Five years after moving into a custom-built house in Brossard’s exclusive Domaines de la Rive-Sud neighbourhood, Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty is putting the property up for sale. The asking price: $1.988 million.
Among the house’s amenities are heated floors in all of its four bathrooms, a super high-tech security system and Viking appliances in the gourmet kitchen. But is there anything else that’s special about the designer home, anything that might hint at the star power of the current occupant?
Joseph Montanaro, Pacioretty’s real-estate agent, paused to reflect on that question.
“Oh, it has a spectacular wine cellar,” he responded. “Hmm. I don’t know if you should put that in.”
(A few minutes later, Pacioretty’s wife, Katia, approved of mentioning the wine cellar.)
As you may have noticed, Montanaro is not your average realtor. Associated with Sotheby’s, he represented Céline Dion when she sold her Normand-style chateau on a private island near Laval last year. And in August, Montanaro brokered the sale of former Habs teammate P.K. Subban’s tony condo in the Acadia building downtown.
Montanaro is used to showing off luxury real estate all day, houses that would make the average Joe’s eyes pop.
“It’s not a gargantuan mansion like when I sold Céline Dion’s house, that I can tell you about,” he said of Pacioretty’s property.
“It’s more of a traditional home on the outside, but the inside is more open-concept and contemporary. The house is gorgeous on the inside. All the curtains and chandeliers will come with the house. It’s really turn-key.”
So why is the 28-year-old Pacioretty selling?
“They have two kids and Katia is expecting a third child this summer,” Montanaro explained. “Although the house is big, they will need something slightly bigger.”
Pacioretty had chosen the 16,000 square-foot spread partly because of its close proximity to the Habs’ practice rink at the Dix30 shopping district in Brossard. He’s now eyeing two potential properties, Montanaro said.
“We’re pricing the house competitively. We don’t want it to drag on. We have an eye on a couple of homes and we want to make sure they’re around when (Pacioretty puts in an offer to) buy one of them.”
Nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac, Pacioretty’s house boasts a three-car garage, four bedrooms on the second floor and another bedroom in the basement. The property also has a sauna, gym and meets the highest Novaclimat energy standards. Walk through the front door and you’ll see polished granite floors.
Brossard has assessed the house this year at $1.33 million, according to the MLS listing. But municipal evaluations are usually lower than the market value. Comparable houses in the neighbourhood sell from $1.2 million to $3 million. There’s even one mansion that’s been priced at $5 million, and Montanaro noted that other Habs players live in the area.
“I can tell you that even if the house sells for close to the asking price, there’s no money to be made,” he said. “This is not being sold at a huge profit.”
As for the celebrity factor, Montanaro suggested that’s not what ultimately attracts buyers. “The value is in the fact that a celebrity built the house with top-shelf materials. They figure: ‘If it’s good enough for them, it will be good enough for me.’ ”
