Branded Residences- Dubai Fights For Market Share & Todays Unique Trends in Luxury Brand Alignment
- Kassie Smith
- Sep 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 30
Branded residences in Dubai are shaping up to be a key battleground for market share, alongside the latest trends in luxury brand alignment. From developing in a similar market for 2 decades, I clearly foresaw the ascension of branded luxury residences and their inevitable prominence in mixed-use luxury hospitality. Exciting times lie ahead in this dynamic landscape.
Our team at KS Global Development are now passionately involved in crafting an exceptionally soul satisfying and sensual luxury branded residence project in Las Vegas. Even with a five-star hotel/casino, it is secondary within the masterplan of the residential towers. We have already been contacted and had talks with several outstanding luxury brands suggesting a partnership.
Our property will have several layers of exclusive offerings. A wellness medical tourism spa, two private members clubs and private members only gaming, where our Our Stirling Club key members are pre-qualified. Butler residential services and much more are all standard. It has received rave reviews and quite a few purchase inquiries. Our mission is to create something so extraordinary it will re-define Las Vegas. This takes time, patience and a lot of capital. My hand-picked team are used to these pressures and have performed well in every market in which we were invited.
What is trending globally and who leads the market today.....
One shift, as Knight Frank concludes in their 2025 Residence Report - "the sector is no longer defined by prestige alone. With wellness, sustainability, and community gaining equal weight, branded residences are increasingly positioned as purpose-led lifestyle destinations".
Since 2011, the number of branded developments around the world has jumped from 169 to 611, while units have grown from just over 27,000 to more than 162,000. Knight Frank reports; “Momentum has accelerated since 2023, fueled by growing demand for branded living and developers’ appetite for premium positioning,” says Liam Bailey, Knight Frank’s global head of research. By 2030, the sector could surpass 1,000 projects, cementing branded residences as a mainstay of luxury real estate. While the U.S. remains the cornerstone marketplace for branded living projects, its dominance is gradually easing. The Middle East, particularly Dubai and Saudi Arabia, is surging ahead, drawing both developers and buyers with a combination of ambitious new projects, panoplies of high-end amenities, and a willingness to experiment with lifestyle concepts. Business Today /Knight Frank 2025 Report
I came to realize on my annual trek to Europe, that the U.S. is somewhat lagging in luxury brand alignment with high-touch anticipatory services and exclusivity. We fall short to offer services, amenities and experiences to indulge affluent clientele. Typical concierge services and a luxury flag are not enough anymore. You have to be able to anticipate not only the needs of your clientele, but also their wants. Themed residences, like Aston Martin, Bugatti, Louis Vuitton and others attract devotees of those brands, and they bring along strict requirements to meet their expectations. Europe has set the standard and is still on top for brand alignment, but the U.S. is coming on strong and is being targeted by uber luxury brands only found in Europe and the Middle East.
We have come a long way since 2019 when Savills reported it's statistics and the major players being Marriott International in the forefront, then Accor and Four Seasons. Only 80 brands in the luxury residential sector. No real amenities mentioned but referencing luxury automobile brands jumping into the game "eventually". Interesting that they predicted Dubai surpassing US by 2020.... Savills Reported in 2019; "In a crowded marketplace for prime property, the distinction of carrying a brand has become recognized as a valuable USP. The number of branded schemes has grown by 198% in the last decade. Over 65 new projects will open by the end of 2019, a new record. This is due to be broken again in 2020 when nearly 70 are scheduled to complete".
Luxury Car elevators partnered with exotic car brand Porsche, arrived in 2017 in Miami, who followed London, to construct the Porsche Design Towers- "Luxury Oceanfront Condominium with 132 units, and 60 stories, featuring a one of kind, patented technology of Robotic Car Elevators". Miami followed up with Bentley Tower, Aston Martin Penthouses, now Pagani soon enters the market...Next possibly Vegas property with Formula One ? - Pagani Residences
Robb Report reported, "Statistics and movement of the branded residence surg to Dubai and Asia, but Miami, a long hub for branded residences, continues to attract a wide variety of brand names, supporting the luxury car partnerships; Porsche, Bentley, and Diesel. They continue to state..."Differentiation is key". many developments now feature exclusive amenities that might include partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs and resident-only experiences that go far beyond the standard pool and gym. “For Bentley, the brand is a differentiator in an otherwise generic landscape. It creates an emotional attachment to a property,” says Ben Whattam, marketing director at Bentley Motors, pointing to features like private car lifts that deliver vehicles directly to apartments. “Plus, a British identity in the U.S. still carries credibility and weight in a positive way.” - Robb Report
Forbes featured an article about the exuberant classic brand Baccarat, "Consider Miami’s branded Baccarat Residences: a 75-story undulating glass tower with 360 homes and penthouses featuring “enlightened design” along Miami’s “brilliant Brickell waterfront.” For the fortunate few, this is where “life forever sparkles.” - Forbes
