Longboat Key Estate Closes For $16.5 Million, Sets Record

LONGBOAT KEY, FL — An estate on Longboat Key closed for $16.5 million Monday, making it the highest registered residential purchase ever in the region.

Michael Moulton of Michael Saunders & Company represented the sellers of the iconic Venetian-style estate located at 845 Longboat Club Road behind the gates of the exclusive Longboat Key Club, according to a news release from the company. He has represented the property since its initial listing in 2017.

“It is a great honor to represent the sellers of this record-setting, residential transaction. A home like this creates an exciting showing process…the exacting structural elements, intricate design details, breathtaking décor, immense size and especially the water views,” Moulton said. “I had worked with the sellers on a prior real estate transaction and was delighted that based on that experience they trusted me to guide them through the complex process of selling their impressive estate, screening those interested, and navigating them through the many details that go into the transition of ownership for such an outstanding home.”

Dubbed Serenissima, “the most serene,” the estate is poised on 1.18 acres along the Gulf of Mexico. Its premier location on the southern end of Longboat Key provides dynamic vistas of sea, sand and sky — accented by exceptional architectural Mediterranean detail displayed by a multi-story, marble-clad main hall capped by a glass sky dome, according to the news release. Other features include a grand salon that accommodates 100 guests, a master chef’s kitchen, a 10-seat theater, a sunroom, and sweeping open-air terrace with infinity pool overlooking the beach and Gulf of Mexico.

According to a November report of the Gulf Coast luxury market, there have been 89 sales of single-family homes over $3 million across Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties, the news release said.

Serenissima is now the highest registered residential transaction in the region’s history on the Gulf Coast. Buyer interest and the prestige of Longboat Key, a Gulf Coast barrier island, has been growing over the past decade – accelerated further by the Covid-19 pandemic, the news release said. Sales of homes over $5 million in the local area have increased 57 percent year-over-year in 2020 and this trend is expected to continue.

“Longboat Key’s privacy, natural beauty and value make it a coveted location for luxury buyers around the world,” said Sharon Gould, Michael Saunders & Company’s Longboat Key branch manager. “This interest has grown exponentially with remote work capabilities and the desire to have more space and time with loved ones at home.”