MW How much do YOU pay for rent, Caleb Simpson? TikTok star who tours homes talks about his own place.

By Kelsi Karruli

Simpson is moving to a new place-but he says he's relishing the time he has left in the apartment that has seen him through some phenomenal times.

Caleb Simpson has made a career out of nosying around the apartments of celebrities, business leaders, and strangers he runs into on the street-in both his hometown of New York City and farther-flung destinations like Los Angeles and Alabama.

But now, the 33-year-old is turning the tables, this time welcoming Realtor.com into his own abode for the latest installment of Celebrity Sanctuary, while revealing the answer to his iconic catchphrase question: "How much do you pay for rent in New York?"

The answer: $2,100 a month for his share of a $6,500 two-story apartment in Brooklyn, which he moved into with some friends during COVID-19, when he thought he would spend just one year there.

Four years-and some 500 TikTok videos-later, he's finally ready to move on, but not before showcasing the home where he has built his career as a real estate influencer in a final swan song.

It marks a milestone moment for Simpson, who has been granted access to the homes of some of the world's biggest stars in recent years, including Scarlett Johansson, Jared Leto, and Christie Brinkley, amassing more than 8.3 million followers in the process.

The North Carolina native's easy confidence on camera carries behind the scenes-and he admits that peace and quiet have never really been his thing. Instead, his Brooklyn dwelling has become a hot spot for parties and even boasts a dedicated "entertaining hot spot," complete with lasers, party lights, and more.

But when it comes to finding some space from the hustle and bustle of New York, there's only one place where Simpson heads: his rooftop deck, which serves as something of a private sanctuary.

In six weeks, Simpson will move to a new abode-but he says he's relishing the time he has left in the apartment that has seen him through some phenomenal times, as well as his fair share of heartbreak.

For now, he's treasuring the memories he's made alongside his roommates (one of whom recently welcomed a baby, adding another member to their group), before moving on to pastures new.

One thing's for sure, however: The entertaining hot spot will follow him wherever he goes.

Caleb Simpson's sanctuary

Caleb Simpson: I moved into this space four years ago with friends. We got it because it was during COVID, and we figured a bunch of friends should move into an apartment together because we couldn't hang out with anybody.

Four years later and I am still here. I have just enjoyed it. There are two outdoor spaces, I love the neighborhood, I just like living here.

I played a very small role in designing it. It's looked a couple of different directions based on who's lived here, because everybody comes in and kind of has their own style and their own furniture that they're bringing from different apartments. Right now, down in this living room, I don't own any of this furniture.

I just rock with it. One of my favorite corners is the cuddle cushion, which has a fireplace and is where I cuddled with Drew Barrymore.

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My bedroom was my first attempt at stylizing a room, and it's not great. Homes and spaces hold a lot of emotional weight, and I've lived in this room with my ex-girlfriend and then we broke up, and she took all her stuff and left. So this room has a lot of emotional weight for me, so I'm excited to be leaving it. I changed it completely.

I got inspired going to Japan, and then I got tatami mats. I slept on the ground for a while, and then I got into Japanese art.

You have to really change the space to change the emotional weight, but I do love it because it's right next to this deck, which is my favorite part because I can just wake up and go right outside and use my cold plunge-when it's working-and my sauna.

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The deck just doesn't really feel like you're in New York; it's a little escape from the city.

I always have people over. Before my roommate had a baby, we were always hosting dinner parties, like once or twice a week.

I even have an entertaining hot spot, which has a bunch of lasers and everything you need to turn your space into a club.

When the clubs weren't open, we made everyone take COVID tests, and they had to pass and then they were allowed into the party. And we kept it to only 20 people that we knew, and then we bought everything we needed to turn it into our own club.

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The cops were called a couple of times, but we haven't really thrown down like that in a while.

When I move, I am actually going to miss the bathroom the most because it's beautiful. The floors used to be heated, but they aren't anymore, and Drew actually was the one who told me they were called penny tiles.

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I'll be in this apartment for about six more weeks, and I want my new space to be in Brooklyn-my dream neighborhood is Fort Greene-and I want to be in a pre-war building because modern buildings aren't homey.

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

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April 03, 2025 05:01 ET (09:01 GMT)

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