Top 8 Trophy Deals Defining South Florida Luxury Real Estate in 2025
Quick Summary
- 2025 saw a surge in $10M+ volume
- Trophy pricing spans land, estates, condos
- Cash and discretion shape deal flow
- Miami Beach condos now rival mansions
The 2025 trophy-market signal in one number
South Florida’s ultra-luxury market is no longer a one-cycle headline. It is a repeat performer with real depth. In 2025, the region posted 361 home sales at $10 million-plus, the second-highest total on record. That matters because trophy pricing is sustained by more than a few extraordinary closings. It requires a reliable cadence of qualified buyers, defensible comparables, and sellers willing to trade even when discretion limits public visibility.
Liquidity at the top is also reinforced by deal structure. Miami-Dade residential transactions were reported at about 40% all-cash in December 2025. For buyers, that compresses timelines and reduces financing friction. For sellers, it improves certainty, especially when marketing is quiet, limited, or fully off-market.
The net effect is a market where nine-figure outcomes are not anomalies. They are part of a broader system that is private, cash-forward, and increasingly shaped by hospitality-grade residential product.
Top 8 trophy deals that defined 2025
1. Port Royal (Naples) waterfront assemblage – $225M benchmark The largest U.S. home sale reported for 2025 was a $225 million Port Royal beachfront assemblage on Gordon Drive in Naples. The deeper signal is the format: a rare, multi-parcel coastline play in one of the country’s most exclusive enclaves.
2. Miami Beach Shore Club penthouse – over $120M, hospitality-style pricing A Miami Beach Shore Club penthouse was reported in contract for over $120 million. Even without a publicly framed closing in the same way as a recorded deed transfer, the implication is direct: the top of the condo market is negotiating at estate-level numbers.
3. 26 Star Island Dr – $120M Miami-area price record (reported) Vladislav Doronin sold 26 Star Island Dr for $120 million, described as a Miami-area price record. The property was characterized as roughly 2.5 acres and about 20,000 square feet, with a dock and tennis court. Doronin reportedly acquired it from Shaquille O’Neal in 2009 for $16 million.
4. Indian Creek Island vacant waterfront plot – $105M after a $200M whisper A vacant waterfront plot on Indian Creek Island was marketed as high as $200 million, then sold for $105 million. For serious buyers, it is a clean example of trophy-land price discovery, where positioning and the eventual clearing price can diverge.
5. “Banyan Ridge” in Coconut Grove – $101.5M off-market correction Google co-founder Larry Page bought the “Banyan Ridge” estate in Coconut Grove for $101.5 million, described as a 4.5-acre waterfront compound. It had been publicly marketed at $135 million before trading off-market.
6. Lost Tree Village (North Palm Beach) compound – about $97.5M, privacy premium A Wrigley family compound in Lost Tree Village, North Palm Beach, sold around $97.5 million. The deal underscores how gated-community privacy, amenities, and established prestige can translate into generational pricing.
7. Seaway at the Surf Club penthouse – $86M condo record in Miami-Dade Fort Partners sold the Seaway at the Surf Club penthouse in Surfside for $86 million, reported as a Miami-Dade condo record. The residence was described at roughly 16,053 square feet, implying pricing around $5,358 per square foot.
8. 3085 Munroe Drive, Coconut Grove – $71.9M as part of a larger bet Fox Business reported that Larry Page also purchased 3085 Munroe Drive for $71.9 million, bringing his reported Coconut-grove buys to about $173.4 million. Multiple acquisitions in one micro-market often signal conviction and can firm adjacent trophy pricing.
Why price discovery looks different above $10M
Above $10 million, the “market” is often a curated room, not a public stage. Miami’s ultra-private luxury segment frequently relies on quiet marketing to control visibility and regulate access to trophy homes. Buyers and sellers also commonly use LLCs or other entities to reduce public exposure tied to ownership.
That structure changes negotiation dynamics. Public asking prices can serve as an opening posture, while real deal-making happens through introductions, proof of funds, and reputational filters. The Indian Creek trade, marketed as high as $200 million and sold at $105 million, is a clear illustration of how positioning and final pricing can materially differ.
For buyers, the core implication is straightforward: the best opportunities may never look like a “deal.” They look like access.
