Whereas folks have completely different definitions for luxurious, the phrase sometimes elicits extravagance, grandeur, and exclusivity. And within the housing market, it normally prompts visions of a large mansion dripping with facilities.
However the definition of at the moment’s luxurious housing is altering, in line with Pamela Liebman, CEO of The Corcoran Group, the actual property agency based by Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran in 1973. In truth, many rich patrons are leaning into the development of understated “quiet luxury” when buying a house.
“When it comes to home buying, quiet luxury doesn’t have to be the biggest estate on the block,” Liebman instructed Mansion International. “It could be a place that makes you so happy and it may have all your favorite bells and whistles, which could be something like a beautiful porch where you sit and have tea or a cocktail at the end of the day versus being a major estate that everyone drives past and wants to know who lives there.”
“Quiet luxury is luxury that makes you happy,” she continued. “Luxury in your face might be spitting it out to the rest of the world.”
In truth, 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 dimension dropped from 2,314 sq. ft in This autumn 2022 to 2,169 sq. ft in This autumn 2024, U.S. Census Bureau knowledge reveals.
“Affluent buyers are prioritizing convenience and financial flexibility, seeking homes that require less maintenance without sacrificing those high-end finishes we all love,” in line with Pacaso. Plus, they’re selecting smaller houses as a result of they’re simpler to buy in money as a substitute of taking out a mortgage whereas charges are nonetheless excessive.
The place ‘quiet luxury’ patrons are trying
Quiet luxurious can also be about the place you purchase. Whereas the most important luxurious housing markets embody the Hamptons, New York Metropolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Seashore, 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 interesting spot” the place luxurious dwelling gross sales have surged 150% year-over-year and 20% of houses have obtained a number of affords.
In response to Zillow, the typical dwelling worth there’s almost $1.1 million, a few 17% enhance in the course of the previous 5 years. And as of late July, the typical itemizing worth was greater than $1.5 million. Sonoma County has change into a sizzling spot for patrons from city areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, in line 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 dwelling, significantly for folks in search of a snowboarding vacation spot, Liebman stated—and it’s simpler to get to than Aspen through a business flight.
“You know, not everybody has a private plane,” she stated. Nonetheless, the typical dwelling worth in Park Metropolis is a cool $1.5 million, in line with Zillow. Particularly, 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.; components of South Carolina, and Florida’s panhandle have additionally change into in style for luxurious homebuyers, Liebman stated. In Lake Burton, many 2024 listings exceeded $5 million, and Mayfair Worldwide Realty just lately completely listed a $10 million non-public 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 Seashore, Santa Rosa Seashore, and Destin all are rising as luxurious markets with new upscale beachfront properties boosting total costs. The typical dwelling worth in Inlet Seashore is $1.7 million, in line with Zillow.
“Legacy destinations remain as timeless as ever, [but] Florida’s panhandle is solidifying its status as a favorite for vacationers,” Pacaso CEO and cofounder Austin Allison wrote within the firm’s listing of the highest 20 luxurious trip dwelling markets of 2024.
A model of this story was revealed on Fortune.com on September 9, 2025.
Extra on luxurious actual property:
Be part of us on the Fortune Office Innovation Summit Might 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The following period of office innovation is right here—and the outdated playbook is being rewritten. At this unique, high-energy occasion, the world’s most modern leaders will convene to discover how AI, humanity, and technique converge to redefine, once more, the way forward for work. Register now.
