Sothebys Luxury Homes Report &ndash; What Aspiring Billionaires Need To Know

As a primer, $2.85 billion cap Sothebys BID does not own Sotheby's International Realty (SIR), however, sales agents and franchise affiliates do "benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house, established in 1744."

In February 2004, Realogy Holdings Corp RLGY entered into a long-term, strategic alliance with Sotheby's, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty name and the development of a full-franchise system.

As of 2014, $6.85 billion market cap

Realogy Franchise Group

had approximately 13,500 offices and approximately 251,300 independent sales associates worldwide. Additionally, Realogy has a significant stable of company-owned real estate brokerage services businesses.

How Wealthy Is UHNW?

"The Global Luxury Residential Real Estate Report 2015," co-authored by Wealth-X, draws the line at $30 million and above when it considers who actually meets the criteria for ultra-high net worth (UHNW) real estate buyers.

However, the median UHNW individual has a net worth of $87 million; notably, 7 percent of these individuals earned their wealth through the real estate industry.

Just in case you didn't get your copy of the SIR inaugural 2015 report, do not fret; below are a few key takeaways.

Buyer Profile

Luxury Real Estate Hubs

Here are the factors that top luxury real estate locations have in common:

Concentrated business environment – often related to the finance industry.
Proximity to some of the world's largest markets.
English proficiency.
Stable real estate markets.
Strong and consistent historical economic performance.
Strong and stable institutional frameworks.
High living standards, taking into account such factors as weather, health, leisure activities and transport.