Ellen DeGeneres has experienced intense ups and downs in TV, from starring on sitcoms to hosting her talk show to judging season nine of “American Idol.” But when it comes to her biggest “hobby” — buying, flipping, and selling luxury houses — she’s gone nowhere but up.
Late on September 4, 2025, the Wall Street Journal published a deep dive into the real estate empire that Degeneres and Portia de Rossi, married since 2008, have quietly built over the last two decades.
The outlet’s research shows the couple has owned at least 34 luxury homes since the mid-2000s, mostly in the Los Angeles area, and now in the U.K. The estimated profit of their efforts? A staggering $190 million.
Ellen DeGeneres’ Business Manager Says ‘It Takes a Village’ to Keep Her Home Flipping ‘Hobby’ Going
According to the WSJ, DeGeneres, 67, and de Rossi bought and sold multiple properties during the early days of their marriage, but really ramped up their investments starting in 2020. At least five homes were purchased that year, all of which have since been sold.
Eight more homes were bought in 2021 and 2022, the outlet said, and their average return on investment on their properties — calculating the difference between the original purchase price and the subsequent sales price — is around 37%.
Harley Neuman, DeGeneres’ business manager, told the WSJ that her actual profits are far less than the outlet is reporting, noting, “I would love her to have made that big of a killing.” Nevertheless, DeGeneres confirmed to the WSJ that flipping houses has become a “very lucrative hobby.”
When calculating profits, Neuman said they have to factor in the cost of renovations, telling the outlet, “Forget about the real-estate agents and the escrow and title people. It’s the costs of contractors and the designers and the army that comes in once we’ve closed. It takes a village.”
The high-end furniture costs also need to be factored in, he said, noting that furniture is usually included with the sale of each home, minus any art on the walls, which DeGeneres removes.
Celebrity realtor Josh Altman represented one of the comedian’s Beverly Hills listings in 2022, as seen in the video above, and said the landscaping improvements alone cost between $1 and $3 million.
Real Estate Experts Say Celebrities Are Willing to Pay More for an ‘Ellen House’
Neuman told the WSJ that its estimate of 34 home purchases and sales in the last two decades is likely an “underestimate,” guessing that it’s closer to 50.
“It’s not that I get bored,” DeGeneres told the outlet via phone. “I’m just so passionate about architecture and furniture and you can only buy a certain type of furniture for a contemporary house or a midcentury house.”
Real estate agents in the Los Angeles area told the WSJ that an “Ellen House” is coveted because of its quality workmanship and design. Rayni Williams of the Beverly Hill Estates told the outlet that “once somebody knows it’s her house or she had a hand in it, it adds value. In L.A., she is synonymous with quality.”
Among the celebrities who have bought an “Ellen House,” the WSJ reported, are comedian Will Ferrell, late actor Heath Ledger, and pop songstress Ariana Grande.
Ellen DeGeneres Says Her Family Never Owned a House When She Was Growing Up
DeGeneres told the WSJ that part of the inspiration behind her love of design and flipping homes is that her family never owned one when she was a child, recalling, “I always wanted to own a house as an adult. I was fascinated by different architecture and different layouts.
The comedian oversees all aspects of each flip, Williams told the WSJ, including the luxury design. Another realtor told the outlet that DeGeneres has a gift for making ignored spaces usable and attractive, noting “she’ll turn it into a spot everyone wants to hang out in.”
Now living in the U.K., DeGeneres and de Rossi have already completed their first flip there on a Kitesbridge Farm, which dates back to the 1700s. They paid $20 million for it in the spring of 2024, per the WSJ. In July, they listed the house for $30 million, after investing about $9 million into the home.
DeGeneres did say she’s not sure how many homes she’ll be able to flip in the near future because “I think I’m going to work again, so I’m looking at how much time I’m going to have.”
In early August, Star Magazine reported that DeGeneres has been eyeing a return to TV, with a source claiming that she “is ready to go again and rebuild her TV empire.”
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