Condos that compete with estates in Miami-beach
The most consequential shift in South Florida’s luxury stack is how serviced residences are competing with traditional waterfront estates. The Seaway and Shore Club narratives suggest that, for a certain buyer profile, the premium is no longer paid only for acreage or frontage. It is paid for time, privacy-by-design, security, and operational ease.
In Miami-beach, that preference is already visible in hospitality-adjacent offerings such as Shore Club Private Collections Miami Beach, where the promise is not only views but a fully managed lifestyle system. A parallel audience gravitates toward established ultra-luxury residence models like Setai Residences Miami Beach, where service culture remains a primary value driver.
For buyers who want the Miami Beach address with a more residential cadence, branded privacy-forward options also remain worth tracking, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences® Miami Beach.
A buyer’s geography map: Coconut-grove to Palm-beach
In 2025, Coconut-grove served as shorthand for ultra-private waterfront living. The nine-figure “Banyan Ridge” acquisition and the separate reported Munroe Drive purchase reinforced the neighborhood’s positioning as a long-term base near Miami’s economic gravity, with a quieter residential rhythm than resort corridors.
Further north, Palm-beach momentum remained difficult to dismiss. Palm Beach County was reported as on track for roughly 426 sales of $10 million-plus homes in 2025, near its 2021 record of 444. That depth supports pricing for enclaves such as Lost Tree Village, where the value proposition is as much controlled access as it is the home.
Meanwhile, Miami Beach’s oceanfront corridor continues to reward buyers who want a direct relationship with the Atlantic. Limited boutique oceanfront inventory remains a key driver of pricing psychology, which is why projects like 57 Ocean Miami Beach attract attention from buyers who prioritize shoreline adjacency and a more intimate building profile.
What sophisticated buyers are optimizing for heading into 2026
Three themes are increasingly decisive.
First, certainty of execution. A cash-heavy environment reduces contingencies and compresses negotiation windows, particularly when trophy inventory is thin.
Second, discretion. Quiet marketing and entity-based ownership are not celebrity-only tactics. They are structural features of the trophy tier, influencing sourcing, negotiation, and exit strategy.
Third, optionality between formats. The market is effectively offering two premium pathways: compound-style privacy and service-led vertical living. 2025’s record condo pricing and nine-figure estate trades show that both pathways are viable, and often competitive expressions of the same objective: control.
FAQs
Is South Florida still seeing meaningful $10M-plus volume? Yes. South Florida recorded 361 sales of $10M-plus homes in 2025, the second-highest total on record.
Are luxury buyers in Miami-Dade still paying cash? Cash remains a major force. Miami-Dade residential transactions were reported at about 40% all-cash in December 2025.
What was the biggest reported home sale of 2025 in the U.S.? A $225 million Port Royal (Naples) beachfront assemblage on Gordon Drive was reported as the most expensive U.S. home sale of 2025.
What is a “waterfront assemblage,” and why does it matter? It is a multi-parcel acquisition combined into one trophy holding. It matters because it can create scale and privacy that a single parcel cannot.
Why do some trophy homes sell off-market? At the highest tier, sellers often prefer controlled exposure and curated access to qualified buyers, which quiet marketing can deliver.
Why do buyers use LLCs or entities in ultra-luxury purchases? Entity ownership is often used to reduce public exposure tied to personal ownership and to keep purchase details less visible.
Can a condo really rival a mansion price in South Florida? Yes. A Surfside penthouse traded at $86 million, and a Miami Beach Shore Club penthouse was reported in contract for over $120 million.
What is the significance of the $105M Indian Creek land sale? It highlights trophy price discovery, where marketed “whisper” pricing can differ materially from the eventual clearing price.
Which neighborhoods stood out for privacy-led buying in 2025? Coconut-grove and Indian Creek were highlighted in widely covered trophy deals, while gated communities like Lost Tree Village also commanded major pricing.
How should buyers approach the 2026 ultra-luxury market? Prioritize access, certainty of execution, and a clear preference between service-led condos and estate-style privacy.
For discreet buying guidance across South Florida’s trophy tier, connect with MILLION Luxury.
Million Luxury
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.
