Trump bump drives D.C. demand for house managers and private chefs
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Household staffing groups are seeing an influx of requests in D.C. for house managers, nannies, private chefs and housekeepers.
The big picture: Many requests stem from relocators in President Trump's wealthy administration or political orbit, and business power players with MAGA-verse interests, owners of estate management staffing groups tell Axios — more evidence of the white-hot Trump bump rippling across Washington's uber-luxe market.
State of play: These ultra-high-net-worth buyers are typically picking up move-in-ready mega-cribs in spots like Georgetown, Kalorama, Mass. Ave. Heights, the Palisades, McLean and Potomac.
- They already have staff to oversee the plane, the yacht, and the spots in Malibu and Miami — now they need to outfit their new D.C. pads with household help.
What they're saying: Adam Cook, managing director of Old State Staffing, says he's seen more requests than typical for the start of a second administration.
- More clients moving to D.C. are planning to stay beyond the usual four-year cycle, Cook says — instead snagging an HQ for what they hope will be a continuing MAGA presence.
- And many are looking for candidates who are well connected and fluent in Beltway-ese, with stacked résumés: "This is a relationship city," says Cook, who recently helped two members of Trump's cabinet find staffing. "Everybody wants to say that their nanny or personal assistant or something was the former XYZ to Obama."
Also important: Finding household managers with experience in White House, diplomatic and international protocol who can help the D.C. newcomers host political shindigs.
- Many of Cook's new clients are retrofitting their homes for large-scale entertaining, he says, adding staff entrances, commercial kitchens and quarters for live-in staff.
Discretion and security are paramount — no one wants a private chef who'll leak diplomatic dinner convos or guest lists — and some clients even want staff to get security clearances, says Dara Yates, founder of Seaside Staffing Co.
The intrigue: Cook says he's seen an influx in household manager applications from former senior feds with decades of experience who were laid off by DOGE.
- He recently placed one at "a very large townhouse" in Georgetown — the fired fed didn't have household manager experience, but they matched the client's background and interest in international affairs.
Between the lines: Some clients want household staff on their side of the political aisle.
- "I can't tell you how many candidates we've seen rejected by clients not because they're not qualified, but the politics didn't match the family, what's happening at the dinner table," says Cook.
Reality check: At the end of the day, not even political alignment trumps white-glove professionalism.
- "In the world of service, your job is not to have an opinion but to make sure you do your job and do it well," says Yates.