Check Out Matt Lauer’s $4 Million Cottage in Southampton, NY

Matt Lauer is a former TV anchorman with a less than savory reputation. And that’s putting it mildly. After decades of fronting NBC’s Today show, he was ousted in 2017 after allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct emerged. Given the nature and seriousness of the allegations (not to mention the fact that NBC admitted they had “reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident”), it’s reasonable to assume that Lauer won’t be returning to our screens anytime soon. And judging from how many properties he’s been offloading in the last couple of years (or, to be more accurate, trying to offload), the consequences of that fact on his finances are clearly weighing heavy on his mind.

The Property King

Prior to getting the boot from NBC, Lauer was spending a considerable amount of his even more considerable salary on buying up prime chunks of real estate. One of his earliest buys was a $5.882 million penthouse apartment in Manhattan. The apartment (which, as it so happens, is located in the same building that Bernie Maddox once called home), is described by architecturaldigest.com as being built in the 1920s in a neoclassical style with Greek-inspired elements (you’re guess is as good as ours). Lauer snapped up the apartment alongside his then wife, Annette (the two split in 2017 after the allegations of his errant ways started making headlines) in 2004, where it became his main base during his years working at the Rockefeller Center.

Along with his New York pad, he’s also acquired a sizeable chunk of the Hamptons. In June 2016, he laid down $36.5 million on Strongheart Manor, a 19,000 square foot mansion that had previously been owned by none other than Richard Gere. As well as boasting 12 bedrooms, six acres of land, two guesthouses, 12 bathrooms, a 60-foot pool (heated, naturally), an outdoor fireplace, and multiple basketball and tennis courts, it also lays claim to its own 300-foot private beach.

But apparently, even 12 bedrooms and a beach haven’t been enough to satisfy Lauer’s property lust. Somewhere along the line, he’s also managed to acquire a house in Sag Harbor (a six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with a 70-foot heated pool, a pool house, a tennis court, a wet bar, and 25 acres of manicured gardens designed by landscape architect to the stars, Miranda Brooks); ANOTHER house in Sag Harbor (this time a more modest three bedroom, two bathroom affair with a Cape Cod–style cottage vibe, 1,800 square feet, ‘light and bright’ interiors, and a relatively modest mortage of $2.15 mill); and finally, a 16,000-acre ranch located on the shore of Lake Hawea in New Zealand that he owns alongside his ex wife.

Sell, Sell, Sell

Since Lauer’s fall from grace, it seems a day doesn’t pass without another of his properties acquiring a ‘For Sale’ sign. The first house he tried to sell off was his six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house in Sag Harbor. The listing went up shortly after he acquired Richard Gere’s far bigger, far grander mansion in 2016. Initially listed for $18 million, the lack of interest led Lauer to drop the price to $14.9 million. Despite the considerable drop, he’s still had no takers.

He’s also spent a considerable amount of time trying to offload his second Sag Harbor house as well. Despite using it as a refuge during the height of the media speculation in 2017, by 2019 it had clearly served its purpose. As Realtor.com reports, the property was first listed in 2019; after a year with no taker’s, he relisted it again in September 2020 with a more attractive price point. As of yet, there’s still no interest. Time to knock a few extra mill off, Lauer?

And Sell Again

The latest property that Lauer has decided to stick on the open market is his Cape Cod style cottage in Southhampton. Compared to some of his other properties, the cottage is relatively humble (although we mean ‘humble’ in a celebrity sense, which, as you’d expect, is a very different thing to the normal interpretation). Coming in just short of a cool $4 million at $3.95 million, the traditional cottage is unquestionably attractive. Whether or not it’ll fare any better than his previous attempts to liquidize his property portfolio, who knows? But leaving that to one side, what can the eventual buyer expect of this Southampton abode?

Check Out Matt Lauer’s $4 Million Cottage in Southampton, NY

As you step through the doors of the cottage, the first thing you’ll notice is the light, bright, airy feel. Despite its traditional, cottagey vibe, there’s nothing dark, dreary, or old fashioned about the place: expect plenty of light colors, pale woods, and natural light streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows. As homestratosphere.com notes, you can also expect 1,800 square feet of living space spread over three bedrooms, two bathrooms, wrap-around decks, a living room with a fireplace and a cathedral ceiling, a country-style kitchen, a dining area with floor to ceiling bay windows, a huge lawn, and breathtaking views of the dock and bay.

• The Kitchen – With a county cottage style vibe, white cabinetry, beige floors, and plenty of light streaming through the windows, the kitchen may be modest, but it’s still very much the heart of the home.
• The Bedrooms – The bedrooms have been executed in the same light, bright colors of the living areas, with pale walls, light beige bed frames, and natural colored floor coverings. Some cheerful window treatments help inject a splash of lively color into proceedings. The views from the windows themselves, meanwhile, are surely grand enough to make up several hundred thousand of the asking price.
• The Deck – The cottage is blessed with some stunning views; where better to appreciate them than on the gorgeous wraparound deck, which comes complete with whitewashed railings, a spacious outdoor dining area, and gleaming decking? Ask Lauer nicely, and he might even throw in the lounge chairs and parasols.

Check It Out For Yourself

If you fancy checking out the property for yourself, viewings can be arranged via Susan Breitenbach of Corcoran Real Estate Group. We would tell you to get your skates on before anyone else gets there before you, but judging by how quickly Lauer’s other properties have sold (or rather, haven’t), we think you’ve probably got more than enough time.