Branded residences are no longer a side story in the luxury real estate market. Once a niche offering, they have become a core strategy for developers, a loyalty play for global brands, and a serious investment for buyers. These properties are shaping how luxury homes are designed, marketed, and bought.
Knight Frank’s Residence Report 2025–2026 highlights just how far this shift has gone. Based on more than 1,000 live and pipeline branded residential schemes across 83 countries, the report shows a market that is expanding, but with far more discipline. From London to Singapore, Miami to Tokyo, buyers are willing to pay a premium, but only when it is justified through quality, service, design, and brand trust. Flashy extras are losing appeal, while longevity, wellness, and everyday liveability are becoming the real markers of value. Developments are now built around health-led living, with longevity clinics, community wellness, and sensory-focused design, as seen at London’s Surrenne and Dubai’s
SHA Emirates, where wellness is central to daily life.
This global lens makes Dubai’s performance all the more striking. The Middle East sits at the heart of this evolution, accounting for roughly 27 per cent of the global branded residence pipeline, despite representing a smaller share of completed projects, according to the report. Knight Frank documented that Dubai racked up $8.2 billion in $10 million-plus home sales into June 2025—the highest total anywhere in the world—underscoring that branded living in the city is about enduring luxury, not short-term spectacle. When it comes to the Gulf, Dubai ticks nearly every box. A warm climate, global accessibility, and a growing population of wealthy individuals have made it a natural magnet for luxury living.
But Dubai is far from the only city experimenting with branded living. Across the globe, developers and luxury brands are trying new approaches to attract wealthy buyers, and these innovations are reshaping what high-end homes look like. The Knight Frank Residence Report, released at the end of 2025, highlights emerging trends that are set to continue shaping the market.
Luxury brands beyond hotels are making their mark. Fashion labels, restaurants, and wellness brands are all partnering with developers to bring their signature style and ethos into high-end homes—showing that it’s not just hotel brands shaping the market. In Dubai, this shows up in projects like Bulgari Residences at Jumeirah Bay, with its distinct Italian design flair, and the forthcoming Bentley-branded towers aimed at ultra-prime buyers.
Standalone branded residences are gaining ground. Unlike properties connected to hotels, these homes give residents complete privacy and their own dedicated amenities, while still delivering the service and prestige of a major brand. At
Bulgari Residences, private pools and resident-only lounges create a fully self-contained experience, while Raffles Residences on The Palm lets buyers enjoy the hotel’s name and service without sharing spaces with hotel guests.
Wellness is no longer an add-on. It is at the heart of luxury living. New developments feature advanced clinics, gyms, meditation spaces, therapy rooms, and biophilic design seamlessly woven into the architecture. SHA Emirates leads the way, embedding wellness routines and longevity programs into daily life, while Emaar’s Vida Residences highlight holistic living with curated fitness and spa experiences.
Developers are going bigger and broader. Beyond individual towers, master-planned branded communities are emerging. Dubai Hills Estate and Sobha Hartland, for example, combine multiple branded residences with shared amenities like golf courses, private clubs, and cultural hubs. These neighbourhoods create immersive ecosystems, giving residents not just a home but a connected, lifestyle-oriented community.
Tyler Brûlé, founder of Monocle, a global media brand, told the Knight Frank Residence Report 2025–2026, “Why limit yourself to branding a block? Infuse the area and create an organic community that more people can benefit from, not just those who can afford your apartments.”
His insight highlights a growing trend in luxury real estate: developers are being challenged to think beyond isolated high-end towers and consider how their projects can contribute to vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods.
Exceptional service remains the baseline. Globally recognised names matter, but its consistent five-star service, from concierge and valet to housekeeping and in-room dining, that sets Dubai’s branded residences apart. With projects like Four Seasons Private Residences and Address Residences Sky View, the promise of luxury is reinforced every day, making Dubai a city where global trends and local execution come together seamlessly.
These global trends aren’t happening in a vacuum. In Dubai, the city’s regulatory frameworks, tax incentives, and infrastructure have allowed it to translate these shifts in branded living into real market performance. Branded residences here aren’t just following the global playbook; they’re setting new benchmarks for what luxury can look like in a city that combines lifestyle, investment appeal, and international accessibility.
Andrew Cummings, Head of Residential Agency at Savills Middle East, sees these dynamics in action. As the UAE heads into 2026, he notes that Dubai is not just keeping pace with global luxury trends, it’s outperforming many established hubs.
Unlike mature hubs such as London, New York, or Singapore, which face higher borrowing costs and regulatory pressure, the UAE provides a supportive environment for wealthy buyers, Cummings said. Tax policies and reliable infrastructure make Dubai a practical choice for relocating wealth. This alignment with global buyer expectations has helped the city establish itself as a leading market for branded residences and prime real estate, valued for both lifestyle and long-term investment.
Will McKintosh, Regional Partner and Head of Residential, MENA at Knight Frank agrees with Cummings’ general outlook. In the new year, the UAE “is positioned well as an outperformer within the global luxury residential landscape,” McKintosh said.
Cummings disclosed that Savills largely agrees with Knight Frank’s positive outlook on Dubai’s prime market. He notes that most buyers in Dubai are end users or long-term investors rather than people looking for a quick flip.
Setting the Stage for 2026
“I think 2025 broke every record you can measure—from the number of transactions to total sales volume, price per square foot, and the highest individual transactions,” Cummings said. 2026 is coming off the back of that strong performance, so the momentum is expected to carry forward.
“[The UAE] remains a market that’s being driven by very high demand, which is fueled by inward migration to the country.” This inward migration is stemming from a mixture of things, he explained, but more than anything, lifestyle has become a major factor. “That includes safety and security, access to world-class schools and hospitals, and the overall quality of life. From restaurants and entertainment to everything else the city offers, it’s the lifestyle that’s really drawing people in.”
Data from the report shows that the Middle East holds a smaller slice of the global $10 million-plus wealth market, with 46,199 ultra-high-net-worth individuals in 2023, rising to 50,813 by 2028. While the region’s numbers are modest compared with hubs like North America and Asia, the steady growth reflects a resilient base of wealthy individuals in Dubai and across the Middle East, driving demand for luxury real estate.
“I think we’ll see continued high demand. I think supply will struggle to catch up with the number of predicted developer units for next year. It’s all about how much we’ll actually hand over,” Cummings said.
In the meantime. as luxury supplies spread into new frontiers, McKintosh says investors will become more selective. He predicts that many will prioritise prime and super-prime assets that offer real differentiation, whether through brand credibility, design quality or genuine community creation. In practice, that means more investors will focus on projects that feel “built to last, not just to launch.”
“I think what we will see is a more measured amount of growth,” Cummings added. In other words, steady wins the race, even in the city of superlatives.
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Source: Khaleej Times
03rd January, 2025
