Bruce Willis built Parrot Cay compound with 3 homes, sold for $27M in 2019

Bruce Willis has completed the sale of his beachfront retreat on Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos for $27 million. The deal is one of the highest property sales ever recorded in the Caribbean territory.

Property records cited by the Los Angeles Times and Architectural Digest say the American actor bought the 7.3-acre site in 2000. Over the next four years, Willis turned the undeveloped land into a private compound with several homes. The property has more than 35,000 square feet of living space and decks.

Four years of custom construction

When Willis bought the 7.3-acre site in 2000, there was nothing built on it. Architectural Digest reported that the actor spent four years managing the construction of three separate hardwood homes.

The houses were built along 1,100 feet of white sand beach. The main home is the center of the compound. It has six bedrooms, high ceilings, exposed wood beams and large glass doors that open toward the ocean. Two separate guest villas sit beside the main house.

Each has two bedrooms and was designed to give family and friends their own private space. Together, the three homes have 12 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. They cover 13,500 square feet of interior living space.

Covered verandas and outdoor decks add another large area, bringing the total usable living and deck space to more than 35,000 square feet.

Amenities and outdoor features

The property was designed for outdoor fun, privacy and time with family. Each of the three homes has its own swimming pool. A fourth pool was built for children inside a fenced play area. Other buildings added during the four-year project include a beachfront yoga pavilion, a commercial-grade kitchen annex for full-service catering, and private quarters for staff.

The grounds also have a paved children's playground with a life-sized pirate ship.

"We fell in love with Turks and Caicos the moment we arrived," Willis and his wife, Emma Heming Willis, said in an official statement released through Sotheby's International Realty when the property was listed. "The island gave us complete privacy and allowed us to create a space where our family could gather and grow together." Willis and Emma Heming Willis renewed their wedding vows at the estate in March 2019, shortly before the property was put up for sale.

Record valuation and market impact

The property was first listed for sale in March 2019 for $33 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. Turks & Caicos Sotheby's International Realty brokers Nina Siegenthaler and Joe Zavaglia handled the listing. Billionaire businessman Mark Ein, founder of Capitol Investment Corp., paid the final negotiated price of $27 million. The final price was $6 million below the original asking price. Still, the sale was the second-highest residential real estate transaction in Turks and Caicos history.

The regional record remained with a nearby estate on Grace Bay, which sold for $32.5 million earlier that year.

Island refuge for high-profile residents

Parrot Cay is a private 1,000-acre island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. It can only be reached by a 35-minute boat ride from the main island of Providenciales. Architectural Digest has reported that the island has long been a private retreat for wealthy residents because of its security and secluded location.

The resort area, managed by COMO Hotels and Resorts, gives estate owners access to spa services, private dining and personal butler services.

The sale of the Parrot Cay compound was part of a larger effort by Willis and his family to reduce and reorganize their real estate holdings. During the same period, the actor also sold several other properties, including an estate in Bedford, New York, and a ski chalet in Sun Valley, Idaho, as he moved his primary home to the West Coast.