This Haute Living market report summarizes luxury real estate activity across 15 major U.S. cities for September 2026 — including median prices in the $2M+ tier, inventory shifts, days on market, and buyer/seller conditions. Haute Living's September 2026 luxury housing report: Miami, West Palm Beach, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and 10 more markets — figures attributed to Redfin, Realtor.com, Zillow Research, Knight Frank, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, and MIAMI REALTORS / BeachesMLS, with each reporting period labeled.
| Value | Measure |
|---|---|
| $1,200,005 | U.S. Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Aug 2026) |
| +18% | Miami Luxury Median YoY (Redfin, 3 mo. to Jul 2026) |
| +43.9% | West Palm Beach Luxury Sales YoY (Redfin) |
| 194 | Miami-Dade $10M+ Sales Through Aug 2026 |
Sources: Realtor.com Luxury Housing Report (Jul & Aug 2026) · Redfin luxury analyses (rolling 3 months ending May and July 2026) · Zillow Research (May–Jun 2026) · Knight Frank Global Super-Prime Intelligence Q2 2026 and Residence Report 2026 · MIAMI REALTORS + RWorld / BeachesMLS (through Aug 2026) · Institute for Luxury Home Marketing (Aug 2026)
Executive Summary
America's luxury housing market is not one market. Through late summer 2026, public data shows a clear split: ultra-wealthy demand remains resilient in Florida and select coastal hubs, while listing-price thresholds have eased nationally and several Sun Belt and tech metros are repricing at the luxury entry point.
National listing thresholds eased again in August. Per the Realtor.com August Luxury Housing Report (released Sept. 10, 2026), the national entry point to luxury (90th percentile of listings) fell to $1,200,005, down 4.0% from both July 2026 and August 2025 — the 29th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. The 95th-percentile threshold was $1,894,230 (−4.2% YoY); the 99th percentile was $5,163,712 (−4.6% YoY). Million-dollar listings were 12.7% of active inventory, with median days on market for 90th-percentile listings at 74 days.
Transaction-side luxury sales stayed firmer than starter housing. Zillow Research (July 29, 2026 release) reported luxury sales up 6.2% YoY as of May 2026, while starter-home sales fell 5.4%. In June 2026, luxury inventory was down 5.2% YoY versus starter inventory up 4.5%. Zillow put the typical national luxury home value near $1.9 million (+3.1% YoY). The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing (August 2026) reported North American single-family luxury sales up 1.72% YoY, inventory down 1.9%, median sold price up 4.5%, and days on market down 25.7%, with new listings increasing after months of trailing 2025.
Florida led U.S. luxury price growth into midsummer. Redfin (Sept. 3, 2026) reported that for the three months ending July 2026, Miami luxury median sale prices rose 18% YoY to $5,017,755; Tampa rose 15.4% to $1,644,824; West Palm Beach rose 7.5% to $4,522,818, with West Palm Beach luxury sales up 43.9% YoY — the largest gain among metros Redfin tracked. At the ultra-prime tier, Knight Frank's Global Super-Prime Intelligence (Q2 2026) recorded 572 global $10M+ sales (−6% YoY): New York 57 ($965M), Miami 53 ($808M), Los Angeles 49 ($692M). MIAMI REALTORS + RWorld / BeachesMLS reported 194 Miami-Dade sales of $10M+ through August 2026, already 14.1% above the county's full-year 2025 total of 170.
Where September 2026 closing statistics are not yet public, this report labels the period honestly — Redfin's three months ending July 2026, or mid-2026 May–June reports — rather than treating older figures as current-month closings. Redfin defines luxury as the top 5% of sales by metro; Realtor.com uses listing-price percentiles. Neither is identical to a flat $2 million-plus cut.
Luxury Real Estate by Market
Miami, FL
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to Jul 2026) | $5.02M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +18% YoY — largest among the 50 most populous metros |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $5,017,755 · +18% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +6.7% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +8.8% YoY |
| Active Luxury Listings | −18.1% YoY |
| Non-Luxury Prices | −1.3% YoY |
| $10M+ Sales (Miami-Dade, thru Aug) | 194 · above all of 2025 (170) |
| $10M+ Sales (Knight Frank Q2) | 53 · $808M |
| Market condition | Seller's Market — Inventory Constrained |
A textbook two-speed market: luxury prices up 18% while non-luxury prices fell 1.3%. Realtor.com's August report notes Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach's ultraluxury tier starts at 5.8× the local luxury threshold, and Miami carried 601 listings above $10M in that August snapshot. Sources: Redfin (Sept. 3, 2026); MIAMI REALTORS + RWorld / BeachesMLS; Knight Frank Q2 2026; Realtor.com August 2026.
