Mitchell Pearce sells Newcastle home for $1.98 million, banks $600,000 profit

Retired NRL player Mitchell Pearce has sold his Merewether home in Newcastle for $1.98 million, pocketing about $600,000 after buying the property in 2018 for $1.295 million, according to reports.

The three-bedroom house, set on a 520-square-metre block and featuring a home office, two living areas, a garage converted into a retreat with a bar and an outdoor pool, was on the market for 49 days before the sale was finalised. Pearce renovated the home over the years while largely retaining the original floorplan. In 2021 the property was turned into a rental and was advertised at about $1,300 a week.

Pearce still owns two Sydney properties he purchased during his time with the Sydney Roosters: a three-bedroom Cremorne apartment bought in 2013 for $1.32 million and a two-bedroom Randwick apartment bought in 2017 for $1.665 million. Both apartments remain investment properties, with the Cremorne unit advertised recently at about $1,250 a week and the Randwick apartment at around $1,600.

Pearce made his NRL debut for the Roosters as a 17-year-old in 2007, won a premiership with the club in 2013 and later represented New South Wales in State of Origin. He retired from professional rugby league in 2023 at the conclusion of Catalans' Super League Grand Final loss to Wigan.

Off the field, Pearce co-hosts the Sixes & Sevens podcast with former NRL player Todd Carney and has been involved with the Reboot Mindset Academy, a charity aimed at helping people develop their potential. He has been open about challenges earlier in his career, including struggles with alcohol that led him to seek treatment.

The sale of the Newcastle home comes shortly after Pearce announced the birth of his first child. In early September he posted on Instagram that his daughter, Alyia, had been born and described becoming a father as "the best feeling in the world," remarks reported to News Corp. Pearce currently lives in France and said he wanted to "be the best dad" he could be, praising his partner for her strength.

Real-estate commentators and local agents have noted steady demand for well-located coastal properties in Newcastle and surrounding suburbs, a factor that helped move the Merewether listing in under two months. The sale finalises another chapter in Pearce's post-playing life as he balances media work, charity involvement and family commitments.