Harold Matzner’s Three-Home Palm Springs Compound Lists for Record $19.5 Million

Some houses sell because someone needs cash. Others sell because a chapter has closed. This one is the second kind, and you can feel it the moment you read the listing.

Harold Matzner spent nearly 40 years building Palm Springs into what it is today. He passed away in September 2025 at 88, and now his hillside estate above Old Las Palmas is on the market for $19.5 million. Whoever buys it isn’t just getting a house. They’re getting a piece of the city’s story.

If you’ve ever visited Palm Springs, you’ve probably felt the imprint of this man without even knowing his name.

Who Was Harold Matzner, Really?

People called him “Mr. Palm Springs” for a reason, and it wasn’t because he had money. Plenty of people in the desert have money.

He grew up in a financially struggling family, helping support his parents by delivering newspapers and selling dog food door to door. He once dreamed of becoming a sports writer.

Then dyslexia forced a change in plans after he apprenticed as a copyboy at the New York World-Telegram.

So he leaned into what he was actually good at: selling. That instinct turned into CBA Industries, a shared-mail advertising business that made him a serious player on the East Coast.

But here’s the part that actually matters for this story. In 1999, the Palm Springs International Film Festival was on the verge of falling apart.

Matzner stepped in and personally invested over $12 million to save it, eventually turning it into a real stop on the Hollywood awards circuit.

He also opened Spencer’s Restaurant in the historic Tennis Club neighborhood, named after his 110-pound Siberian husky.

It became a regular gathering spot for high-profile crowds. Over his 40 years in the desert, he gave away more than $85 million to local charities.

In 2006, the city placed his star on the Walk of Stars at the base of his close friend Sonny Bono’s statue.

When Palm Springs Life ran an oral history feature on him back in 2017, the response from friends and associates was so overwhelming that editors had to set a strict deadline just to stop it from running indefinitely. That’s the kind of impact we’re talking about.

What’s Actually Inside This Estate

This isn’t one house. It’s three, sitting on a private promontory at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, with the Old Las Palmas neighborhood spread out below.

The main residence is 7,650 square feet, designed by architect Laszlo Sandor. Inside, you’ve got Japanese-inspired interiors, flagstone floors, textured plaster walls, and soaring ceilings.

The living room centers around a sunken conversation pit with a wraparound wet bar, and retractable glass doors open straight onto a terrace built for entertaining.

There’s also a formal dining room, a kitchen with a breakfast bar and walk-in pantry, a gym, and a primary suite with its own stainless-steel fireplace.

Step outside and the grounds are fully walled, lined with palm trees, and dotted with multilevel terraces, built-in barbecue stations, and open-air dining pavilions. Two pools and four spas are spread across the property.

Then there are the additional structures. A second 6,850 square foot residence echoes the same design language as the main house and adds five more bedrooms.

And there’s a separate 1,565 square foot guesthouse, the same one where Cate Blanchett stayed in 2016 when she was honored at the film festival for her roles in Carol and Truth.

Add it all together and you’re looking at 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms across nearly 16,000 square feet on 1.5 acres.

For the full set of photos and listing details, Robb Report’s original coverage is worth checking out. And if you’re into estates where personality matters as much as square footage, our piece on Paris Hilton’s $63 million estate and its own private doggy mansion is another fun one.

The History Behind This Property

Matzner didn’t just buy this place and leave it alone. He built it over decades.

In 1986, he paid around $4 million for the original stucco-clad house. Over the years he added a guesthouse for entertaining friends and business partners.

Then around 2000, he picked up a neighboring five-bedroom home for about $1.2 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

That’s almost 40 years of slowly shaping one piece of land into a personal legacy. It reminds me of a North Carolina estate built to revive a founding father’s legacy, where the property itself becomes the story, not just the price tag.

Why This Matters

Here’s where the numbers really put things in perspective. The average home value across Greater Palm Springs is sitting near $623,000 in 2026. This estate is listed at roughly 31 times that figure.

It’s also being positioned as a potential record sale for the city. According to Houzeo’s Palm Springs market report, the broader market has actually been cooling, with homes selling at around 96% of asking price as buyers gain more negotiating power.

That makes this listing even more notable. Luxury estates with real history, real architecture, and a real story attached don’t move the same way the rest of the market does.

Cash buyers chasing turnkey properties don’t think twice about price per square foot when there’s a legacy involved.

And true to who Matzner was, the proceeds from this sale will go to charity. Even his exit benefits the community he spent four decades building up.

If you’re into stories like this, we share similar finds regularly on our WhatsApp channel, including our recent piece on Nick Wheeler’s private Nashville studio.

Key Takeaways

The estate spans 1.5 acres with 11 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms across three structures. It’s listed at $19.5 million through Eric Lavey of The Beverly Hills Estates.

Sale proceeds benefit a local charity, continuing Matzner’s 40-year giving streak in the Coachella Valley.

What do you think this place will actually sell for? Drop your guess in the comments, especially if you know the Old Las Palmas area well enough to call it.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute real estate or investment advice. Property details and prices are based on publicly available listings and may change.