The Return to Roots: Quality Over Glitz
By Judy Zeder | Founding Partner
In the rush of 2021-2024, we saw a surge of “white box” modernism. But as we settle into 2025, the data in Coral Gables tells a different story. The highest price-per-square-foot trades are no longer the glass boxes; they are the renovated 1920s Mediterranean Revival estates on the water.
Scarcity is the Ultimate Value
You can build a glass box anywhere. You cannot recreate a 100-year-old Banyan canopy or a George Merrick original facade. My clients—sophisticated wealth from New York and Connecticut—are specifically requesting “Soul” over “Shine.”
The Gables Estates Premium
We are seeing a 15% premium on properties with deep-water docking in Gables Estates compared to similar square footage in newer, less established gated communities. Security, pedigree, and the canopy of trees are becoming the new metrics of ultra-luxury.
