Luxury branded residences market set to surpass 1,000 developments in 2026 as wealth creation and global mobility drive growth

London, UK – Knight Frank, the leading independent global property consultancy, today launches its latest Global Residences Report, revealing a rapidly evolving market driven by record wealth creation, increased global mobility and rising demand for lifestyle-led locations.

Knight Frank’s Global Branded Residence Survey verified nearly 1,800 live and pipeline schemes from more than 200 brands across 90 countries. The sector has almost tripled in a decade, from 354 schemes in 2015 to 903 at the end of 2025 and will pass 1,000 developments this year. On current pipelines, it is on course to reach 1,800 schemes and more than 300,000 units by 2031. The sector's influence is outsized, with the services, amenities and placemaking pioneered within branded residences increasingly setting the pace for residential development globally.

While the United States retains the largest concentration of operational stock, the Middle East is the sector’s most significant growth engine, accounting for 20% of all projects and 29% of the global pipeline. Dubai remains the world’s leading city market with 175 schemes, while Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are capturing a rising share of future activity, though heightened regional uncertainty may see launch programmes flex.

The defining geographic shift is the rise of non-city markets. In 2016, fewer than four in 10 branded residence schemes sat outside major cities; today more than half do, rising to 57 per cent by 2028 on identified pipeline activity. More than 50% of new openings are now in coastal, island, mountain and resort locations. Include the pipeline, and Phuket Island now has more branded residence schemes than London.

The market is diversifying fast. Hotel brands deliver around 70% of operational schemes but 60% once pipeline is included, and the non-hotel share of supply is projected to rise from roughly 30% in 2025 to almost 40% by 2028. Fashion houses, automotive names and lifestyle brands are increasingly entering the market, widening buyer choice.

Growing buyer mobility is also supporting demand. International flight volumes are forecast to reach 13.2 million in 2026 - above pre-pandemic levels and almost 19 per cent up on 2023. In Europe, the fastest growth is concentrated where tax and visa regimes act as a pull, led by Monaco (+407 per cent) and including Malta, Athens and Milan. Among the top 10 branded residence markets, Al Marjan Island (+45 per cent), Phuket (+40 per cent) and Abu Dhabi (+37 per cent) lead. This increased mobility is supporting demand for second, third and fourth homes. The average residential portfolio held by UHNWIs has risen from 2.9 to 3.8 properties in under a decade.

The sector's expansion is also being underpinned by substantial wealth creation globally. The United States accounted for 41% of the world's new ultra-high-net-worth individuals over the five years to 2026, while India and Vietnam continue to climb the rankings as important sources of new wealth and future branded residence demand.

Liam Bailey, Global Head of Research at Knight Frank, commented: “The luxury branded residential sector is one of the strongest growth stories in global real estate. The market has trebled in size over the past decade, and we expect it to double again within the next five years. We believe demand will continue to absorb this new supply, but competition is intensifying. As a result, the pace of innovation across the sector is accelerating rapidly as brands seek to differentiate themselves and stay ahead of the pack, and as we discuss in the report this is leading to a redefinition of luxury for the residential sector."