Former Salesforce Executives "Superhero Lair" Condo For Sale

When Tony Prophet joined Salesforce as its chief equality officer in 2016, he wanted the “real urban experience of living in San Francisco,” which he didn’t associate with the city’s traditional high-end neighborhoods on the north side of town. Instead he went into SoMa, “eyes wide open,” buying a 7,000-square-foot top-floor condo at 9 Bernice Street for just over $7 million in November 2016.

“No surprises,” he said of his time living with his then-wife and their son at the semi-industrial location near Rainbow Grocery and the DNA Lounge. “We knew everything — all the good and the challenges that we were in for — and saw some real improvements along the way.”

Nearly a decade later and with more than $1 million poured into creating a wind-shielded roof deck with astroturf and a fire pit, Prophet is hoping his condo will break West SOMA residential records, with an asking price of $8.8 million.

Former Salesforce Executives "Superhero Lair" Condo For Sale — 9 Bernice Street via Daniel Lunghi

A price of about $1,250 per square foot is not out of step for the neighborhood. But because there are not many condos or even single-family homes as big as 9 Bernice, there are seldom sales above $5 million. So while it’s “impossible to replicate what’s been done here,” according to Compass agent Butch Haze, who is listing the skylit two-level loft with three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a wine room, and a glass-enclosed gym, it’s also nearly impossible to find comps.

“You really have to compare it to buying a warehouse and what it would take to do the TIs,” he said, adding that the turnkey aspect is “baked in” to the asking price.

There are added perks as well. The condo includes the elaborate light fixtures and large-scale furniture, almost entirely from Restoration Hardware, including a 16-seat dining table that was craned in by the previous owner, luxury retailer Wilkes-Bashford co-owner Tyler Mitchell.

“Not everyone loves Restoration Hardware, but nobody hates it,” said Prophet, who built on interior designer Ken Fulk’s work for Mitchell.

The new price marks a big drop from the last time the condo was on the market in 2022, when it was listed at just under $11 million. The home didn’t find a buyer at the time, but Prophet had already moved to Florida so his son could attend IMG, a sports academy about an hour south of Tampa. For the last two years, he has rented it to a foursome of entrepreneurs from the start up world. Haze said the new price had to speak to today’s “value-driven buyer.”

“We wanted to price it where the price per square foot is just too attractive,” Haze said.

There are a lot of early-stage businesses in walking distance from the property, Prophet added, which borders the Mission, Potero Hill and the Design District. The “perfect fit” would be someone who is excited by the idea of walking to work and entertaining in the enormous space, he said.

Prophet said he hosted everything from fundraisers for London Breed and the Women’s HIV Program at UCSF to media events for Salesforce during his time there. He left Salesforce in 2021, and now sits on the board at Dolby Labs and is an investor and board member for an AI-assisted sales platform called Aviso.

The likely buyer for this home probably also sits on a lot of boards, Haze said, and is in their 50s or 60s but still active in tech or finance. They probably already own more traditional homes outside the city, but are looking for something different. It may be somebody that has “flirted with” the north side of the city or Noe Valley, but can’t pass up the outside-the-box offering.

“They want to have fun in a really cool, almost superhero lair in San Francisco that wows all their friends,” he said.

That’s a very specific buyer profile, but Prophet said he can be patient until the right person comes along.

“It’s super special for someone who sees that opportunity,” he said. “It was the same situation when we bought it: a unique property and a high price point.”