Sandy Lerner's $20 Million Virginia Farm Finds A Buyer

• December 1st 2025

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Sandy Lerner's sprawling Virginia estate hit the market last week and it has already found a buyer.

Located in Upperville, the 571-acre property known as Ayrshire Farm is under contract with contingencies at a list price of $19.8 million. It hit the market with Daniel Heider and Laura Farrell of TTR Sotheby's the week before Thanksgiving.

Lerner, one of the founders of Cisco Systems, bought the property in the mid-1990s and transformed it into a working farm that is both USDA-certified organic and Certified Humane — the first in Virginia to hold both designations. The manor house—approximately 17,000 square feet—dates to 1912, with original fieldstone walls, cypress windows, and 12 fireplaces preserved through an extensive restoration.

“Stepping into the Upperville market with Ayrshire Farm affirmed a truth we see consistently," Daniel Heider told UrbanTurf. "Exceptional properties speak their own language, and when the positioning is exacting, the storytelling is intentional, and the reach is strategic, the market listens."

The land with the listing supports heritage-breed livestock, orchards, and regenerative farming operations designed around soil health and humane treatment of animals. The property also includes stone barns, staff housing, greenhouses, a glass-enclosed conservatory, and a series of interconnected farm buildings. 

There is also an interesting cinematic component to the property: Alfred Hitchcock's 1969 film Topaz was filmed on the property. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/sandy_lerners_20_million_virginia_farm_finds_a_buyer/24114.