Sweat equity: Billionaire’s sauna deal follows red-hot mansion buy

ByAmeliaJune 2, 20262 Mins read5

GemLife CEO Adrian and Jessica Puljich (centre) are the new owners of a mansion that hosted Jude Law and Elon Musk

Plenty of sweat – if not blood and tears – went into closing the sale of a property owned by billionaire developer Adrian Puljich and his wife Jessica, just a day before they settled on a $9.7 million mansion that once hosted actor Jude Law and tech mogul Elon Musk.

After snapping up the glamorous estate at auction, the Puljichs offloaded a prized waterfront block in a deal sealed by a movie stuntman-turned-agent who cornered the buyer in a steam room.

Alex Fleri, of Amir Prestige, secured $1.875m for the 770 sqm vacant parcel held by A&J Projects. Adrian Puljich, director and CEO of retirement development heavyweights GemLife, is listed as a director of A&J Projects.

Adrian and Jessica Puljich at a Gold Coast charity event

Records show Mr Puljich, one of the Coast’s most prolific deal-makers, paid $2.569m for the property in 2022 and sub-divided it, selling off the other half last year for $1.83m.

It’s small change for Mr Puljich, 37, and his interior designer wife, who can be revealed as the high-profile buyers of an Ashmore mansion rumoured to have hosted celebrities including Law and Musk as well as director Baz Luhrmann and actor Amber Heard. Amir Prestige principal Amir Mian marketed the mansion.

The Ashmore mansion sold at auction for $9.7m

Jude Law was among rumoured celebrity guests

Elon Musk and Amber Heard were also on the star-studded list

The couple also holds a sprawling Carrara estate known as Manor House which was listed at $16.98m in 2023 but didn’t sell, and are chasing $30m for an extravagant hinterland retreat at Coopers Shoot outside of Byron Bay.

Mr Fleri said the Broadbeach Waters site sold to a builder planning an innovative residential project.

“We do what it takes to get deals done,” Mr Fleri said.

“I first mentioned the block of land in Karina Cres to a buyer in a sauna in Southport.

“Two weeks later the contract was signed, on a public holiday, in the very same sauna,” he said.

The DA-approved lot had been listed with another agent, and was described as “build ready and priced to sell”.

42 Karina Cres, Broadbeach Waters

MORE NEWS

Where to find love this Valentine’s Day

Like living on a cruise ship

Inside Glitter Strip developer’s $16.7m beachfront deal

“Perfectly positioned on the natural waterway of Little Tallebudgera Creek, offering privacy and seclusion for your future dream home,” the listing stated.

“Surrounded by multimillion-dollar properties, you are in good company and with lifestyle amenities only five minutes away, this rare block will be hotly contested.”

Mr Fleri and his co-agent, wife Victoria, share twin passions for real estate and the film industry. Both produced and appeared in the spoof, Zombie Plane, starring Sophie Monk and Vanilla Ice.

Movie moguls and real estate professionals Alex and Victoria Fleri

The property at 42 Karina Cres was one of the few remaining vacant parcels in the Florida Gardens enclave of Broadbeach Waters, where the median house price of $2.2m was up 9.3 per cent in the past 12 months, according to PropTrack.

GemLife develops retirement housing projects across three states, including a 143-home over-50s community in Pimpama currently under construction which has notched up more than $110m in sales to date.