Luxury residential

Como, 100 international top players to see historic villas for sale

Forbes Global properties consultants on tour between Cernobbio, Laglio and Blevio. The network's annual meeting hosted last week at the Villa d'Este hotel

12 May 2025

3' min read

It has been in the sights of large private investors for several years, ever since George Clooney made it his holiday area in Italy, and now it is increasingly sought after also by major international hotel groups. Lake Como in the rankings has climbed position after position to the top as the Italian location where house prices have risen the most among resort areas.

Villa Koros

Here, lake-front villas are sold for several million euros and each address generally corresponds to a foreign owner. First it was the Russians, who disappeared since the beginning of the war with Ukraine, then the Americans, now the new owners come from Asia and South America, but among the tourists there are also many Indians and Australians who sometimes stop by looking for a house.

Villa Lloyd

On the way are luxury hotels such as Six Senses and Raffles, in the Imperialino which has just been sold to a family office, while the Villa d'Este group has recently gone shopping in Cernobbio by purchasing the Regina Olga hotel and in Como the Terminus and the Vista, after having got its hands on the Miralago a year ago. But Lvmh has also arrived, which will turn the Castello di Urio into a Belmond hotel. Prominent private individuals include Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen, who has bought a lake-view estate and a house in the centre of Como. Remaining on the market, however, is the villa bought by Chiara Ferragni and Fedez at the time of their wedding.

Villa The Writer’s Nest

Last week the area welcomed 100 top international players from the Forbes Global properties network to explore the properties on the lake. Receiving the 100 consultants at Villa D'Este were the founders of the MVP-Majeli Vassart Properties agency, affiliated with Forbes to cover the entire Lombardy market.

A top-secret tour to discover the most prestigious properties on the lake for off-market sale was organised for a select thirty consultants.

The 'super advisors', ready to option exclusive properties for their clients, come from New York, Hawaii, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Bahamas, Monte Carlo and so on. Well-known names in the industry include Ken Jacobs, Australia, one of the biggest international players in the luxury real estate market as well as Matt Beall from Hawaii, but there is also Kunitake Nakajima from Japan.

The destinations of the tour organised by Simone Majeli and Virginie Vassart are Cernobbio, Como, Laglio and Blevio. MVP-Majeli Vassart Properties has a portfolio worth a total of 300 million euro between properties managed in luxury rent (value 100 million) and those available for sale on and off market (value 200 million).

The annual meeting of Forbes Global Properties, taking place at Villa d'Este, is yet another spotlight on the area. "In the world there is an increasing appetite for Italy, and for Como in particular, in terms of demand for fine properties," explains Simone Majeli, former CEO and Founder of Rent All Como. "We want to show our colleagues, who come from five continents and have brokered sales of more than 10 billion euro worldwide to date, a number of top-secret properties. We have access to a Private Office that allows us to invite investors on a private basis who, after signing a confidentiality agreement, have priority access to off-market sales'.

"The Lake Como area is becoming more and more attractive, also by virtue of the fact that investments in luxury hospitality are planned for almost one billion euros to be made by 2030," adds Virginie Vassart, founder and ceo of MVP-Majeli Vassart Properties. "Properties with lake views are always the most sought-after by the so-called Ultra High Net Worth Individuals with a net worth of at least 30 million dollars. Even in historical contexts like the lake, there is a growing demand for properties equipped with advanced technology and high energy and plant performance. But the most sought-after requirement remains the guarantee of absolute confidentiality and privacy'.

Paola DezzaCaporedattrice del Lunedì e responsabile del settore real estate per tutto il gruppo
- @24paoladezza
Lingue parlate: inglese, francese
Argomenti: mercato immobiliare, architettura, finanza immobiliare, lifestyle, turismo, hotel e ospitalità
Premi: “Key player of the italian real estate market” di Scenari Immobiliari
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