Key Takeaways: Luxury real estate agent Don Matheson breaks down a balanced but active Scottsdale, AZ market. Don and REMAX Blog take a look at what today’s luxury buyers are prioritizing in finishes and tech, and why presentation, not price, is often the deciding factor in a high-end sale.

An Insider’s View on What’s Moving the Market Right Now

Don Matheson, founder of The Matheson Team, brings nearly five decades of real estate experience across both Canada and the Scottsdale/Phoenix luxury market. His team holds the title of #1 REMAX Team in Arizona for 2025, a reflection of the loyal client relationships and top-tier agents Don has built his reputation on over the years.

As for the state of the luxury market in Arizona, Don puts it simply: Scottsdale’s luxury market hasn’t slowed down, it’s calibrating. After a few years of COVID-driven relocation frenzy, the market has found its footing. For luxury buyers and sellers who are paying attention, the opportunity is real.

Don has sold 43 homes since January 1 of this year alone, working primarily in gated golf communities and high-end enclaves like DC Ranch. Here’s what he’s seeing on the ground.

The Right Homes Are Still Selling

“The market’s balanced out,” Don says. But don’t mistake balanced for slow. He recently listed a property just under $4.8 million, a beautifully renovated home with all the right attributes. Within three days, it had 12 showings and five offers.

Another listing hit the market at $5.5 million and sold within five days at full price. The throughline? Presentation.

“If your property is well-presented online, well-presented in its condition, well-presented relative to location, and you are really showcasing the total amenity package of that particular property relative to that community, you’ll be good in that regard” Don says. “I think the market’s healthy if you look at it like that.”

Where the Buyers Are Coming From

Scottsdale’s appeal runs well beyond the desert scenery. Don points to Arizona’s 2.5% state income tax as a major driver pulling buyers from high-tax states. “We’re seeing a lot of people from California, Washington State, Oregon, and Chicagoland,” he says.

The buyer demographic skewing into Scottsdale luxury right now tends to be in the 55-to-65 age range, corporate executives and entrepreneurs. Many of whom are designating Arizona as their primary residence rather than treating it as a vacation market according to Don.

The secondary home market remains significant though, but the profile has shifted from the remote-work transplants of 2021 and 2022 toward a more intentional, lifestyle-driven buyer.

What Luxury Buyers Are Looking For in 2026

Kitchens

Wish lists have evolved over the years. Don is seeing a few clear trends emerge in what’s resonating with high-end buyers. Wine walls are everywhere. “They’re really, really popular,” he says.

Back kitchens, those secondary prep and service kitchens tucked behind the main space, are also becoming near-standard at higher price points. The aesthetic vocabulary of Scottsdale luxury has also made a definitive shift away from the Tuscan-heavy look that dominated for years.

“It’s gone from that Tuscan look to more of a soft desert modern look, interior wise,” Don explains. Greige is giving way, slowly, to deeper tones, and wallpaper has had a genuine resurgence.

“We’re seeing a lot more use of wallpaper,” he says. “It’s been in for a couple of years now.”

Luxury Tech

Tech integration is also front of mind for buyers in a way it simply wasn’t before. Whole-home audio and video systems that interact seamlessly with living spaces are now a selling point. Not just an afterthought.

Fast internet is non-negotiable in 2026. “Super high-speed internet is really important to luxury buyers,” Don says. “What they’re looking for is streaming. They want to make sure they’ve got the right system that allows them to stream effortlessly and seamlessly.”

The work-from-home factor compounds that demand: a home office is only as good as the connection powering it.

Advice for Sellers: Prepare Before Listing

Don is direct about what separates a successful luxury listing from one that goes stale. It starts well before the sign goes in the ground.

First, stage the home. “Buyers don’t necessarily have good imaginations,” he says.

“You walk into a new home community and the builder’s models are all staged out completely.” Removing furniture to make a home look bigger can often backfire. Don works with two top-tier stagers, one of whom is also an interior designer. Each maintain off-site furniture warehouses and bring a precise, detail-driven approach to every project.

Second, address the cosmetics. Dated paint colors, “darker shades of brown and orange, the desert colors,” are a fast way to lose a buyer before they’ve even gotten through the door. A fresh, neutral palette signals a move-in-ready home.

Third, get a pre-listing inspection. “We recommend that we get a home inspection done in advance,” Don says, “so that we have a list of things that we can take care of or understand what types of problems or challenges we have in the escrow process.” Walking into escrow without knowing the issues opens the door to buyer hesitation and renegotiation right when momentum matters most.

On Offers: Terms Matter as Much as Price

One of Don’s most practical insights is about how to evaluate offers in a competitive luxury situation. It’s not what most sellers expect. When the $4.8 million listing drew five offers, the winning offer wasn’t necessarily the highest number on paper.

“It’s not necessarily about the price,” he says. “It’s really the package. What are the terms, what are the conditions, what is the price, and what’s the strength of the buyer? What’s the motivation of the buyer?” For luxury listing agents, reading the full picture of an offer is as critical as knowing the market.

Getting Into Luxury Takes Time and Investment

For agents looking to break into the luxury segment, Don is equally candid. Luxury isn’t a niche you step into. It’s one you build into. Deliberately and over time. “It takes a long time, and it takes a huge investment,” he says.

Being present in the right circles, country clubs, golf communities, lifestyle networks, isn’t just networking. It’s positioning. The people you’re around in those spaces can afford to buy luxury properties, and relationships built there become the pipeline that sustains a luxury practice long term.

The Scottsdale market rewards agents who are embedded in the community, visible across the right digital platforms, and relentless about presentation.

For buyers and sellers navigating this market, partnering with someone who understands all of that isn’t a luxury. It’s the strategy.