Whereas individuals have totally different definitions for luxurious, the phrase usually elicits extravagance, grandeur, and exclusivity. And within the housing market, it often prompts visions of an enormous mansion dripping with facilities.
However the definition of right this moment’s luxurious housing is altering, in keeping with Pamela Liebman, CEO of The Corcoran Group, the true property agency based by Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran in 1973. Actually, many rich consumers are leaning into the pattern of understated “quiet luxurious” when buying a house.
“On the subject of house shopping for, quiet luxurious doesn’t should be the largest property on the block,” Liebman advised Mansion International. “It may very well be a spot that makes you so comfortable and it might have all of your favourite bells and whistles, which may very well be one thing like a fantastic porch the place you sit and have tea or a cocktail on the finish of the day versus being a significant property that everybody drives previous and needs to know who lives there.”
“Quiet luxurious is luxurious that makes you cheerful,” she continued. “Luxurious in your face is likely to be spitting it out to the remainder of the world.”
Actually, a July report from vacation-home co-ownership platform Pacaso reveals smaller houses have gotten extra luxurious and are gaining recognition amongst excessive net-worth people. The typical new-home measurement dropped from 2,314 sq. toes in This autumn 2022 to 2,169 sq. toes in This autumn 2024, U.S. Census Bureau knowledge reveals.
“Prosperous consumers are prioritizing comfort and monetary flexibility, looking for houses that require much less upkeep with out sacrificing these high-end finishes all of us love,” in keeping with Pacaso. Plus, they’re selecting smaller houses as a result of they’re simpler to buy in money as an alternative of taking out a mortgage whereas charges are nonetheless excessive.
The place ‘quiet luxurious’ consumers are wanting
Quiet luxurious can also be about the place you purchase. Whereas the key luxurious housing markets embody the Hamptons, New York Metropolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Seaside, and Dallas, there are a number of rising markets now on the radar.
On the West Coast, Liebman famous Sonoma County, particularly Healdsburg, Calif., “is an fascinating spot” the place luxurious house gross sales have surged 150% year-over-year and 20% of houses have acquired a number of gives.
In line with Zillow, the typical house value there’s almost $1.1 million, a couple of 17% enhance throughout the previous 5 years. And as of late July, the typical itemizing value was greater than $1.5 million. Sonoma County has change into a scorching spot for consumers from city areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, in keeping with Daniel Casabonne of Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty, due to its winery views and smaller-town vibe.
Park Metropolis, Utah, has additionally change into a well-liked vacation spot to purchase a luxurious house, notably for individuals looking for a snowboarding vacation spot, Liebman mentioned—and it’s simpler to get to than Aspen through a business flight.
“You understand, not everyone has a non-public airplane,” she mentioned. Nonetheless, the typical house value in Park Metropolis is a cool $1.5 million, in keeping with Zillow. Specifically, the Park Metropolis new-construction luxurious condominium market has been rising, and median gross sales costs rose 23% in Q2 to $1.85 million, knowledge from Park Metropolis Investor reveals.
On the East Coast, Lake Burton, Ga.; Asheville, N.C.; elements of South Carolina, and Florida’s panhandle have additionally change into well-liked for luxurious homebuyers, Liebman mentioned. In Lake Burton, many 2024 listings exceeded $5 million, and Mayfair Worldwide Realty not too long ago completely listed a $10 million personal island there.
In the meantime, the luxurious market in Florida’s panhandle is continuous to develop and stock ranges are on the rise. Particularly, Inlet Seaside, Santa Rosa Seaside, and Destin all are rising as luxurious markets with new upscale beachfront properties boosting general costs. The typical house value in Inlet Seaside is $1.7 million, in keeping with Zillow.
“Legacy locations stay as timeless as ever, [but] Florida’s panhandle is solidifying its standing as a favourite for vacationers,” Pacaso CEO and cofounder Austin Allison wrote within the firm’s checklist of the highest 20 luxurious trip house markets of 2024.
A model of this story was printed on Fortune.com on September 9, 2025.