West Palm Beach, FL
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to Jul 2026) | $4.52M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury homes sold +43.9% YoY — largest sales gain nationally |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $4,522,818 · +7.5% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +43.9% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +20.1% YoY |
| New Luxury Listings | +21.9% YoY |
| Active Luxury Listings | −6% YoY |
| Market condition | Seller's Market — Velocity at the Top |
Redfin linked demand to retirees, working-age wealth, and finance-sector relocation ("Wall Street South"), with cash capacity buffering rate sensitivity. The story here is transaction velocity, not merely asking-price drift. Source: Redfin, three months ending July 2026.
Tampa, FL
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to Jul 2026) | $1.64M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +15.4% YoY — second only to Miami among large metros |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,644,824 · +15.4% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +6% YoY |
| Active Luxury Listings | −16.1% YoY |
| New Luxury Listings | −11.1% YoY |
| Non-Luxury Prices | +0.3% YoY |
| May 2026 Window | +15.6% YoY · median $1,650,875 |
| Market condition | Seller's Market — Supply Constrained |
Tampa's luxury median remains below a strict $2M floor even as growth outpaces most U.S. metros — this is Redfin's local top-5% definition, not a national $2M cut. Source: Redfin, three months ending July 2026 (and the earlier May 2026 window).
New York, NY
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $4.38M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +5.0% YoY; homes sold −9.5% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $4,380,249 · +5.0% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | −2.5% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | −9.5% YoY |
| New Listings | −12.3% YoY |
| Active Listings | −18.6% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 83 days (+16 YoY) |
| $10M+ Sales (Knight Frank Q2) | 57 · $965M |
| Market condition | Mixed — Prices Firm, Volume Thin |
Knight Frank counted 341 NYC super-prime sales in the year to Q1 2026 (vs. 281 prior year), with Q2 2026 down 37% QoQ by count. Realtor.com's August listing threshold for New York–Newark–Jersey City was $2,587,959 (−10.4% YoY) — listing-side easing can coexist with still-high closed luxury medians. Sources: Redfin (May 2026 window); Knight Frank Q1–Q2 2026; Realtor.com August 2026.
Los Angeles, CA
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $4.51M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +4.9% YoY; listing entry $3,919,381 (No. 1 nationally) |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $4,512,482 · +4.9% YoY |
| Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Aug) | $3,919,381 · −1.9% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +0.4% YoY |
| Active Listings | −10.8% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 49 days |
| $10M+ Listings (Aug snapshot) | 634 — most in the U.S. |
| $10M+ Sales (Knight Frank Q2) | 49 · $692M |
| Market condition | Seller's Market at the Entry Tier |
LA's 99th percentile sat at 5.6× its local luxury threshold. Knight Frank's Residence Report 2026 notes continuing super-prime activity despite Measure ULA inside the City of LA, with Beverly Hills (outside ULA) a focal point for branded residences. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Realtor.com August 2026; Knight Frank Q2 2026.
San Francisco, CA
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $6.65M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Pending luxury sales +45.9% YoY — largest in Redfin's analysis |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $6,648,922 · +6.0% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +45.9% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +46.3% YoY |
| Active Listings | −11.5% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 13 days |
| Luxury Sales (Zillow, May) | +21.6% YoY |
| Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Jul) | $2,490,089 · −8.6% YoY |
| Market condition | Extreme Seller's Market |
The sharpest "sales up / threshold down" story in the public data. Only 9.4% of luxury listings cut price in June (vs. 22.2% of starter listings); million-dollar listings sold in a median 37 days and their count fell 20.9% YoY — a clearing market, not a stalled one. Redfin and Realtor.com both tie the rebound to AI-driven wealth and liquidity. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Zillow May–June 2026; Realtor.com July 2026.
Boston, MA
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $2.83M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +7.4% YoY while listing threshold eased 8.6% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $2,826,655 · +7.4% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | −8.6% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | −6.0% YoY |
| Active Listings | −4.1% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 28 days |
| Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Jul) | $2,485,340 · −8.6% YoY |
| $1M+ Listing Count | +7.4% YoY · 53-day median DOM |
| Market condition | Mixed — Buyers Selective |
Closed top-5% prices held up in the May sales window even as the listing-defined entry point eased. Supply of seven-figure inventory is not collapsing. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Realtor.com July 2026.
