The short version:
- Wealth is moving to Nashville in a big way. Bloomberg reports that home sales in the nation’s top 1% by price (about $3 million and up) have tripled in the Nashville area since 2017, and much of that wealth is landing right here in Williamson County.
- In my own business, I’m seeing more and more luxury buyers move because their companies are relocating to Middle Tennessee.
- Out-of-state buyers are usually surprised by prices, and sellers should know those buyers expect to get more for their money.
- Relocating clients want an easy move, so I help with everything beyond the house.
What Is Happening in Nashville Luxury Real Estate?
Let me take you back to 2021. Our luxury market was benefiting from high-wealth buyers who could work remotely and wanted a lower-tax state with a great quality of life. They could choose to live anywhere, and many showed up with a list of cities they were considering: Austin, the northern Atlanta suburbs, Charlotte, Dallas. They’d visit each one with a checklist in hand, comparing state income tax, property taxes, schools, home values and local amenities. More often than not, the search ended when they got to Nashville, because we checked all of the boxes!
Today, the story is a little different. Many of my luxury buyers are coming because their companies are relocating to Nashville. Northern California, San Diego, New York and Chicago are my top relocation cities right now, as large technology, financial and healthcare companies choose to move their headquarters to Middle Tennessee.
Bloomberg’s October 20 analysis puts numbers to what I’m seeing in real life. Its review of Realtor.com data found that sales in the nation’s top 1% by price, about $3 million and up in 2025, have tripled in the Nashville metro area since 2017. Before the pandemic, $2.8 million bought you into the top tier of the Nashville luxury home market, roughly 40% below the national threshold. Today, $2.8 million doesn’t go as far in the Nashville luxury market, and top-tier prices here now match the national level.
The people behind that growth are coming from a few big cities. IRS data cited in the story shows that more people moving to the Nashville area came from Los Angeles, Chicago and New York than from anywhere else, and the most wealth landed in Williamson County.
Why Do Luxury Buyers Choose Williamson County?
The checklist those 2021 buyers carried still explains a lot.
- Taxes: Tennessee doesn’t tax personal income. The Hall income tax on interest and dividends was repealed for tax periods beginning January 1, 2021, according to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
- Land and privacy: Bloomberg reports that agents call privacy one of the most prized amenities, especially behind guarded gates and along long private driveways.
- Companies: They keep arriving. Oracle is building a riverfront campus planned for as many as 8,500 workers, and Starbucks is making Nashville a growth hub, and In-N-Out Burger has made its own move to Franklin. If you’d like the backstory, I’ve written about Oracle’s move to Nashville and why people are moving from California to Middle Tennessee.
- Growth: The University of Tennessee’s State Data Center counted 272,061 residents in Williamson County in 2025, up 1.3% from the year before.
Recent Estate Sales in Franklin and Leiper’s Fork
Land is the common thread in the biggest recent sales.
- Twin Rivers Farm, 383 acres in Franklin, sold for $42.5 million on November 14, 2024, according to the Tennessean.
- A 727-acre property on Dickinson Lane in Franklin sold for $35 million, according to the Nashville Post’s March 2026 report on top home sales. Seven of the ten highest-priced sales in Middle Tennessee that month were in Williamson County.
- A 122-acre estate in Leiper’s Fork was listed on October 20 for $34.8 million, according to WilliamsonSource. It has 13 pastures and a 10-stall barn.
If land is on your wish list, my guides to Leiper’s Fork and College Grove are a good place to start.
What Do Out-of-State Buyers Get Wrong About Williamson County?
Buyers who are relocating to Nashville often arrive with a very romanticized notion of what they will find, and it’s a lovely picture. They envision large homes on large parcels of land, horse farms with fencing for miles, or their pick of amenity-driven golf course communities with easy access to charming downtowns filled with artisan shopping, luxury boutiques and trendy dining options. And they envision all of this at a very low price point.
Then they get here, and the first reaction is often sticker shock. We offer a vast array of housing options, but what they are envisioning comes at a price point much higher than they expected.
The other big hurdle is not knowing the area and not being in town when the right home becomes available. For buyers who can’t be here, I offer a curated search and virtual home buying, and I’m happy to work as your buyer’s agent in Franklin from wherever you’re starting.
Karen and her family moved here from Ohio in 2022, when the market was at its hottest, and she shared her experience in a Google review:
Paula and her team are exceptional! Our family relocated to Nashville from Ohio. From our first conversation it was clear that Paula was a great realtor and that she would be a pleasure to work with. And, she did not disappoint! She helped us understand the Franklin/Brentwood real estate market, narrow down our search to specific neighborhoods, and understand what our money would buy us in the crazy hot Nashville market (it was sobering but Paula gently helped us realize we were not in Ohio anymore!). We wound up purchasing a market home and Paula was instrumental in helping us secure it quickly. She has great contacts and a wonderful reputation so people take her seriously. She went above and beyond for us in many ways and we are truly grateful to her. She was wonderful during the home buying process and beyond. As newbies to Nashville, we are grateful for her offer to provide referrals and her offer to use her network to put our daughter in touch with kids her age before school starts! We cannot recommend Paula enough and if anyone asks us for the name of an amazing realtor, we will be putting them in touch with Paula!
— Karen
Concierge Services for Luxury Buyers Relocating to Nashville
One source in Bloomberg’s story says of these clients, “They want no friction. They want everything to be easy and on a silver platter.”
I couldn’t agree more, and there is almost nothing we haven’t arranged for our relocating clients. We regularly connect them with great vendors like designers, architects, contractors, landscapers and cleaning professionals. But it’s also not unusual for us to schedule school tours, score tickets to a sold-out concert or sporting event, make restaurant reservations, arrange furniture or automobile deliveries, and set up doggy day care. You name it, we do it. Once we even FaceTimed from a client’s closet at 9:00 pm while they pointed out the suit they wanted us to FedEx out the next morning for a special event! My mindset is always “whatever it is, whatever it takes,” and it’s the heart of my concierge approach.
Preparing a Luxury Home for Out-of-State Buyers
At any price point, an out-of-state buyer typically expects to get more for their money, because they aren’t as familiar with our market as a local buyer would be. More can mean a better-looking home, better maintenance or higher-end finishes. It’s definitely in a seller’s best interest to make reasonable improvements before putting a home on the market, and that’s where we can help.
My Extraordinary Advantage program covers those pre-listing steps at no cost to the seller, including landscaping, decluttering with cleanup and storage, painting, professional staging, floor plans, repairs and deep cleaning. If you’re thinking about selling, you can start with what your home is worth.
If you’re planning a move to Middle Tennessee, I’d love to help. My relocation services page shows how I work with buyers coming from out of state. Reach out when you’re ready, and we’ll start with a conversation about what you’re looking for.
