Once considered the pinnacle of wellness living, gyms and swimming pools were the go-to amenities for health-conscious homeowners. Today, affluent buyers are looking for "biohacking" amenities designed to optimize the body and extend longevity.
This includes everything from cold plunges and infrared saunas to luxury kitchens designed for optimal health.
"Million Dollar Listing New York" star Fredrik Eklund recently revealed that celebrity clients are moving beyond traditional gyms and spas to install these high-tech wellness features at home.
But will these investments actually hold up in resale?
The rise of biohacking amenities in luxury real estate
Fredrik Eklund tells Fortune magazine that celebrities are outfitting their homes with biohacking tools, and that the trend is intensifying.
Biohacking is a DIY approach to improving health, longevity, and well-being through wellness routines, recovery tech, and home-based optimization.
"Today’s luxury buyer places enormous emphasis on personal wellness and optimizing their living environment," says luxury real estate broker Jenny Lenz, managing director of Dolly Lenz Real Estate in Manhattan. "Biohacking amenities speak directly to that priority, which is why more developers and homeowners are leaning into the trend."
Many high-profile adopters swear by these biohacking techniques. Jason Buechel, the CEO of Whole Foods, is a long-time proponent of infrared saunas, as well as cold and hot plunges. Thrive Market co-founder and CEO Nick Green also has a barrel sauna and ice bath right outside his bedroom. And Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen calls steam saunas “a key to happiness.”
The most in-demand features right now
Wellness designer Sharon L. Sherman of Thyme and Place Design says steam showers and air tubs are in demand at the moment.
"They offer a great source of relaxation and recharge for the whole family," she says.
According to Lenz, high-profile buyers are also hyper-focused on wellness features such as purified air and water systems.
"They want to drink the cleanest water and breathe the purest air, even in the middle of a dense city like New York," she says.
Real estate agent Kirsti Jane, CEO of House of Luxury Group, has seen a surge in interest for smoothie stations, yoga spaces, and red light therapy beds in the luxury market, as well.
Lenz says saunas and cold plunges are also fast becoming must-haves for her high-end clients, while Sherman says she's getting more requests for refrigerated drawers in bathrooms for chilled towels and skincare elixirs.
"While traditional luxury amenities like pools and gyms are still sought after, biohacking features go deeper, supporting physical, emotional, and mental well-being," says Sherman. "They’re less about entertainment and more about optimizing how people feel and function every day."
Will these investments pay off in the long run?
San Diego-based real estate investor Jessica J. Vance, who often installs biohacking amenities in her resale properties, says cold plunges and hot tubs typically run anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000, while infrared saunas can run up to $10,000.
"In my opinion, these investments will pay off in the right property," she says. "Any biohacking improvement will be a value-add to a luxury buyer."
Andrew Tanner, global real estate advisor at Premier Sotheby's International Realty, says biohacking amenities are much more than a niche attraction for luxury buyers.
"If the right wellness features are available, there will always be a market for them—which makes them future-proof," he says. "Most of these buyers travel extensively and experience these things in wellness spas and luxury hotels, so why not at home?"
However, Sherman predicts that some of these features will age better than others.
"Cold-plunge pools might be more trend-sensitive, but steam showers and air tubs have already stood the test of time," she says.
Right now, red-hot biohacking features increase marketability.
"Biohacking amenities create buzz," says Lenz. "In a crowded market, anything that draws attention and brings buyers through the door is an advantage."
Many experts believe that biohacking amenities will boost resale value in the future, as well.
"Biohacking amenities, such as saunas, add $10,000 to $20,000 to resale value in wellness markets like Maui, and that’s a sign of modern luxury," says Evan Harlow, a real estate agent at Maui Elite Property. "Their attraction to health-aware clients will increase the property worth on average by 2% to 5%."
But biohacking can pay off in other ways, too.
Luxury real estate agent Casey Gaddy, of The Gaddy Group in Philadelphia, says, "Some of my clients see the return on investment in their well-being, which is worth the price tag."
Read more at Realtor.com
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