Spain’s luxury residential market continues to attract high-net-worth individuals and international investors, at a time when evolving buyer preferences, increasingly specialised investment strategies and new development models are defining opportunities across the sector. These trends were highlighted at Global Luxury Properties Forum 2026, organised by Planner Exhibitions, which brought together nearly 300 investors, developers, real estate advisers and international operators in Madrid on 22 October to discuss the trends set to shape the future of the market.
Global Luxury Properties Forum 2026 was supported by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices as Leading Partner; MIC Insurance as Silver Partner; Assets Funding Capital, Banco López de Haro, Miele, Savills España and Urbanitae as Bronze Partners; and ACR, Matrix and The Hamptons Home Staging as Collaborating Partners.
The event explored the trends expected to shape the luxury residential market over the medium term. Participants highlighted the growing importance of personalisation, wellness and longevity, alongside the need to develop products that respond to new buyer profiles. Bruno Rabassa, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Spain, highlighted the increasing importance of personalised experiences, privacy, security, wellness and services, as well as the role that health, longevity and the scarcity of genuinely distinctive properties will play in differentiating luxury residential developments.
Similarly, Ramón Hermosilla, Managing Partner at Terralpa Investments, highlighted the uniqueness and scarcity of assets as key drivers of value, alongside a coherent and sustainable service proposition. He also emphasised the importance of execution capabilities and a predictable legal and political environment for the development of long-term projects.
Participants also identified volatility in construction costs and a shortage of skilled professionals as challenges that will influence the development of new projects and the competitiveness of the Spanish market.
The forum also highlighted the role that the global growth of high-net-worth individuals is playing in the potential of this segment. During his presentation, José Aguinaga, Head of Southern Europe at KanAm Grund Group, noted that the number of individuals with wealth exceeding USD 30 million had risen from approximately 550,000 in 2021 to 713,000 in 2026, according to figures presented at the event. This trend coincides with greater international mobility of capital, with investors comparing destinations on the basis of factors including stability, taxation and quality of life.
International capital identifies new investment opportunities
In this context, discussions on investment highlighted the opportunities offered by Spain’s luxury residential market, particularly in established locations such as Madrid and the Costa del Sol. The scarcity of prime locations remains one of the factors supporting the attractiveness of the segment, while investor interest is also extending to new destinations and asset repositioning opportunities.
International demand accounts for a particularly significant share of some developments. José María Gómez-Acebo, Managing Director of Urbanitae Asset Management, explained that international buyers account for between 95% and 99% of demand in some of the luxury projects in which the platform is involved. He also highlighted the role of alternative financing in supporting distinctive residential developments that, because of their characteristics or sales models, may not always fit traditional bank financing, as well as the importance of local market knowledge and specialist developers and professionals.
Financing was one of the central themes of the forum. Experts examined the particular characteristics of developments requiring significant investment and whose sales cycles may differ from those of the conventional residential market. Ilan Dabara, Executive Vice President, Business, at Banco López de Haro, highlighted the importance of developers having sufficient financial capacity to support projects where sales may be concentrated in the later stages of construction, as well as the value of experienced financial partners and appropriate capital structures.
In this area, Ana Giménez, Director of Real Estate Development Business at Banco Santander, stressed the importance of assessing developers’ financial strength, cash flows and the robustness of pre-sales, as well as anticipating potential construction cost overruns. Participants agreed that sound financial planning and experienced project teams are critical to successfully delivering these developments.
International competition between destinations was another topic of discussion. Leonard Chinchay, CEO of Assets Funding Capital, examined the development of Miami and South Florida as markets capable of attracting both international capital and US companies and investors. He highlighted international connectivity, a stable environment and economic prospects as key factors in attracting long-term investment, particularly for high-net-worth investors seeking markets in which they can develop projects over ten- or twenty-year horizons.
During the panel on international capital, Aida Feriz, Executive Director at Wilmer Family Office, and Julian Marwitz, Principal at Marwitz Family Office, discussed the criteria guiding the selection of luxury residential investments. Feriz highlighted the importance of reviewing developers’ track records, their own equity investment, financial projections and exit strategies, while both emphasised the value of working with local partners who understand the market and its specific characteristics.
The discussion also explored changing preferences among international buyers, who are increasingly interested in destinations combining privacy, security, quality of life and access to experiences. In the branded residences segment, Feriz emphasised the importance of selecting the right operator and carefully reviewing contractual terms, while Marwitz highlighted the growing importance of experiences, social life and spaces suitable for hosting family, friends and business contacts.
In Spain, participants identified opportunities for developing new luxury residential destinations. Jacobo Cestino, CEO of La Zagaleta, highlighted the importance of regulatory predictability and infrastructure and services capable of supporting growth. Javier de Villanueva, Senior Executive Director of Acquisitions and Development Europe at Banyan Group, pointed to the potential of Cádiz, Seville and the Canary Islands, citing their identity, climate, landscape and connectivity. Both emphasised the importance of destination fundamentals in attracting investment and supporting long-term development.
A younger, more discerning ultra-luxury buyer
Changing demand was another of the forum’s central themes. Participants noted that location and quality remain fundamental, but that the uniqueness of assets and their ability to meet buyers’ expectations are becoming increasingly important.
In this context, Carlos Hormigos, Managing Director of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Spain, highlighted the importance of asset uniqueness in differentiating the ultra-luxury segment. He also pointed to an evolution in the buyer profile, placing the average age at between 30 and 45, with part of this change linked to new ways in which substantial wealth is being created.
This transformation is also changing the way properties are used. Santiago de Miguel, Residential Prime Director at Savills España, explained that the motivations of domestic and international buyers are converging, with a growing number of international clients seeking to establish their primary residence in Madrid. This is increasing the importance of everyday features such as parking and terraces and broadening searches to new areas.
De Miguel also noted that Madrid’s ultra-luxury market is entering a more demanding phase, in which high prices need to be supported by an architectural and service proposition that meets buyers’ expectations.
Along the same lines, Isidoro Mínguez, President of Sotogrande, highlighted the importance of the surrounding environment and services as differentiating factors for luxury residential destinations. In Sotogrande, he pointed to factors including low density, privacy, security, nature, sport and education, together with the community and available services, as key elements of its residential proposition.
New residential models to create value
Changing demand is also encouraging the development of models incorporating services traditionally associated with the hospitality sector. In this context, branded residences are gaining ground in Spain, particularly on the Costa del Sol and in urban markets such as Madrid.
During the discussions, experts noted that the involvement of an international brand can strengthen a project’s positioning and marketability, although its success depends on location, buyer profile and operating model. Jesús Abellán, CEO of ARUM GROUP, emphasised that brand selection should reflect the characteristics of each development and justify the associated costs and commitments. He also identified opportunities in the refurbishment and repositioning of hotels and beachfront developments.
The importance of preserving the long-term value of these projects was addressed by Susanna Mander, Global Director of Brand Expansion at Meliá Hotels International, who stressed the need to adapt design and services to the specific characteristics of each destination while maintaining quality standards throughout the life of the asset.
Architecture, interior design and technology also featured prominently in discussions on real estate value creation.
In this area, Álvaro Palomino, Head of Project Business Iberia at Miele, emphasised the importance of integrating technology and equipment from the earliest stages of a project, with architects, developers and contractors working together. This approach can better align spaces with users’ real needs and support solutions that improve functionality, efficiency and everyday comfort.
Sustainability also featured in the architectural debate, with particular attention paid to material selection, energy efficiency, equipment durability and resource efficiency. Experts highlighted the importance of incorporating these considerations from the initial design stages, with solutions tailored to the characteristics of each building.