New 'Presidence' Category Emerges in Premium Real Estate as Global Wealth Surges

A distinct new category is forming at the top of the premium residential market, according to property experts, who describe it as the "presidence." This emerging tier is defined as a self-contained community of private residences anchored by a five-star hotel under an international brand, designed for multigenerational living and long-term ownership. The trend reflects a structural shift in global wealth, with the number of individuals worth more than US$30 million climbing from 551,435 to 713,626 between 2021 and 2026, a gain of over 160,000, according to Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2026. This wealth is increasingly mobile, with Henley & Partners projecting that 165,000 high-net-worth individuals will relocate internationally in 2026, a 16% rise from the record 142,000 in 2025.

The appetite for professionally serviced, brand-anchored homes is visible in the development pipeline. Savills reports that the number of branded residential schemes worldwide grew 19% in 2025 to around 910, and is on course to reach 1,747 by 2032, with the Middle East and North Africa the fastest-growing region at 187% over the past five years.

As the apex of the wealth pyramid rises, demand at the very top is moving away from headline price-per-square-foot toward space, privacy, wellbeing, autonomy, and a home that can be held and handed down across generations. The case for treating this as a distinct category was set out in a recent column by real estate adviser Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor Pte Ltd and an adjunct faculty member at Singapore Management University. "Luxury residence has a new crown, and it has a name: presidence," he writes.

According to the expert, a property of this kind should meet several defining criteria: it should occupy an exceptional location among peer residences, be built to the highest standards of quality, provide space, a healthy natural environment, security, and self-sufficiency, and create a place where owners and their families can live out every stage of life — building careers, raising children, enjoying leisure, prioritising health and wellbeing, welcoming family and friends, and ultimately passing the home down through generations. Privacy in this case does not mean isolation: rather than retreating behind their own gates, members of the presidence become part of a carefully formed community of peers, surrounded by people with comparable values, interests, and ways of life.

These principles are being formalised into a fuller set of criteria that distinguish a presidence from a conventional luxury development. At its most complete, the format is defined by: a five-star hotel operated by an international brand present in at least three countries, located within the development; a single estate of 200 hectares (around 500 acres) or more; full-spectrum infrastructure within one perimeter — indoor and outdoor sport, a central clubhouse, wellness, dining, parks and natural areas, a medical centre, recreation and security, plus a lifestyle anchor such as a golf, equestrian, or yacht club; a clear separation of public and private zones, with residences kept behind their own multi-layered security perimeter and isolated from guest-facing spaces such as the hotel, restaurants, and spa; a 24/7 premium service model featuring a dedicated resident care team, concierge services, standardised service-level agreements (SLAs), and a digital platform for managing every household and lifestyle need; a unified architectural code governing the style and coherence of every building on the estate; and an equal-neighbour principle, under which a community of like-minded owners who can enjoy privacy while remaining part of an engaging social environment is formed.

Fully integrated examples remain rare worldwide, and demand, specialists say, is running ahead of supply as the number of ultra-wealthy households continues to grow. This new category is set to redefine the top end of the residential market, offering a model that caters to the evolving needs of the world's wealthiest individuals and families.