The average ultra high net worth individual, someone with a net worth of $30 million or more, owns an average of three known luxury residences.
That number comes from the Altrata Residential Real Estate 2025 report, a global analysis of wealth and luxury property co-sponsored by REALM, the invitation-only network of elite real estate professionals to which Marco A. Silva belongs. For the world’s most affluent Buyers, a single home is rarely the full picture. Property is a portfolio, built around lifestyle, legacy, investment strategy, and the flexibility that comes with genuine financial freedom.
The question is not whether to own a second or third home. It is where, and why.
For a growing number of UHNW Buyers, the answer includes the Kona coast of Hawai’i Island.
What Drives the Secondary Home Decision
The Altrata report outlines the factors that drive UHNW secondary home acquisitions. They include proximity to important business or investment interests, leisure and recreation, family and education access, personal security and discretion, investment aims, and the pursuit of citizenship or residency programs.
Kona checks several of these simultaneously. The Big Island offers genuine physical distance from major business centers, a quality that carries real psychological value for high-performing individuals seeking rest and privacy. At the same time, it operates under US legal and financial infrastructure, which eliminates the complexity of cross-border ownership. The warm climate is consistent year-round. The resort communities along the Kohala Coast offer private amenity ecosystems that rival the world’s finest destinations.
And the supply of exceptional properties is limited. That last point is not incidental, it is strategic.
The Kona Coast as a Portfolio Asset
One of the most important insights from the Altrata report is that for today’s UHNW Buyer, real estate is no longer simply a lifestyle purchase. It is a vehicle for wealth preservation, legacy planning, and in some cases, income generation.
The Kona luxury real estate market supports all three of these objectives. Properties like 75-5952 Ali’i Dr, an oceanfront residence on iconic Ali’i Drive with resort zoning and a permitted short-term vacation rental designation; offer Buyers the ability to hold a world-class coastal asset that also generates income during periods of non-use. Properties like 76-874 Io Kualua Pl represent a different kind of value: architectural rarity, land productivity, and a physical environment that is genuinely irreplaceable.
For Buyers building a multi-property portfolio, the Kohala Coast real estate and Kailua-Kona markets offer a range of entry points, from resort community parcels to direct oceanfront homes, that serve different goals within the same overall strategy.
Global Mobility and the Kona Advantage
The Altrata report notes that today’s ultra wealthy are more globally mobile than any previous generation. Close to one in five UHNW individuals owns commercial interests outside their home country. One in seven has completed higher education abroad. Their residential footprints reflect this mobility, distributed across primary cities, mountain retreats, coastal properties, and international locations.
Within that geography, Hawaii occupies a unique position. It is simultaneously remote and accessible, exotic and domestic, private and legally secure. For Buyers whose portfolios already include urban primary residences in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Miami, all among the top five UHNW residential footprint cities globally, according to Altrata, the Kona coast offers a counterpoint that no mainland location can replicate.
Why Working with a REALM Member Matters
For Buyers at this level, the quality of the advisory relationship matters as much as the quality of the property. The Altrata report is clear on this point: navigating the complex and evolving luxury real estate landscape requires specialist knowledge and personalized counsel from a trusted advisor, not simply access to listings.
As a member of REALM Global, a network that spans 40 US states and 16 countries, with access to 6.8 million affluent individual profiles and over $20 billion in active listing inventory, Marco A. Silva brings a level of global intelligence and relational reach to the Kona real estate market that is genuinely rare.
If you are building a multi-property portfolio and want to understand what the Big Island has to offer, contact Marco to start the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions: UHNW Property Portfolios and the Kona Market
How many properties does the average ultra high net worth individual own?
According to the Altrata Residential Real Estate 2025 report, the average UHNW individual (net worth $30 million or more) owns an average of three known luxury residences, often distributed across primary cities, secondary lifestyle destinations, and international locations.
Why do UHNW Buyers choose Hawaii as a secondary home destination?
Hawaii offers a combination of privacy, consistent warm climate, domestic legal infrastructure, restricted property supply, and a lifestyle environment that is genuinely distinct from mainland US alternatives. These qualities align directly with the secondary home priorities identified in global UHNW research.
Can a Kona luxury property generate rental income?
Yes. Certain properties in the Kailua-Kona market carry resort zoning and permitted short-term vacation rental designations, which allow Buyers to generate income from the property during periods of non-use. This is a meaningful and increasingly scarce designation in the market.
What is REALM Global and why does it matter for Big Island real estate Buyers?
REALM Global is an invitation-only network for the top 1% of luxury real estate professionals, spanning 40 US states and 16 countries. Its proprietary platform provides access to 6.8 million affluent individual profiles, $20 trillion in tracked wealth events, and over $20 billion in active listing inventory. Buyers working with a REALM member benefit from this global intelligence and reach.
How do I explore luxury property options on the Kona coast?
Contact Marco A. Silva through marcoinkona.com to receive personalized guidance on the Kona and Kohala Coast luxury markets and explore properties currently available.