International buyer searches for US luxury properties surged 100% in five months
Affluent buyers are doubling down on American real estate. Global luxury property searches targeting US homes jumped 100% in the first five months of 2026, according to JamesEdition data cited in the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury 2026 Mid-Year Report.
The figure shows how strongly the US is pulling international capital, particularly toward California and New York.
New York recorded the steepest growth in cross-border buyer inquiries among all US states, while California held the greatest share overall, followed by Florida.
The report draws on luxury sales data across 120 US markets, surveys of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Property Specialists, and analysis from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. It describes a market organized around three forces: geographic diversification among the wealthy, accelerating all-cash activity, and a deepening divide between ultra-high-net-worth buyers and those just below that threshold.
Read more: Wealthy buyers push US home prices to all-time high in June
The 'landmaxxing' effect
Searches for unique properties — estates, historic homes, castles, branded residences, and private islands — rose 146% year-over-year on JamesEdition's global listings platform, while searches for land climbed 97% over the same period.
The report attributes much of this to a behavior it terms "landmaxxing": purchasing adjacent parcels to expand privacy, assemble land holdings, preserve views, or accommodate multigenerational living.
"Today's luxury home shopper is discerning, focused on both their emotional wants and their long-term wealth building," said Mary Lee Blaylock, President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates.
"Both domestic and international buyers are eyeing US properties as they focus on the geographic diversification of their real estate holdings. These buyers are focused on purchasing unique properties that help them build a legacy through their expansive footprints and locations that carry long-term value."
Location has reasserted itself as the defining variable. Nearly 40% of surveyed Luxury Property Specialists said their clients would accept compromised property conditions to secure the right address.
Luxury single-family home sales rose 2.8% year-over-year, while attached properties, including condos and townhomes, slid 3.8%.
Read more: Gen X, millennial heirs ignite $2.4 trillion luxury property surge
Cash buyers widen the wealth gap
The bifurcation within the luxury tier is sharpening. The top 10% of the single-family sector across 120 US markets recorded a $3.7 billion increase in total dollar volume year-over-year in 2026, according to the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
Of that, $2.2 billion, or nearly 60%, was driven by the top 1% to 5% segment, which posted a 7.8% increase year-over-year and captured 42.8% of single-family dollar volume in May 2026.
The median sold price for the top 5% rose 8% year-over-year, while the broader top 10% trailed at 4.7%.
Cash is the accelerant. Almost two-thirds (63%) of Luxury Property Specialists reported an increase in all-cash purchases among their clients, up from 51% a year earlier.
Blaylock was direct about what is fueling acquisitions at the top end. "A luxury home can be built almost anywhere, but land is finite," she said. "Features like waterfront acreage, historic estates, or expansive ranches are in high demand, but they require space to maintain and build. Affluent buyers are purchasing properties with that in mind."
For brokers, the supply picture bears watching. Nearly 60% of Luxury Property Specialists expect inventory to edge higher in the second half of 2026, according to the report.
National Association of Realtors data cited in the Mid-Year Report shows the number of homeowners with mortgage rates above 6% is closing in on parity with those holding sub-3% pandemic-era loans, a tipping point that could release what the industry is calling "shadow inventory."
The pattern tracks closely with luxury home prices continuing to climb even as elevated rates kept mainstream buyers sidelined, a split that increasingly defines where the mortgage opportunity lies in 2026.
Stay updated with the freshest mortgage news. Get exclusive interviews, breaking news, and industry events in your inbox, and always be the first to know by subscribing to our FREE daily newsletter.
