There’s a new term making its way through the luxury home-buying world: “landmaxxing.”
You may have heard of “looksmaxxing,” the online trend focused on men maximizing their physical appearances. The internet has started using -maxxing to mean maximizing or optimizing some aspect of a person’s life.
“Landmaxxing is an interesting and new term for the trend of buying adjacent lots or neighboring homes and assembling them into a single compound,” Realtor.com senior analyst Anthony Smith told TheStreet.
“This is certainly an expensive endeavor that leans into ultra-wealthy buyers, but merging land can be done by those who aren’t in the multimillionaire and billionaire category,” Smith continued. “However, it will look quite different.”
Landmaxxing isn’t necessarily a new idea, but it gained more traction in the first half of 2026, according to the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Program Mid-Year Report.
Landmaxxing is less about buying a bigger house than buying control over the land surrounding it — whether that means protecting privacy and views, creating space for extended family, or preserving options for the future.
Compounds gain popularity as luxury homeowners’ priorities change
Smith listed various reasons landmaxxing is becoming more popular:
- More privacy and security
- Control over what is built next to your home
- Preserved views
- Removing yourself from noise and light pollution
- Extra room to build a guest home, multigenerational housing, or other amenities
“The profile of today’s ultra-luxury buyer has evolved,” Jeff Miller, global real estate advisor with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, told Robb Report. “As privacy becomes harder to come by globally, having a self-contained, secure estate has become the ultimate luxury benchmark.”
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Miller also noted that luxury buyers prioritize wellness. On a compound, homeowners could build fitness studios, pickleball or tennis courts, or swimming pools — facilities that may not fit on one standard lot.
We’ve all seen or heard of mansions with indoor bowling alleys and home movie theaters. Choosing a compound with a fitness studio and guest houses over a large house with a workout room and a guest wing is the next stage of luxury housing.
Landmaxxing is a style of luxury buying focused on both lifestyle and family.
Landmaxxing can be part of a long-term wealth and legacy strategy
The landmaxxing trend is about more than just a luxury lifestyle. For many, it’s a way to pass down wealth to younger generations.
If the homeowner builds houses for their children and grandchildren on the compound, their loved ones may not have to worry about taking out a mortgage or other housing expenses.
And if they leave the compound to their loved ones after death, the younger generations have access to the wealth that comes with a unique and expansive home.
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As with any real estate decision, there is always some risk. It’s possible that, when they’re grown, your grandchildren or great-grandchildren won’t want to hold onto the property. If so, they could struggle to sell a specialized compound that was designed with your family in mind.
“In terms of value, one might wonder if the creator of a compound might have a difficult time selling if the end vision is not to the taste of potential future buyers,” Corey Burr, senior vice president at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, told TheStreet.
Before contacting a real estate attorney and buying out your neighbors, communicate with your family about the pros and cons of landmaxxing for your household.
Landmaxxing isn’t just for billionaires
Recent reports have highlighted billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and others who have acquired neighboring properties to create larger estates. But this luxury home-buying trend isn’t only for the richest people in the world.
Obviously, buying multiple plots of land is expensive, so a certain amount of wealth is required.
“‘Landmaxxing’ shows up at the very top of the market because in places like Palm Beach, Indian Creek, Aspen, or Malibu, there’s very little to no unbuilt land left to buy,” Smith told TheStreet. “One of the ways to get more of it is to buy your neighbor’s house and take it down. The scarcity is one of the main reasons this becomes so expensive.”
“However, there can be slight middle-ground for those looking for large plots of land,” he continued.
The trick? Location, location, location.
First, buying multiple lots will be less expensive in areas like rural Tennessee than in Jackson, Wyoming, Smith said.
Second, in some areas, you may be able to find a large enough lot that offers the privacy and opportunity for expansion you need — without jumping through the hoops of buying out your neighbors and navigating local laws.
Finally, not everyone needs to buy three or four surrounding lots to build a compound. Buying one piece of property next to yours might be enough “landmaxxing” for your lifestyle and budget.
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