This practice has been dubbed "landmaxxing" - the endeavor to maximize land possessions by purchasing additional acreage. They are not just collecting mansions. They are stitching together land so big that it becomes its own little estate.
And Larry Ellison, the Oracle co-founder, has been buying up land in Malibu, Incline Village, and Manalapan for years.
"This wasn't a topic of conversation five years ago," said Chad Carroll, a Miami real estate agent with Compass.
Average luxury sales volume for single-family homes rose 2.8% from January to May 2026 compared to the same stretch in 2025.
But the real action is in what agents call "land assemblies." Buyers are paying huge sums to connect parcels.
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In Miami Beach's Palm Island, home builder Pedro Adrian sold a double lot for $40 million. On nearby Hibiscus Island, investor Ibrahim Al-Rashid poured $45 million into building a compound that is now valued at roughly $100 million. He bought his first piece in 2010 for $3 million, then added two neighboring homes in 2020 and 2021 for a combined $12.5 million.
David MacNeil, founder of WeatherTech, paid a combined $93.5 million for two parcels in Manalapan, then spent roughly $100 million on adjacent properties. He is now under contract to buy a third contiguous lot for $36 million.
Even away from the coasts, the trend shows up. Dace Brown Stubbs, a member of the family behind Jack Daniel's, bought a 14.26-acre ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, for $2.999 million, then added 40 more acres for $1.15 million. She and her husband later listed a 40-acre portion for $12.25 million.
Why are they doing this? Privacy and security top the list.
Others see real estate as a hedge against inflation. And for some, it is simply about protecting their view.
"This is more sought-after than the 40,000-square-foot house," said Danny Hertzberg, a Miami agent with Coldwell Banker Realty. "For some people, it is privacy and security. For others, it is a hedge against inflation."
The catch: assembling land is expensive, and some buyers are willing to overpay. "Neighbors are the first prospects brokers look to when selling a property, and very often, people will overpay," said Dana Koch, an agent with the Corcoran Group.
Mary Lee Blaylock, who heads Coldwell Banker Affiliates, remarked, "If people want to move, and have cash, they can - and they do."
Not everyone holds forever. The Stubbses, who bought their Colorado ranch to keep it from being developed, are now selling a portion. "I hated the thought of a giant house or two being built on these beautiful fields," Dace Brown Stubbs said.
Others, like Ibrahim Al-Rashid, have no plans to sell. His compound is "almost impossible to recreate," said agent Margit Brandt.
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