Developers Are Racing to Give Affluent Buyers the Gift of More Free Time

Luxury developments, already stacked with gyms, theatres and other amenities built to lure wealthy buyers, are now going beyond physical spaces to offer the most precious perk of all: More free time.

Take 1428 Brickell in Miami, for one. The condominium, slated to debut in 2027, will have a bevy of full-time experts to serve homeowners. A sommelier will keep them well supplied with their wines and spirits of choice, source rare vintages and help them discover new producers.

There will also be a wellness concierge to schedule personal training sessions, IV drips and spa treatments and several butlers, porters and valets to fulfil requests like late-night pizza cravings and help packing for a trip.

One Wall Street in Manhattan’s Financial District, which opened in March, counts on its onsite lifestyle manager, Michael Lawrence, to be a constant resource to its residents. The former executive director of operations for the renowned chef Daniel Boulud said that means establishing a relationship with them prior to their move-in date with a handwritten welcome letter.

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His notes offer to help them find a moving company, assist with unpacking boxes and stock their kitchen with groceries from the nearby Whole Foods. Lawrence can also arrange for their audio systems to be set up and make appointments with phone and cable providers.

Once owners are settled in, Lawrence acts as a go-to for a variety of needs: He’ll set up daily wake-up calls, make restaurant reservations and even plan their vacations. Most recently, the latter entailed booking a trip to Nashville for an avid Taylor Swift fan to catch the singer’s concert in May. The itinerary also included meals at famous restaurants like Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, a shopping tour and museum visits.

“Our goal is to anticipate what residents need and do whatever it takes to fulfil those needs,” said Lawrence. “That’s what true hospitality is all about.”

HALL Arts Residences, a 48-unit tower located in Dallas’s Arts District, also offers a full-time lifestyle manager, Rebecca Roberts. The former event planner maintains residents’ homes while they’re gone, secures theatre tickets for coveted shows and orchestrates their dinner parties and other social events.

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The social lounge in ONE Tampa, a new Tampa, Florida, development debuting in 2025. Kolter Urban

Lynda Ludeman owns a home in the development and said that Roberts was a “huge selling point” for her and her husband when they were deciding where in Dallas they wanted to live.

“I’ll text her when I’m away asking for our plants to be watered and it’s done,” Ludeman said. “I threw a lunch for my friends, and she found the caterer and sourced flowers for the occasion. She’s also arranged for my art to be hung.”

Cindi Caudle, an agent with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty in Dallas, is the co-lead broker for HALL Arts Residences and said that the building’s service factor is a primary component in closing deals.

“Wealthy buyers, especially since Covid, want the convenience and time savings of a lock-and-leave lifestyle, and unparalleled service gives you that,” she said. “The service levels in luxury developments have significantly stepped up as a result.”

While amenities in the most expensive residential developments have become “bolder and blingier, the quality of service is quickly catching up. said Chris Graham, the founder of the London-based luxury real estate branding consultancy Graham Associates. “The concierge piece of these projects taps into creating a lifestyle that’s supposed to be hard to match,” he said. “High-end real estate nowadays has evolved from the tangible to experiential, and service is the lead.”

The trend applies to both branded and unbranded residences, Graham said.

Other examples of service that aims to transcend the standard to reach the superlative are proliferating in the highest end of residential real estate.

At the yet-to-open Villa Miami, located in the Edgewater neighbourhood, for instance, chefs trained at the perennially popular Major Food Group restaurants like Carbone will be available to cook meals for residents in their homes and ensure that their pantries are continually restocked.

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A residence kitchen in Villa Miami.
Binyan Studios

ONE Tampa, debuting in 2025, is also trying to increase the appeal on the food and beverage front with its Skyline Bistro which will serve food throughout the day and have a barista on staff.

Ed Kahn, the senior vice president for ONE Tampa’s developer Kolter Urban, said that residents will be able to order food to their homes or anywhere else in the building, such as poolside or for pickup through the development’s app.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Palm Beach Gardens, an 11-acre development on Palm Beach’s Intracoastal Waterway that’s launching in 2025, will offer personalised service for each of its residents, according to its developer Dan Catalfumo.

“We are going to ask owners to input their likes and preferences into an online system that they can update at any time,” he said. “It will let us know whether they want us to get their boat ready for a day on the water and their favourite poolside drink.”

Boat dock at The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Palm Beach Gardens.
Catalfumo Companies

Italian fine wines are gaining momentum among Australian collectors and drinkers, with new data from showing a surge in interest driven by value, versatility and a new generation of producers.

Long dominated by France, the premium wine conversation is beginning to shift, with Italy increasingly positioned as a compelling alternative for both drinking and collecting.

According to Langtons, the category is benefiting from a combination of factors, including its breadth of styles, strong food affinity and more accessible price points compared to traditional European benchmarks.

“Italy has always offered fine wine fans an incredible range of wines with finesse, nuance, expression of terroir, ageability, rarity, and heritage,” said Langtons General Manager Tamara Grischy.

“There’s no doubt the Italian wine category is gaining momentum in 2026… While the French have long dominated the fine wine space in Australia, we’re seeing Italy become a strong contender as the go-to for both drinking and collecting.”

The shift is being reinforced by changing consumer preferences, with Langtons reporting increased demand for indigenous Italian varieties and lighter, food-first styles such as Nerello Mascalese from Etna and modern Chianti Classico.

This aligns with the broader rise of Mediterranean-style dining in Australia, where wines are expected to complement a wider range of dishes rather than dominate them.

Langtons buyer Zach Nelson said the category’s versatility is central to its appeal.

“Italian wines often have a distinct, savoury edge making them an ideal pairing for a variety of cuisines,” he said.

The move towards Italian wines also comes as prices for traditional French regions continue to climb, particularly in Burgundy, prompting collectors to look elsewhere for value without compromising on quality.

Italy’s key regions, including Piedmont and Etna, are increasingly seen as offering that balance, with premium wines available at comparatively accessible price points.

Nelson said value is now a defining factor for buyers in 2026.

“Value is the key driver for Australian fine wine consumers… Italian wines are offering exactly that at an impressive array of price points to suit any budget,” he said.

The category is also proving attractive for newer collectors, offering what Langtons describes as “accessible prestige” and a more open entry point compared to the exclusivity often associated with Bordeaux.

Wines such as Brunello di Montalcino and Nebbiolo-based expressions are increasingly being positioned as entry points into cellar-worthy collections, combining ageability with relative affordability.

At the same time, a new generation of Italian producers is reshaping the category, moving away from heavier, oak-driven styles towards wines that emphasise site expression and vibrancy.

“There’s definitely a ‘new guard’ of Italian winemaking… stripping away the makeup… to let the raw, vibrating energy of the site speak,” Nelson said.

Langtons is also expanding its offering in the category, including exclusive access to wines from family-owned producer Boroli, alongside a broader selection spanning Piedmont, Veneto, Sicily and Tuscany.

The company will showcase the category further at its upcoming Italian Collection Masterclass and Tasting in Sydney, featuring more than 50 wines from 23 producers across four key regions.

For collectors and drinkers alike, the message is clear: Italy may have been overlooked, but it is no longer under the radar.

Developers Are Racing to Give Affluent Buyers the Gift of More Free Time

From arranging dinner parties and meeting the cable guy to hanging artwork and packing suitcases, lifestyle managers help handle residents’ to-do lists

Italian wines are emerging as a serious contender for Australian collectors, offering depth, rarity and value as French benchmarks continue to climb.