Christie’s Launches New Team for Real Estate Deals in Crypto

Highlights:

• Christie’s launches crypto division to handle high-end property deals without involving traditional banks.
• Over $1 billion in luxury homes are now listed for sale using cryptocurrency payments.
• U.S. housing policies and new bills are helping crypto become part of real estate deals.

UK auction house Christie’s International Real Estate has launched a new division focused on cryptocurrency. It is the first major U.S. brokerage to create a dedicated team for digital-only property sales, according to the New York Times. The new unit offers a team of crypto experts, lawyers, and analysts to help with real estate transactions where both the buyer and seller want to use crypto and avoid traditional banks.

Aaron Kirman, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate, shared with The Times that he launched the new service after handling several major property deals through crypto. One standout sale was a $65 million home in Beverly Hills, California, which was bought using Bitcoin (BTC). Kirman mentioned that the rise of crypto was becoming clearer. He noted that it seems to be growing and not going away anytime soon.

According to the report, homes available for crypto payments are worth more than $1 billion. These include the $118 million La Fin estate in Bel Air and the $63 million Nightingale property in Beverly Hills. Another option is the Invisible House in Joshua Tree, listed for $18 million in cryptocurrency.

According to The New York Times, Christie’s International Real Estate has launched a dedicated crypto real estate division, becoming the first major U.S. brokerage to handle property transactions conducted entirely in cryptocurrency, without relying on traditional banks.…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 24, 2025

Wealthy Buyers Turning to Crypto for More Privacy in Real Estate Deals

Kirman shared that using crypto to buy real estate is still uncommon, but it’s slowly becoming more popular among the wealthy. Many rich buyers like this option because it helps keep their property deals more private. High-profile people and the very rich usually don’t buy homes under their own names.

Instead, they often use companies or trusts to hide their identity and keep their names off public records. Even so, people online can often figure out which company or trust belongs to a celebrity or public figure. Kirman said Christie’s clients still use companies to buy homes, but these are now set up to pay with crypto. Since blockchain is more private, it’s much harder to track who is really behind the deal.

Christie’s Crypto Move Aligns with Growing U.S. Support for Digital Assets in Housing

The launch of this service comes at a time when U.S. housing policy is starting to shift toward accepting crypto. In June, federal regulators asked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to create rules that would let homebuyers use cryptocurrency held on regulated exchanges as part of their mortgage reserves. This could mean buyers wouldn’t have to convert their crypto into cash to qualify for a loan.

Christie’s move is part of a bigger push happening in Washington. New crypto bills supported by Trump, like the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act, focus on making rules for stablecoins and digital money. These changes are opening more doors for businesses that want to use crypto in daily deals.