Rapper Booba Sells Miami Beach Home to Komodo Investor

French rapper Booba sold his Miami Beach home to Komodo investor Nick Smith for $6.1 million, in the latest high-priced non-waterfront home sale in the city.

Booba, whose real name is Elie Yaffa, sold the five-bedroom, five-bathroom house at 2315 Meridian Avenue to Smith, one of hospitality mogul David Grutman’s business partners, property records show. Smith is an investor in two of Grutman’s Brickell restaurants: Komodo and his Japanese steakhouse Gekko, the latter of which is also owned by Bad Bunny.

Smith financed his purchase with a $4.1 million mortgage.

The 4,817-square-foot house, which fronts the Miami Beach golf course, was completed in 2016, the year Yaffa acquired the property for $3.7 million, records show. The home, on a 0.2-acre lot, includes a main suite with a double balcony, a two-car garage, pool and views of the golf course.

Booba, who also created his own label, jewelry line and clothing brands, has sold millions of records over his career, which dates back to the early 1990s, according to published reports.

He listed his Miami Beach home in June for about $6.8 million with Compass agent Mathieu Rochette, according to the listing. Rochette declined to comment. John Sandberg of Douglas Elliman represented the buyer.

Sandberg said his client bought the Meridian Avenue property at the “right price.” Comparable homes are selling for $1,500 to $1,600 per square foot, while Smith paid about $1,300 per square foot for the house, he said.

Smith recently sold the non-waterfront home at 1745 West 23rd Street on Sunset Island III for just over $5 million to real estate investor and entrepreneur Evan Weiss, records show. Weiss re-listed the property for nearly $5.8 million, and that deal to flip it is now pending.

Even though residential sales have slowed this year, non-waterfront properties in Miami Beach have continued to sell for high prices. Vero Water co-founder David Deshe and his wife, Danielle, recently sold their non-waterfront home on North Bay Road for $8.4 million.

In April, the $12.5 million sale of the Sunset Islands home at 2535 Shelter Avenue set the record for dry sales throughout Miami Beach.

Contact Katherine Kallergis