For the 2026/27 edition of The Residence Report, released this morning, Knight Frank has identified nearly 1,800 branded residence projects, both live and in the pipeline, spanning more than 90 countries and more than 200 brands.
It is a remarkable growth story; the sector is set to see 1,000 operational developments by the end of this year, the market has already tripled in a decade, according to data from the report’s Global Branded Residence Survey. However, the figures are most striking when looking to the future. The 1,800 schemes set to arrive by 2031 will include more than 300,000 units. These are projects that, with each iteration, are refining the execution of services, amenities and placemaking, setting the pace for residential everywhere.
The growth engine
Behind that growth sits wealth creation on an extraordinary scale. The US minted 41 per cent of the world’s new UHNWIs over the five years to 2026, while India and Vietnam are climbing the rankings fast.
That wealth is more mobile than ever: international flights will reach 13.2 million this year, UHNWIs now hold 3.8 homes on average, up from 2.9 a decade ago, and jurisdictions are competing hard to attract them: see Italy’s flat tax or the record jump in arrivals into Monaco.
The result is a global luxury residential map being redrawn. The US retains the deepest pool of operational branded developments, but the Middle East is the sector’s growth engine: Dubai leads the world with 175 schemes, and Abu Dhabi produced the year’s most striking story, with Modon selling 1,700 homes in its latest scheme within days of launch.
Of course, beyond the data, the deals and the destinations, we also explore some deeper questions. Luxury has always been linked with scarcity, but brands are grappling with the sheer range of things competing for the attention of wealthy consumers. Aspirational consumers, long the driver of growth, are under pressure, while the rich continue to get richer. How can brands impress them?
Genuine luxury
For developers, specification alone is losing its power to differentiate. Spa. Gym. Cinema. Private dining room. Residents’ lounge. Each may be excellent, but at the upper end of the market they are increasingly viewed as standard.
For developers, that suggests a different test of value. Strip away whatever happens to be fashionable, from longevity clinics and cold plunges to the latest branded restaurant, and ask whether the place itself remains compelling. Is the architecture enduring? Is the setting exceptional? Does it offer beauty, nature, culture or a view that cannot be manufactured elsewhere?
Genuine luxury, as you will read, should deepen with familiarity rather than depend on the next dopamine hit.
