be in line with what the architect would have envisioned.”
“So we removed window coverings because frankly, they’re not necessarily needed because their property is so private. You don’t see other homes and no one looks at you either,” she said. “This home is all about bringing the outdoors in and having views all different kinds of views.”
Another Gougeon creation was sold in 2017 for $880,000. The Glendora home is roughly 4,000 square feet smaller than Rogers’ San Gabriel Valley listing; however, it still has many of the same features that made Gougeon and his contemporary, Frank Lloyd Wright, famous. If sold today, Redfin said it would be worth $1.29M — a 46.5 percent increase in value.
Rogers said she expects the listing to go under escrow in the coming week and is hopeful about the home’s continued role in Los Angeles architectural real estate history.
“It’s a little early yet for me to predict how many [offers we’ll get] or what are [offers] going to say because they don’t have any in hand, but just the response has been met with such enthusiasm,” she said. “One [broker] in particular commented that this is the best modern house that he has ever seen and his company specializes in architectural real estate, so that was quite a compliment.”
“I hope the next owner will honor the home’s architecture,” she added. “Unlike some houses that have really really changed from the original [design], this is a great example of preservation.”
Watch the YouTube video below to fuel your real estate daydreams:
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