Luxury Lens: How globally mobile are today’s entrepreneurs?

by Kate Marburger

Open-concept luxury home interior with a stone kitchen island, wood-paneled vaulted ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a lake, rolling grasslands, and rugged mountain peaks. A living area with a sofa and coffee table sits beside the window wall, maximizing views of the surrounding landscape. Natural light fills the space, highlighting warm wood, stone, and neutral-toned furnishings.

Entrepreneurs have always been in the market for luxury real estate, but new research suggests their presence is becoming increasingly significant.

Chart showing increased international mobility among entrepreneurs from 2025 to 2026. The share of global entrepreneurs with multiple residences is projected to rise from 56% in 2025 to 72% in 2026. The share considering new residences is projected to increase from 57% to 70% over the same period.

Firstly, they are moving more than they used to. Almost three in four entrepreneurs (72%) surveyed by HSBC Private Bank for “The Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2026,” published by HSBC, September 25, 2026, were based in multiple locations. That’s up from 56% in 2025.

Meanwhile 70% of owners and founders in 2026 said they were considering residencies in new countries—up from 57% in 2025.

They are also optimistic about their personal wealth. Nine in 10 (91%) of those polled predicted their finances were set to improve; 44% forecast they would improve “a lot.”

Pyramid chart showing entrepreneur expectations for personal wealth. Overall, 91% of entrepreneurs have a positive outlook. Of those surveyed, 44% are very positive, 47% are quite positive, and 9% fall into other categories. Source: HSBC Private Bank Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Reports 2025 and 2026.

Both factors could underpin luxury home sales now and in the future.

Singapore and Japan were the countries most favored by the entrepreneurs surveyed in the report, while founders and owners from the Middle East were the most likely to live in more than one country.

“Internationally mobile entrepreneurs often benefit from sophisticated real estate guidance that extends beyond a single market,” said Tammy Fahmi, Senior Vice President of Global Servicing and Strategy, Sotheby’s International Realty.

“Our global network and relationship-driven approach allow us to serve clients wherever opportunity takes them.”

Cover Property: New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty