Star-Studded Living: Where Celebrities Are Buying Homes in South Florida, And Why
Quick Summary
- 2025 saw 361 South Florida home sales at $10M+, near record pace
- Guarded islands and gated communities keep scarcity and privacy measurable
- Billionaire assemblages signal a land-first strategy at the market’s peak
- Trophy condos in Brickell and Sunny Isles deliver lock-and-leave luxury
The $10M+ market is no longer a moment
South Florida’s ultra-luxury tier has evolved into a repeatable market segment, not a once-in-a-cycle spike. In 2025 alone, the region recorded 361 home sales above $10 million, the second-highest total on record. That kind of velocity matters because it reinforces pricing, supports underwriting confidence, and expands the pool of buyers who know how to transact discreetly at scale. At this level, buyers are not simply purchasing square footage or a view. They are securing a specific way of living: controlled access, reliable privacy, and ownership of a globally recognizable asset that can function as a primary residence, a seasonal base, or a multigenerational compound.
Top 10 Elite Enclaves and Trophy Towers
Below are the 10 places and product types that most consistently define how the $10M+ market behaves in South Florida right now. Some are islands with guarded bridges. Others are vertical icons that deliver a different interpretation of privacy: service, security, and separation, expressed through architecture.
1. Indian Creek Island, guard-gated island scarcity
Indian Creek Island, often nicknamed “Billionaire Bunker,” is a small municipality with roughly 41 homes on about 300 acres and a single guarded bridge. At this level, scarcity is not marketing language, it is math. Buyers are competing for a finite number of waterfront parcels with controlled access and a well-known security posture. The island’s appeal is also reputational. It has become shorthand for ultra-discreet ownership, which is why high-profile, security-conscious families gravitate here when they want privacy without leaving Miami’s cultural radius.
2. Star Island, celebrity legacy with modern assemblage dynamics
Star Island remains one of Miami Beach’s most visible trophy addresses, accessed through a guarded bridge and defined by oversized waterfront homes. Its legacy has long been celebrity-driven, but today’s market signal is the return of large-scale, strategic buying. In recent years, billionaire activity has reinforced a core idea at the very top: the highest-end buyer is not only purchasing a home. They are purchasing a position, land control, future optionality, and the ability to create a property that may never need to be resold.
3. Coral Gables waterfront, pricing milestones and old-world permanence
Coral Gables offers a different kind of luxury: permanence rooted in established streetscapes and a yachting-adjacent lifestyle. The area has also posted eye-catching transactions, including a reported $50 million waterfront purchase in 2024, underscoring that elite pricing is no longer confined to a handful of islands. For buyers who want privacy without the optics of a celebrity enclave, Coral Gables can feel quieter while still delivering architectural gravitas and proximity to Miami’s core.
4. Coconut Grove, tech-founder interest and compound logic
Coconut Grove has increasingly aligned with the preferences of modern wealth: greenery, walkability, and waterfront pockets with room to curate a lifestyle rather than simply occupy a residence. The neighborhood has also seen tech-founder scale activity, including reported purchases of two Coconut Grove properties for a combined roughly $173 million across late 2024 into early 2025. That pattern reflects compound logic: buying multiple adjacent or nearby assets to control privacy, future expansion, and long-term use. In vertical form, this lifestyle can also be expressed through curated new development such as Four Seasons Residences Coconut Grove, where service and lock-and-leave convenience can replace the operational complexity of a large estate.
5. Sunny Isles Beach, trophy towers and the car-elevator era
Sunny Isles Beach is a global-facing condo market where privacy is engineered through access control, private elevators, and amenity stacks that rival resort clubs. It is also home to one of the most talked-about functional luxuries: a car-elevator concept that allows residents to park in or near their units, reinforcing how the ultra-wealthy value frictionless arrival as a form of discretion. For buyers who want panoramic oceanfront presence without maintaining a compound, a building like Bentley Residences Sunny Isles captures the current thesis: branded, design-forward, and optimized for part-time residence with full-time standards.
6. Brickell (and the new “vertical estate”), finance energy meets trophy design
Brickell’s appeal is direct: proximity to business, dining, and the region’s most active luxury services ecosystem. The deeper shift is the buyer profile. As South Florida’s “Wall Street South” narrative continues to strengthen, the luxury buyer increasingly views a prime Brickell residence as both lifestyle infrastructure and a statement address. In this context, the “vertical estate” is not a compromise. It is a strategic choice, private elevator access, layered security, and high-touch services that can mirror the discretion of a gated neighborhood. Projects such as 888 Brickell by Dolce & Gabbana and The Residences at 1428 Brickell illustrate how luxury has moved beyond size into craft, branding, and arrival experience.
7. Bay Colony, Fort Lauderdale, gated waterfront calm with family logic
Fort Lauderdale’s luxury story is increasingly about livability: boating access, schools, and a pace that can feel more residential than Miami Beach. Bay Colony is a gated waterfront community with 24-hour security, a clear draw for buyers who prioritize privacy and predictability without needing island-level exposure. For families or multigenerational households, a community like this can deliver the intangible luxury of routine: secure entrances, consistent neighbors, and a less performative version of waterfront life.
8. Stone Creek Ranch, Delray Beach, privacy engineered inland
Stone Creek Ranch has been profiled as an ultra-private enclave where large lots, controlled access, and security-forward design substitute for the visibility of an oceanfront address. A reported 2025 purchase for $37 million reinforced that the luxury buyer will trade coastline adjacency for discretion when the community delivers true separation. This is an important cue for anyone shopping in the $10M+ tier: in South Florida, privacy is not tied exclusively to water. It can be built through planning, lot size, and access control.
9. Manalapan, Palm Beach County, ocean-to-lake prestige with low-visibility pull
Manalapan sits within Palm Beach County’s most exclusive orbit, prized for a rare combination of coastal positioning and a quieter social profile. A reported $23.5 million purchase in late 2024 highlighted the area’s continued pull for prominent buyers seeking privacy and space. For those who want Palm Beach County cachet without the intensity of peak-season visibility, Manalapan offers a compelling middle ground.
10. The “assemblage buyer” phenomenon, when the home is the land plan
At the very top of the market, the most decisive signal is often not a single closing, but a pattern of adjacent purchases. A reported acquisition of three neighboring Indian Creek properties across 2023 and 2024 for a combined roughly $237 million brought wider attention to a strategy long familiar to ultra-high-net-worth buyers: assemblage. Assemblage buying is essentially future-proofing. It creates buffer zones, controls sightlines, and can turn a residence into a long-term compound. It also changes how comps function, because the buyer is not purchasing a “house”, they are purchasing a controllable environment.
The three drivers buyers quietly optimize for
Luxury buyers do not always articulate what they are optimizing for, but their decisions reveal consistent priorities. First is security. Guarded bridges, controlled entrances, and dedicated patrols remain meaningful differentiators, especially for public-facing families. Indian Creek is repeatedly associated with exceptional controlled access and a dedicated police presence. Second is tax efficiency and domicile flexibility. Florida’s lack of a state income tax is a recurring reason high earners choose to base in South Florida, and it can compress decision timelines compared with other luxury markets. Third is global liquidity. South Florida continues to attract foreign capital, with foreign buyers purchasing about $4.4 billion of South Florida residential real estate in 2025, up sharply from the prior year. This international bid supports both new development and prime waterfront inventory, particularly in neighborhoods with clear brand recognition.
Condos vs. compounds: choosing the right kind of privacy
In the $10M+ tier, “privacy” can mean two different things. A compound buyer wants distance: land, setbacks, and the ability to control the perimeter. This is the logic behind islands, gated communities, and inland enclaves where large lots create quiet. A trophy-condo buyer wants separation: staff, security layers, private elevators, and a building that operates like a private club. The right tower can reduce operational burden while increasing day-to-day discretion. In Miami Beach, a boutique oceanfront project such as 57 Ocean Miami Beach speaks to this preference: fewer residences, a more residential feel, and an ownership experience that can be calmer than a sprawling estate.
How to shop the $10M+ segment like an insider
Start by choosing your scarcity type. If you want a true one-of-one, prioritize land: waterfront lots, protected sightlines, and controlled-access neighborhoods. If you plan to travel often, prioritize service and security in a building designed for lock-and-leave living. Then underwrite the “quiet costs.” Estates can require significant staffing, maintenance, and resilience planning. Condos can carry meaningful monthly fees, but they often deliver predictable operations and a simpler ownership profile. Finally, watch for expectation resets at the trophy end. In Indian Creek, a notable vacant lot near a high-profile assemblage was publicly marketed with a $50 million price cut to an asking price of $150 million. That kind of adjustment can create opportunity for buyers who are prepared to move when sellers re-anchor to reality.
FAQs
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What defines the $10M+ market in South Florida right now? Controlled-access privacy, waterfront scarcity, and trophy-level design are the key levers.
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Is Indian Creek Island truly that limited in inventory? Yes. It is a small municipality with about 41 homes and a single guarded bridge.
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Why do buyers assemble multiple properties instead of buying one estate? Assemblage can create buffer zones, control sightlines, and enable a long-term compound plan.
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Are luxury condos a real alternative to waterfront estates? For many buyers, yes. High-service towers can deliver privacy with far less upkeep.
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Why is Sunny Isles Beach so popular with ultra-luxury condo buyers? It offers oceanfront high-rises and signature features like car-elevator living in select towers.
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What is the appeal of Bay Colony in Fort Lauderdale? It is a gated waterfront community with 24-hour security and a more residential pace.
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Why are more celebrities and executives choosing South Florida? Lifestyle, privacy options, and Florida’s lack of a state income tax are consistent motivators.
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Does foreign capital still matter in South Florida luxury housing? Yes. Foreign buyers purchased about $4.4B in South Florida residential real estate in 2025.
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Is Coral Gables part of the true trophy-home conversation now? Yes. Recent headline transactions have pushed local pricing into elite territory.
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How should a buyer approach pricing when comps are thin? Focus on land quality, security, and long-term optionality rather than nearest closed sale.
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Million Luxury
Welcome to MILLION, an exclusive luxury real estate boutique nestled in the heart of South Florida’s most desirable locations. Specializing in high-end properties, we provide a sanctuary for discerning clients including top Fortune 500 executives, affluent families, celebrities, and professional athletes from across the globe. At MILLION, we understand the unique demands of our elite clientele and offer a seamless blend of confidentiality and personalized attention. Our commitment to privacy is unwavering; we ensure that every transaction and interaction is handled with the utmost discretion and according to stringent confidentiality protocols. Our concierge service embodies the pinnacle of white-glove care, offering tailored assistance that transcends traditional real estate support.
