FINDING THE MEGAMANSION SWEET SPOT
TODAY’S MEGAMANSIONS MUST CONVEY POWER AND PEDIGREE WHILE STILL OFFERING INTIMACY AND LIVABILITY
1484 RUTHERFORD ROAD, PASADENA
For many of the world’s wealthiest, real estate is the ultimate status symbol and oftentimes a competition of extremes—the biggest footprint, the steepest price, the most lavish perks.
As estates swell to extravagant proportions, one question cuts through: When is big simply too big? Though there’s no official size designation for a megamansion, these large and expensive single-family homes often span well beyond 10,000 square feet, and it’s not uncommon to find homes in these top corners of the market spanning 50,000 square feet, brimming with every possible amenity, staff quarters, entertaining areas, and dozens of bedrooms to accommodate family and friends.
Santiago Arana, Principal at The Agency, is also a real estate developer in Los Angeles, who has built and sold multimillion-dollar estates to LeBron James, Petra Ecclestone, and more. In his projects, he prioritizes warm materials and layouts that speak to the nature of intimate living that retain a homey feel. In his view, the ideal megamansion measures 20,000 square feet or less.
“You never want to feel like you’re living in a museum,” Arana explains. “Making a megamansion feel cozy lies in more understated materials and finishes—no heavy marble, shiny walls, or bling. I like to use materials such as Portuguese limestone, natural French oak, Roman plaster subtly rich in texture, and organic, grounding materials.”
Developers are at the mercy of local governments that may restrict building heights, square footage, lot coverage ratios, the number and size of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and structural setbacks. Eric Haskell, Managing Partner of The Agency Montecito in California, says many clients in the area seek to build megamansions up to 30,000 square feet, similar to their primary property in L.A., but Montecito has unique restrictions.
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“People are getting creative and will get an ADU and combine that with the main body of the house, and then the other amenities they once had inside their homes live outside the house,” Haskell says. “A lot of architecture in the area is Spanish Revival style or Mediterranean-influenced versus super-modern. Still, clients want it to function like a modern house with high-tech features, clean lines, and smart systems that offer convenience and turnkey living.”
Haskell explains that despite a home’s size or modern functions, these large homes are a far cry from ultra-modern, cold mansions, instead featuring patina surfaces, antiques, large-format art, oak cabinets, and beautiful stonework. Proportional furnishings are also crucial to a space, as are the size and layout of each room. For instance, Arana says bedrooms shouldn’t feel like sleeping in an oversized living room and instead act as personal sanctuaries with fireplaces and welcoming sitting areas to fill space in a useful way. Blair Chang, Co-Founder and Partner of The Agency, echoes this sentiment.
“It’s so much about how you furnish them, and if you can get more eclectic furnishings it helps humanize the house a bit more,” Chang explains. “What we’re also seeing in newer homes that are being built for the specific family is, though they’re all still large—like up to 20,000 square feet—the rooms are scaled on a smaller level. Say the family isn’t together and you want to sit by yourself in a living room, it won’t feel overwhelming.”
Amenity layouts are important, too, and how they are presented can make a big difference. Don’t expect a variety of amenities to line up in one section of the home like they may have once done. The bar may not be combined with a game room, but strategically placed within a chic library or movie theater. A garage might not be located off a kitchen but in another wing entirely, outfitted with a car gallery to fit 16 vehicles and a man cave or a whiskey vault.
The Agency’s Glen Stegemann, Managing Director of The Agency Northwest Florida Beaches and The Agency Madrid, says 15,000 to 20,000 square feet seems to be the sweet spot for a cadre of global buyers—and many of The Agency’s real estate experts from around the world agree. In fact, according to a survey of The Agency brokers, 80% said the “sweet spot” for a megamansion was under 15,000 square feet.
“This size is still manageable to staff, maintain, and occupy year-round or seasonally; easily accommodates a full suite of amenities; and it fits the high-end market without feeling excessive or wasteful,” Stegemann explains. “It’s attractive to a broader group of luxury buyers, especially those relocating from high-density markets or looking for trophy second homes.”
However, every buyer has a unique motivation and perspective. Some purchase residences that will also accommodate philanthropic events or large-scale entertaining for hundreds of people.
Others are motivated to purchase trophy megamansions that are a marker of pedigree, status, and power. Headline-grabbing homes, such as the 137-acre Lyon Estate in Orange County, California, built for U.S. Air Force Reserve Commander and real estate magnate Major General William Lyon; the sprawling Sanctuary at Loon Point, a 22-acre oceanfront mansion on the California coast; Green Gables, a 74-acre legacy property in Woodside, California, and the famed, 40-acre Merv Griffin estate in La Quinta, California, are all beautiful and grand, but owning them also represents cultural cachet at the highest level.
“I believe it’s the clout or the bragging rights, especially in older areas of L.A.,” Chang says. “Many megamansions have a long-established lineage of pedigreed owners. People like that they’ve purchased a piece of history and the cachet that comes with that.”
In Turks and Caicos, the appeal of a megamansion is about access to the beach and outdoor activities, says Ian Hurdle, Managing Partner of The Agency Turks and Caicos. He’s currently representing the 19,000-square-foot Mandalay villa as well as the 50,000-square-foot Triton property. He says the first priority for buyers of these types of homes is the quality of the location, which is usually beachfront. Next are architecture and finishes. But return on investment is of utmost importance, too, since most high-net-worth buyers of these homes are looking to rent them out for at least part of the year when they’re not using them.
“People think, when I’m not here, this home needs to work for me. They’re doing the math and want to know what the occupancy is, what the cost is, and what they stand to make,” he says.
In terms of who will buy one of the megamansions he’s currently marketing—either of which will easily break a record for the island—subtelty is not likely their goal, he says.
“You’re not pulling the trigger on a house like this unless you want people to know what you’re doing and what you’re buying.”
Above all, most agents seem to agree that making a megamansion feel personal relies on one thing: intention. Intentional, meaningful spaces matter, versus having dozens of rooms just to have them.
“It’s about creating moments and spaces in the house rather than filling it with impressive things,” Arana says. “We went through a period in L.A. where people thought the bigger the better and the flashier the better. Megamansions should be designed to offer everything without being too exaggerated.”
Across global markets, the traditional megamansion, once defined by sheer square footage and excess, is being reimagined. Today’s affluent buyers are looking to blend space with purpose, lifestyle with efficiency, and grandeur with functionality—without tipping into the realm of underutilized excess.
Rather than oversized and ostentatious, buyers are looking for bespoke and liveable homes. Statement elements like wine cellars, home theatres, golf simulators, and spa-style en-suites are still bug draws, but they’re designed with a level of restraint.
There's also a generational shift at play. Younger luxury buyers are less interested in traditional displays of wealth and more focused on lifestyle. For them, the ideal estate supports overall wellness, daily remote work, and occasional entertaining. Efficiency and long-term livability are of utmost importance.
Energy costs, property taxes, and maintenance considerations are also influencing decisions. Even ultra-high-net-worth individuals are approaching purchases with practicality in mind. The Agency’s teams in the U.S. and Canada have relayed that a well-designed 5,000-square-foot home with panoramic views, smart technology, and seamless indoor-outdoor flow holds far more appeal than a 10,000-square-foot estate with rooms that rarely get used.
