KCR Spring Summer 2026 Mag final - Flipbook - Page 25
The Rise of the Multi-Home Lifestyle: How
Luxury Ownership is Being Reimagined
Luxury real estate, for today’s globally mobile individual, is no longer
de昀椀ned by ownership alone. It is increasingly about access, 昀氀exibility,
and how capital is put to work. Just as importantly, it re昀氀ects a more 昀氀uid way of living, one that moves between cities, seasons and experiences
with ease. Nowhere is this shift clearer than in how a昀툀uent families are
rethinking second home ownership.
For decades, the aspiration was fairly 昀椀xed: a villa in Provence, a chalet
in Verbier, a beachfront escape in the Caribbean. These homes represented permanence and status - a place to return to, and to anchor a
lifestyle around.
But what if you could own and enjoy all three, and more, for less than
the cost of one?
The traditional holiday home hasn’t disappeared, but intriguing alternatives have emerged. The “second home” is no longer restricted to a
single destination. Instead, it can be a wider way of living across multiple places and, rather than one 昀椀xed base, more about range, variety
and how di昀昀erent destinations 昀椀t into di昀昀erent parts of life. It can also
be an attractive and predictable 昀椀nancial investment that eliminates the
responsibilities of absentee ownership and greatly reduces initial and
ongoing expense.
next targets.
A natural evolution for a global audience
For readers of Kensington and Chelsea Review, a community shaped by
international outlook, cultural engagement and an appreciation of both
heritage and modern living, I believe this shift in real estate should feel
less like disruption and more like evolution.
The stand-alone second home is not disappearing. It is being incorporated into a broader, more 昀氀exible approach to ownership, where worry-free access to multiple homes o昀昀ers variety without compromising
quality or 昀椀nancial incentives.
Owning better, living wider
Luxury home ownership is not becoming less desired and the ability to
work remotely is not going away. If anything, it is becoming more deliberate. The emphasis is shifting from accumulation to curation, from one
place to a considered set of options, from 昀椀xed to 昀氀exible.
In that context, the choice is now whether you prefer a single holiday
destination or a lifestyle (and a portfolio) that moves with you.
A lifestyle shaped by movement
By Greg Salley, Founder & Managing Director, Equity Residences
Time is now split more easily between locations. Work, leisure and family life no longer need to sit in one place in the way they once did, and
real estate options are adapting to that reality.
Images: Below: Oesch Jonathan. Left: Puspita Wardani
The global vacation rental market now exceeds $100 billion and is
expected to reach around $130 billion by 2030, underlining sustained
demand for high-quality, private accommodations.
At the same time, behaviour inside destinations is shifting. Nearly
60% of millennial travellers now experience more than one destination
within a single trip (Expedia 2026 Trends Report), choosing to move
between stays rather than base themselves in one place. Variety, not
repetition, is increasingly the preference.
From a single asset to a broader approach
This is part of a wider change in luxury more generally. Across sectors,
access-led models are becoming more common, with subscription travel
services and more 昀氀exible approaches in leisure and lifestyle.
Holiday home ownership is following a similar path, particularly at the
top end of the market. Rather than treating a second home as a standalone purchase, buyers are being o昀昀ered a wider portfolio of places with
investment returns that work together over time.
Now, holiday home ownership can be a passport, rather than an anchor,
that aligns with families who want to be adaptable rather than static.
Co-ownership and the evolution of luxury vacation homes
This shift is often described as the multi-home lifestyle. In simple terms,
it’s a way of enjoying and investing in a portfolio of luxury homes, rather
than being tied to one, while still retaining ownership, quality and
continuity.
Location and prestige still matter, but they now sit alongside questions
of use: how a home 昀椀ts into a broader pattern of travel, and how e昀昀ectively a set of properties supports both lifestyle and long-term value.
For U.S.-based Equity Residences, this model has been successful for
more than a decade and is now seeing increased demand from UK and
other international investors. Our recently launched Equity Euro Fund
has already completed its 昀椀rst acquisition in Florence - a magni昀椀cent
apartment that is ideally located - with Rome and London, including
areas such as Mayfair, Kensington and Chelsea, identi昀椀ed as the Fund’s
