A wave of young AI founders is pouring wealth into luxury residential property, and their wish lists look nothing like those of the dot-com millionaires who came before them, according to The Agency’s Red Paper 2026 Mid-Year Report.
Where earlier tech fortunes chased trophy homes designed to signal success – think wine cellars, home cinemas, and sprawling renovation projects – the AI-wealth cohort is after something different.
They want turnkey properties that function as personal wellness sanctuaries, and they want to be in them yesterday.
“One thing we’re seeing is that this demo tends to go for low-maintenance homes that are unique in some way,” said Michael Biryla, a broker at The Agency New York.
“They’re also young, so making sure it’s going to be the right fit for a family is also very important to them.”
The report draws on observations from managing partners across The Agency’s North American offices and paints a picture of buyers who are typically in their mid-30s to mid-40s – a full generation younger than the 50-plus buyers who dominated earlier tech wealth cycles.
Many hold large liquid positions in AI start-ups backed by the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic and see property as a way to diversify.
“They often have so much liquidity, and they don’t want to leave it all in the markets,” Michael said.
“If they’ve got $400 million in liquid assets, they know it’s a smart idea to put 10% into real estate.”
Eric McFarland, Managing Partner of The Agency Marin and The Agency Palm Springs, said the quality of listing photography and marketing materials is now a binary filter: it either earns a tour or it doesn’t.
“These buyers are decisive, they’re fast, and they want to see the property as soon as possible,” Eric said.
After a walk-through, it’s either a yes or a fast no.
At higher price points in San Francisco, some buyers skip viewings altogether, dispatching personal assistants to whittle down a shortlist.
“Either way, if a good property comes to market, it goes very quickly, and things are trading egregiously over the list price. It’s wild,” Eric said.
The amenity preferences of this cohort have clear implications for how prestige homes are presented and marketed worldwide. Dry and steam saunas, cold plunges, Zen gardens, and koi ponds top the list, according to Peter Torkan, Managing Partner of The Agency Toronto.
“These entrepreneurs deal with a lot of noise in their exterior world,” Peter said.
“When it comes to the sanctuary of home, they’re looking for things that will soothe and calm them.”
Homes with deferred maintenance are an immediate turn-off. Emil Hartoonian, Managing Partner of The Agency Calabasas, said the goal for this buyer is to move in and enjoy the property as quickly as possible.
“The last thing they want is to undergo improvements and repairs that will take an extensive amount of time,” Emil said.
Smart-home infrastructure has also become table stakes. Scott Coggins, Managing Partner of The Agency Nashville, noted that one of the first questions prospective tech buyers ask on any tour is about fibre connectivity.
“The last generation wanted to show success, this generation wants to have a home that operates how they want it to be,” Scott said.
Privacy runs a close second. Michael cited a 27-year-old tech executive worth US$2 billion who purchased a home through three separate LLCs registered in different states to shield his identity.
“This guy doesn’t want anybody to know who he is – and others are doing this, too,” he said.
Peter struck a cautionary note about reading too much into early patterns.
“AI has really begun to take off in the past year, so we’re just at the beginning of understanding what these buyers are going to want to spend money on,” he said.
“We don’t have all the data yet.”
This story draws on “The New Guard” from The Agency’s Red Paper 2026 Mid-Year Report. Read the original here.