Top Global Destinations Lead Resurgence in Luxury Residential Property Market, Reports Christie’s International Real Estate

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Limited inventory, strong international buyer demand, and high-net-worth individual’s (HNWI) increased appreciation for world-class lifestyle offerings have pushed prices for luxury homes toward historic highs, reports Christie’s International Real Estate in a new study on the global prestige residential market.

“With financial markets providing a limited return on investment, high-net-worth individuals are recognizing the intrinsic value of investing in non-consumable assets such as prestige real estate and fine art”

Entitled Luxury Defined: An Insight into the Luxury Residential Property Market, the report compares 10 of the world’s top property markets—London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris, San Francisco, Cote d’Azur, Toronto, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami—and debuts the ‘Christie’s International Real Estate Index,’ the first ever true global indicator for luxury residential real estate. The Index ranks markets across key metrics including record sales price, prices per square foot, percentage of non-local and international purchasers, and the number of luxury listings relative to population.

Highlights of the research include:

Globally, top-tier property sales achieved record prices in several cities, remaining immune to many of the economic concerns that drive the general housing market.
HNWIs are often more inclined to invest in an important global market than in another city within their home country for second or additional homes.
Prestige residential real estate values will more likely follow growth trends of non-consumable luxury goods such as fine art more so than the growth trends of the general housing market.
Cash transactions have dominated luxury property acquisitions across many studied cities.
Recent tax law changes in many of these markets are expected to negatively impact 2013 market activity.

“With financial markets providing a limited return on investment, high-net-worth individuals are recognizing the intrinsic value of investing in non-consumable assets such as prestige real estate and fine art,” says Bonnie Stone Sellers, Chief Executive Officer of Christie’s International Real Estate, the world’s leading luxury real estate network and a subsidiary of Christie’s auction house. “Strong momentum in the luxury property market is also being driven by scarcity of quality inventory and demand from international buyers in many of the world’s top destinations.”

London’s $121 million (£75 million) sale and New York’s $88 million sale pushed both cities to the top of this year’s Index with the highest record home sale prices. A prized second home destination, Côte d’Azur recorded the highest percentage of both secondary home buyers (95 percent), and international and non-local buyers (90 percent). Toronto’s real estate market, which has remained buoyant in recent years of global turmoil, recorded the lowest amount of days on the market for luxury listings (46 days).

While the report focuses on 10 indexed markets, it also provides insight into other luxury residential areas around the globe with a population of less than 150,000, such as St. Bart's, French West Indies; Salzburg, Austria; Aspen, Colorado; and Jupiter Island, Florida.

As the only global real estate network owned by a fine art auction house, Christie’s International Real Estate has unparalleled access to the HNWIs around the globe who procure assets such as art, wine, jewelry, and luxury real estate. Together with its 125 affiliated brokerages in 41 countries – all individually selected to join its network for proven records of client service and success in luxury residential sales – Christie’s International Real Estate is uniquely qualified to understand the characteristics and trends associated with the prestige real estate market.

The study can be accessed as a whole at www.christiesrealestate.com/luxury-defined.

About Christie’s International Real Estate

Christie’s International Real Estate is an invitation-only affiliate network composed of the world’s most proven and qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector. The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, Chicago, and Palm Beach, and approximately 125 global affiliates with 25,000 real estate professionals in 41 countries. For additional information about Christie’s International Real Estate, please visit www.christiesrealestate.com.