A review of the county’s 25 most expensive residential transactions in 2025, ranging from about $17.15 million to $42 million, shows the top deals clustered along the coastlines of Newport Coast, Corona del Mar, Dana Point and Laguna Beach.
The trend highlights the enduring value of ocean views, waterfront access and scarce coastal land. In short, buyers will pay top dollar to live closest to the water.
“It’s exclusivity, it’s lifestyle,” Paul Daftarian of the Daftarian Group and Luxe Real Estate told the Business Journal.
In 2025, Daftarian represented parties for the top three most expensive homes on this year’s Top 25 Orange County Home Sales list. (See page 24)
The list is based on data from Land Advisors, First American Realty, Zillow, Homes.com and Redfin. It only includes public deed records and excludes off-market, pocket listings and private transfers.
The list also comprises only 24 homes, since one of the luxury estates, 38 Linda Isle in Newport Beach, sold twice within a week in April, once for $27 million and then again for $29 million. Robert Giem of Plus Real Estate handled both transactions.
The High End Market
Reports on the housing market show that 2025 was a strong year for luxury home sales in Orange County. A total of 109 homes sold for at least $10 million each, compared with 103 in 2024 and 79 in 2023.
The county’s highest sale was 1 Pelican Crest Drive, a $42 million estate in Newport Coast. This helped bring the total for the top 25 sales to nearly $600 million. That’s more than the $575 million fetched in 2024, but less than 2023’s $624.7 million and the 2021 peak of $668 million.
At the ultra-high end, Daftarian and his team handled the top three residential sales of 2025, all in Newport Coast and Crystal Cove.
He said affluent buyers were driven to pay a premium and more because of scarcity and a preference for a turnkey estate.
“You’re getting a mansion with an ocean view, close to the best schools, the best restaurants and you’ve got that ocean air,” he said.
Move-in Ready Appeal
The 2025 sales also showed that buyers prefer newer or extensively remodeled homes. Daftarian explained that rising construction costs and longer timelines are pushing buyers to choose move-in-ready properties, while homes that need major work tend to sell more slowly and for less.
“It’s just costlier,” he said. He gave an example of a seller who was importing marble from Italy. The cost is much higher now than it was a couple of years ago, he said.
He said that higher material prices, labor constraints and tariffs can quickly add six figures to high-end projects.
Jon Flagg, a Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty agent specializing Lido Isle, said wealthy buyers also look for neighborhoods with a good mix of shops, restaurants, safety, and everyday convenience.
“For Newport, it’s all about access to everything,” he said. Flagg represented a buyer who bought an $18.1 million home on Lido Isle, ranked No. 23 on our list.
Flagg said Lido Isle residents walk to beaches and Lido Marina Village’s dining and shopping just off the island, keeping things nearby but not overwhelming.
Flagg described Lido Isle as a rare coastal community with a close-knit neighborhood feel. It’s an island with only one way in and out, plus an HOA and amenities like a clubhouse, private beach, tennis courts and social clubs.
“There are always activities on Lido,” he said, adding that the limited access adds a sense of security.
He described the buyers as “a lot of very quiet money,” noting that many residents are successful but low-key and down-to-earth. This creates a community that mixes long-time owners with newcomers eager to fit in.
2026 Outlook
Market fundamentals remain straightforward, Flagg said.
“There aren’t a lot of people that really want to sell and move out of the community,” keeping supply tight.
“Where do many people go from here?” he asked. “There’s a shortage of land, so new units aren’t being built.”
Looking ahead, Flagg said he expects steady appreciation — “3 to 7% depending on the community” — with the best, turnkey homes in Orange County continuing to command top dollar.
He said in Orange County’s luxury market, “the nice, sexy homes will keep getting top dollar.”
Buyers want a coastal lifestyle and are ready to pay for it, he said.