Chicago, IL
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $1.55M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +6.2% YoY; pending +11.3% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,545,360 · +6.2% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +11.3% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +5.1% YoY |
| Active Listings | −12.2% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 44 days (−5 YoY) |
| Luxury Sales (Zillow, May) | +24.9% YoY |
| Luxury Inventory (Zillow, Jun) | −7.3% YoY |
| Market condition | Seller-Leaning — Metro-Relative Luxury |
Chicago's Redfin luxury median remains below $2M, so "luxury" here is the metro-relative top 5% — still the relevant peer set for local high-end competition. Momentum is sales- and inventory-driven more than ultra-trophy depth. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Zillow May–June 2026.
Dallas, TX
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $1.60M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median −0.3% YoY — essentially flat |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,603,312 · −0.3% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +7.1% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +1.7% YoY |
| New Listings | +2.4% YoY |
| Active Listings | +6.2% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 38 days |
| Market condition | Balanced to Slightly Looser |
A balanced luxury tape versus Florida's inventory crunch. As with Chicago and Tampa, treat these as local top-tier statistics, not a national $2M+ cohort. Source: Redfin, three months ending May 2026.
Austin, TX
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $1.81M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Closed median +9.0% YoY; listing threshold −9.6% (steepest in U.S.) |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,811,150 · +9.0% YoY |
| Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Jul) | $1,262,726 · −9.6% YoY |
| $1M+ Listing Count | −17.8% YoY |
| $1M+ Median DOM | 78 days |
| Market condition | Buyer-Leaning — Mid-Cycle Recalibration |
Read together: closed luxury medians in the spring window still rose, while summer listing thresholds and seven-figure stock marked down — classic recalibration after years of outsized appreciation. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Realtor.com July 2026.
Phoenix, AZ
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $2.23M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +12.6% YoY — above the $2M mark |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $2,225,630 · +12.6% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +14.2% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +2.0% YoY |
| New Listings | −5.7% YoY |
| Active Listings | −0.1% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 70 days |
| Market condition | Seller-Leaning |
Among the stronger Sun Belt luxury price stories in the May Redfin table, behind only the Florida leaders and Las Vegas on percentage gains. Source: Redfin, three months ending May 2026.
Nashville, TN
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $2.19M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +7.1% YoY; pending +24.5% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $2,190,591 · +7.1% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | +24.5% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | +10.0% YoY |
| New Listings | +11.4% YoY |
| Active Listings | +8.4% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 96 days (+11 YoY) |
| Market condition | Mixed — More Product, More Demand |
Pending growth was second only to San Francisco among metros Redfin highlighted, but marketing times run longer than coastal peers. Source: Redfin, three months ending May 2026.
Seattle, WA
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $2.99M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +3.1% YoY; homes sold −13.0% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $2,992,812 · +3.1% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | −14.8% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | −13.0% YoY |
| New Listings | +0.6% YoY |
| Active Listings | +13.9% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 10 days |
| Market condition | Buyer-Leaning on Supply |
Softening demand metrics with rising active stock — a relative buyer's advantage versus Miami or San Francisco, if prices hold near the nearly $3M luxury median. Source: Redfin, three months ending May 2026.
Las Vegas, NV
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $1.69M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +13.7% YoY — third-fastest in Redfin's May leaderboard |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,694,567 · +13.7% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | −1.0% YoY |
| Luxury Homes Sold | −11.6% YoY |
| New Listings | −16.5% YoY |
| Active Listings | −4.5% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 79 days (+23 YoY) |
| Market condition | Mixed — Higher Medians on Fewer Deals |
Sellers are realizing higher medians on thinner volume and longer marketing times. Source: Redfin, three months ending May 2026.
Denver, CO
| Luxury Median Sale Price (Redfin, 3 mo. to May 2026) | $1.97M |
|---|---|
| Year over year | Luxury median +4.3% YoY; listing threshold −5.9% |
| Luxury Median Sale Price | $1,971,456 · +4.3% YoY |
| Pending Luxury Sales | −5.1% YoY |
| New Listings | −15.7% YoY |
| Active Listings | −4.9% YoY |
| Median Days on Market | 20 days |
| Luxury Listing Entry (Realtor.com, Jul) | $1,269,259 · −5.9% YoY |
| $1M+ Listing Count | −15.7% YoY · 57-day DOM |
| Market condition | Balanced — Thinner New Supply |
Closed top-tier prices near $2M with thinner new supply and an easing listing threshold — a measured mountain-metro luxury market versus Florida's heat. Sources: Redfin May 2026; Realtor.com July 2026.
