What is The Trend Report?
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Luxury real estate in 2026 is being driven by stability, long-term thinking, and lifestyle value. The Trend Report, published by the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® program, curates the latest luxury real estate insider info and forecasted market trends from The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, Altrata, McKinsey & Company, and JamesEdition.com, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Property Specialists, and other wealth experts. While much of the housing conversation has focused on uncertainty, this report tells a different story. The Trend Report highlights the continued resilience of luxury real estate. High-net-worth buyers are making more intentional decisions, favoring resilient markets, legacy assets, and homes that support how they live today and into the future.
Key Luxury Real Estate Insights
Resiliency Is the New Luxury
Luxury buyers are prioritizing markets that perform consistently through uncertainty. Global real estate investment is up 29.4% since 2020, while U.S. real estate investment has increased 59.9% (Source: Altrata). Additionally, 80% of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® Property Specialists describe their markets as resilient (Source: CBGL Property Specialist Survey).
Luxury Real Estate Is Being Bought With a Legacy Mindset
High-net-worth buyers increasingly view real estate as a long-term, generational asset. Luxury home sales grew 2.9% in 2025 compared to 1.7% in the traditional market (Sources: The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, NAR). Prices rose approximately 3% year-over-year for single-family homes and 4% for attached homes (Source: The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing).
Wealth and Real Estate Remain Closely Linked in the U.S.
Real estate continues to be a primary way wealth is preserved and expressed in the United States. Since 2020, U.S. affluent wealth of $5M+ has risen 58.2%, closely aligning with a 59.9% increase in U.S. real estate investment (Source: Altrata). Outside the U.S., wealth rose 30.7%, while real estate investment grew only 16.3% (Source: Altrata).
Turnkey Still Commands a Premium
Move-in-ready homes remain the top buyer preference, though flexibility may return.
Turnkey homes command price premiums of 11% to 30%, and 30.2% of Luxury Property Specialists say they are the top buyer target. At the same time, 58.3% report growing interest in well-located homes with “good bones” (Source: CBGL Property Specialist Survey).
“Living Large” Is Back
Buyers are once again prioritizing space and distinctive properties.
Interest in detached luxury homes rose 15% from 2024 to 2025, and homes with five or more bedrooms accounted for 63.7% of all single-family luxury inquiries. Demand for unique estates, land, and statement properties continues to rise (Source: JamesEdition).
Curious about the hyper-local market? Check out the latest Naperville housing market reports.