{"id":345963,"date":"2026-01-26T12:41:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=345963"},"modified":"2026-04-03T16:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:30:03","slug":"why-the-multigenerational-home-is-luxury-living-defined","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/why-the-multigenerational-home-is-luxury-living-defined\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Multigenerational Home Is Luxury Living Defined"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

High-end buyers are increasingly seeking space for everyone under one roof, bringing family together\u2014at home or on holiday<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Home<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pescadaro, California<\/a> | Golden Gate Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s where the family heartbeat is,\u201d says Rodd Macklin, co-founder and managing director of Pennington Partners & Co, of the rise in multigenerational living, where grandparents, children and grandchildren share a home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The setup is emerging as a significant trend in luxury real estate, strengthening emotional connections, spreading caregiving duties and forging family legacies. \u201cA home is often the anchor where families come together, making it a natural place for conversations about prosperity,\u201d continues Macklin. \u201cAt the same time, it\u2019s a major asset that must be structured thoughtfully if it\u2019s going to last across generations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And generational considerations matter. According to Macklin, Baby Boomers (born 1946-64) often downsize their daily living arrangements but keep a home for family gatherings, while Generation X (1965-80) increasingly house elderly parents and adult children. For Millennials (1981-96) and Gen Z (1997-2012), flexible living spaces beat large houses. \u201cWhat\u2019s the same across all generations is that their homes give a sense of belonging. It\u2019s not just real estate,\u201d Macklin says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Living<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tokyo, Japan<\/a> | List Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, the pull of multigenerational living is being felt globally, especially in countries with a culture of honoring and valuing older family members. \u201cIn Japan, the idea of a family living together has profound roots,\u201d says Kantaro Aoki of List Sotheby\u2019s International Realty, Japan. \u201cHistorically, it was common for the grandparents, parents and children to live together in the same household, especially in rural areas. Although the nuclear family became more common in the postwar years, the trend toward multigenerational homes is re-emerging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suitable properties are shaped by location, purpose, architecture, land availability and cultural norms. \u201cThoughtful planning by an architect of how people want to live is the difference between successful intergenerational living and a big house,\u201d says Bob Zuber, a partner at Morgante Wilson Architects in Chicago, Illinois. \u201cThink rec rooms, sitting rooms, separate entry points if necessary, reading nooks and playrooms. Not everyone wants or needs to be surrounded by family members at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Etstae<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e3o <\/a>Paulo<\/a>, Brasil<\/a> | Bossa Nova Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Sandra Wendland of Legacy Sotheby\u2019s International Realty in Portland, Maine, multigenerational housing comes in many forms. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s a lakefront property, sometimes oceanfront or even island compounds, because it goes back to the family seeking meaningful time together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Wendland\u2019s recent transactions\u2014a lakefront property near the base of a ski resort\u2014included the buyer\u2019s mother, who had grown up skiing there. \u201cShe was elated to be able to enjoy the mountain and lake with her grandchildren,\u201d says Wendland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as space to come together is important, often so is real estate with space to be apart. \u201cFrom the cultural aspect, I think the luxury end is really about unplugging,\u201d says Margaret \u201cMeg\u201d Smith of Daniel Gale Sotheby\u2019s International Realty in Bay Shore, New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Southampton,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Southampton, New York<\/a> | Sotheby\u2019s International Realty – Southampton Brokerage<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith recently sold a multigenerational property on Fire Island, New York. It comprised three separate houses: one on the bay, one ocean-facing, and the third centered between them as an entertainment space. Two brothers thought it was perfect because each one could have their own home and they could bring their families together in the middle, Smith says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For affluent families, these purchases represent more than a lifestyle choice\u2014they are strategic investments that address multiple financial objectives while creating space for the family to thrive across generations. Whether used for vacations with extended family or year-round living, multigenerational homes offer the chance to deepen family connections and create a lasting real estate legacy. As Macklin concludes, it\u2019s about having \u201csomewhere that ties everyone together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an edited extract from Sotheby\u2019s International Realty 2026 Luxury Outlook<\/em>\u2122<\/sup> report. Read and download the full report at <\/em>luxuryoutlook.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High-end buyers are increasingly seeking space for everyone under one roof, bringing family together\u2014at home or on holiday Pescadaro, California | Golden Gate Sotheby\u2019s International Realty \u201cIt\u2019s where the family heartbeat is,\u201d says Rodd Macklin, co-founder and managing director of Pennington Partners & Co, of the rise in multigenerational living, where grandparents, children and grandchildren […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770370,"featured_media":345965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1403],"tags":[1420,1423,1454,1472],"class_list":["post-345963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-market-insights","tag-brazil","tag-california","tag-japan","tag-new-york"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image2-2.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1s03","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232770370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345963"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":345981,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345963\/revisions\/345981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}