'Quiet Luxury' Is Coming for the Housing Market
Wealthy buyers are opting for homes that balance convenience, style, and investment value rather than size and can be purchased in cash.
NEW YORK — The definition of luxury housing is shifting from sprawling estates to smaller, more understated homes that emphasize comfort and high-end finishes.
"When it comes to home buying, quiet luxury doesn't have to be the biggest estate on the block. It could be a place that makes you so happy . . . versus being a major estate that everyone drives past and wants to know who lives there," Pamela Liebman, CEO of The Corcoran Group, said.
Wealthy buyers are opting for properties that require less maintenance and can be purchased in cash, according to vacation-home co-ownership platform Pacaso. Pacaso also reported that average new-home size has declined in recent years. The trend is influencing where buyers look.
Liebman pointed to Sonoma County, Calif., where luxury home sales surged 150% year over year, and Park City, Utah, where new-construction condo prices climbed 23% in the second quarter. On the East Coast, Lake Burton, Ga., and Florida's Panhandle are emerging as luxury hotspots, with Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach seeing average prices around $1.7 million.
Analysts say "quiet luxury" reflects how affluent buyers increasingly want homes that balance convenience, style, and investment value rather than size.
Source: Fortune (09/09/25) Lake, Sydney
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