PHOTO: Panthers star Nathan Cleary recently bought a home in the Penrith area from his father and coach Ivan. Picture: NRL Photos
As the Penrith Panthers aim for an unprecedented NRL premiership three-peat, several of their star players have translated their on-field success into astute real estate investments.
Among these Panthers luminaries, such as Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, and Brian To’o, have made strategic property purchases in the local area. Even their coach, Ivan Cleary, has established roots within the community. Meanwhile, players like Luke Garner have ventured farther afield.
NRL Star Nathan Cleary Purchases New Home from Father and Coach Ivan Cleary
In 2018, during his third season with the Panthers, Nathan Cleary acquired a charming $1.5 million residence not far from BlueBet Stadium, the team’s home ground. He made a shrewd purchase by securing it for $150,000 less than the initial asking price, taking advantage of a soft market at the time. Since then, property values in the area have surged, likely increasing the home’s worth by at least 50%. The four-bedroom house, which had been renovated since its previous sale for $628,000 in 2012, boasts a modernized kitchen and bathroom, a formal lounge with a striking fireplace, and a family room that opens onto a raised alfresco area overlooking the pool.
More recently, in June of this year, Nathan Cleary bought a stunning riverside home from an unexpected seller—his father and Penrith Panthers coach, Ivan Cleary. This internal family transfer of the four-bedroom Nepean River property took place for $1.7 million, as per property records. Ivan Cleary originally purchased the Western Sydney residence in 2013 for $1.175 million during his initial tenure as Penrith coach when Nathan was still a teenager. The contemporary home is set in a tranquil, leafy environment, featuring both indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces, with floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interior with natural light.
Inside Nathan Cleary’s long-term Penrith home.
Not far from Nathan Cleary’s new property, his two-time premiership-winning halves partner, Jarome Luai, made his debut in the real estate market in June by acquiring his first home for approximately $1.5 million. This spacious family home spans two levels and boasts five bedrooms, with the master bedroom on the second level featuring a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. The rear alfresco terrace overlooks a generous 645-square-meter garden. The property also offers several formal and informal living areas, along with multipurpose rooms suitable for a gym, music room, or library.
Panthers representative winger Brian To’o recently embarked on a unique real estate venture by purchasing a home for his parents, Fati and Fale, in August of last year. This home, located on the outskirts of Penrith, was acquired for around $860,000 and was a 2015-built property secured off-market through local Ray White agent Vedant Agrawal. The home features three bedrooms and two bathrooms and sits on a 275-square-meter block that was purchased for $419,500 in 2013 before its construction.
Brian To’o and his parents Fati and Fale outside their new home.
Meanwhile, Panthers backrower Luke Garner made an investment move on the Gold Coast, purchasing a renovated property in one of the city’s rapidly growing markets without actually visiting the property in person. Garner, who joined the Panthers for the 2023 season after a five-year stint with the Wests Tigers, invested $810,000 in the newly renovated Pimpama home. The 27-year-old, originally from country NSW, attended Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School on the Gold Coast and played junior rugby league for the Bilambil Jets. Garner made an offer for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home just five days after it was listed online, having spent between 6 to 9 months actively searching for an investment property in southeast Queensland, where he wanted to allocate his earnings. Nathan Simon, a marketing agent from All Properties Group, confirmed that Garner purchased the property “sight unseen.”
SOURCE: NEWS.COM.AU