Five Signals
Shop the Split, Not the Headline
National listing thresholds are down 4.0% YoY (Realtor.com, August 2026), but closed luxury prices in Miami (+18%), Tampa (+15.4%), Las Vegas (+13.7%), and Phoenix (+12.6%) rose double digits in Redfin's mid-2026 windows. A softer national entry to luxury does not mean trophy inventory is on sale in every city.
Cash and Speed Still Win in Florida and San Francisco
Redfin and MIAMI REALTORS data show inventory contraction and record-pace $10M+ activity in Miami-Dade — 194 closings through August, already above 2025's full-year 170. San Francisco pending sales rose 45.9% and homes sold 46.3% while median days on market stayed at 13.
Negotiate Where Stock Is Rising
Seattle's active luxury listings were up 13.9% YoY (Redfin, May window) and Austin's luxury listing threshold fell 9.6% (Realtor.com, July) — both imply more buyer leverage than Miami, where active luxury stock fell 18.1% in the July Redfin window.
Define Luxury Locally
A Redfin luxury median under $2M in Dallas, Chicago, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Austin is still the top 5% of that metro — useful for relocation buyers comparing purchasing power, not for matching Miami Beach waterfront comparables.
Ultra-Prime Is Its Own Asset Class
Knight Frank counted 572 global $10M+ sales in Q2 2026 (−6% YoY), led in the U.S. by New York (57 · $965M), Miami (53 · $808M), and Los Angeles (49 · $692M). This tier moves on wealth migration, branding, and scarcity — not on the national 90th-percentile listing threshold. Knight Frank's Residence Report 2026 notes the U.S. accounted for 41% of newly minted individuals worth at least $30M over the five years to 2026.
For Sellers: Price to the Neighborhood's Current Tape
Institute for Luxury Home Marketing data show August single-family luxury median sold prices up 4.5% with days on market down 25.7% YoY — but Realtor.com shows national thresholds still falling and new luxury listings rebounding. Overpricing against last year's peak invites the longer days on market that Austin and Boston listing data already hint at. Document the period: buyers will compare your ask to Redfin's May and July windows and Realtor.com's August thresholds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the U.S. luxury real estate market up or down in September 2026?
Both, depending on the metric. Realtor.com's August 2026 listing thresholds fell about 4% year-over-year nationally, to a $1,200,005 entry point. Redfin's mid-2026 closed luxury medians rose in most large metros — up 4.7% in the three months ending May 2026 and up 5.3% in the July window — with Florida leading. Zillow showed luxury sales up 6.2% year-over-year as of May 2026 while starter-home sales fell 5.4%.
Which cities led luxury price growth in 2026?
In Redfin's three months ending July 2026: Miami (+18%) and Tampa (+15.4%). In the May 2026 window: Tampa (+15.6%), Miami (+14.2%), Las Vegas (+13.7%), and Phoenix (+12.6%). West Palm Beach led sales growth at +43.9% in the July window.
Why do Redfin and Realtor.com luxury numbers disagree?
Different definitions and different data. Redfin tracks closed and pending sales in the top 5% of each metro. Realtor.com tracks asking prices at the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles of active listings. A market can post higher closed luxury medians while its listing entry point falls.
What is happening in the $10 million-plus market?
Knight Frank counted 57 New York, 53 Miami, and 49 Los Angeles sales above $10 million in Q2 2026, within 572 such sales globally (−6% year-over-year). MIAMI REALTORS + RWorld / BeachesMLS counted 194 Miami-Dade closings above $10 million through August 2026 — already 14.1% above the county's full-year 2025 total of 170.
When will true September 2026 metro closing statistics be available?
MLS monthly releases and Redfin's next luxury Data Center update (indicated for Sept. 29, 2026) typically lag the calendar month. This report uses the latest published public figures as of mid-to-late September 2026 and labels each reporting period explicitly rather than blending them into a single September composite.
How should this report be used?
It is editorial and informational only — not investment, tax, legal, or brokerage advice. Statistics come from third-party public sources that may revise historical data, and definitions of luxury vary by source and metro. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Local conditions, interest rates, insurance costs, taxes, and property-specific factors can diverge sharply from metro aggregates. Haute Living and Haute Real Estate Network do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third-party data and do not endorse specific agents, brokerages, or listings in this report.