Daniel Langer is the founder and CEO of consulting firm Équité
When I entered the ultra-luxurious Rosewood Residences in Beverly Hills to record my latest podcast episode, the door opened before I even reached for it.
A soft greeting and an effortless smile set the tone. In that instant, I felt something rare and powerful. While spectacular architecture certainly helps, the feeling that takes hold is far more important.
True luxury begins in the atmosphere it creates long before a single feature is discussed.
Luxury is pure emotion
I recently had the pleasure and privilege of meeting two of the most successful people in luxury real estate and true experts in working with ultra-high-net-worth individuals: Sally Foster Jones, founder and CEO of Foster Jones International, and Julie Faupel, founder and CEO of Realm.
Julie Faupel, pictured left, and Sally Foster-Jones, right, chat with Daniel Langer. Image courtesy of Daniel Langer
We met inside the Rosewood Residences, a project that redefines what it means to live at the very top of the market. Our conversation revealed insights that should unsettle anyone who believes luxury can be reduced to a checklist of amenities.
Sally described her clients, many of whom have multiple homes across the globe, as buyers who decide almost instantly whether a property speaks to them. They enter and within seconds sense if it captures their imagination.
The grand foyer, the light falling through walls of glass, the sound of water in a private pool. These are not technical specifications to be measured like square footage.
They are cues that create a powerful emotional response and stir desire. Luxury, as I pointed out in many of my publications, is pure emotion.
Julie reinforced the insight that brands need to go beyond the obvious. She explained that the success of the world’s top developments does not depend on just being branded or beautiful.
They carry a timelessness that creates trust and a sense of belonging. The affluent buyer wants to feel secure and inspired.
Security systems and bespoke details only matter when they support that feeling. Without the emotional promise of ease and safety, even the finest materials remain just nice to have.
The Rosewood Residences embody this philosophy. Private elevators open into a grand entrance that feels more like a personal estate than a condominium.
Six of the 17 residences have their own pools, an unheard-of feature in Los Angeles. Yet these pools are not simply luxury features.
They signal privacy, freedom, and the rare ability to live without compromise. Even the choice to keep the exterior of the building entirely unbranded speaks to a quiet confidence that true luxury does not need to announce itself.
I have highlighted this in a recent conference keynote to a group of developers of ultra-luxury residences that I delivered in Miami.
Curating an experience
When I showcased 10 recent high-end residences, one looked like the other. From websites to social media posts, everything represented the “sea of sameness.”
It was a wake-up call for the industry to dare more, and this is what Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills manages to master. This level of refinement does not happen by accident.
Sally worked with the developer and architect for years to uncover unmet needs among the world’s most discerning buyers. Indoor-outdoor living spaces that merge seamlessly with the Californian climate.
Kitchens with two islands replicate the heart of an estate home. Every decision was shaped by a single question: how will this make the buyer feel?
That question guided everything from the selection of marble from ancient Greek quarries to the design of private garages that allow residents to step directly into their home without being seen. The effect is immediate.
From the moment a prospective buyer pulls up to the property, the experience is curated to convey effortless confidence. Someone is there to greet the car.
The door is open before the guest can reach for the handle. It is a subtle but unmistakable signal that every detail has been anticipated.
By the time the private elevator opens into the grand foyer, the buyer has already formed an impression. As Sally pointed out, clients know within 30 seconds if a property resonates.
The rest of the visit is either a process of convincing themselves or quietly walking away. I have confirmed this insight in countless luxury mystery shopping exercises across different industries and categories.
Therefore, the lessons go far beyond luxury real estate strategy. It is a critical learning for every corner of the luxury industry.
Creating value
At the highest price points, decisions are emotional. The logic of square footage, horsepower or thread count matters only when it supports the deeper promise of a life transformed.
Whether it is a couture gown, a rare whisky or a private jet, what endures is the way the experience makes someone feel. I was struck by how closely this aligns with my own "4E" framework of luxury.
Emotion is the first "E" for a reason. Without an emotional spark, engagement, experience and exclusivity cannot follow. Sally and Julie live this principle every day.
Their work shows that in the highest tier of the market, where money is no barrier, desire is built entirely on feeling.
For managers across the luxury industry, the lesson is unmistakable. Stop leading with features.
Whether you sell luxury residences, fashion, fine spirits or automobiles, your clients will forget the technical details long before they forget how you made them feel in the first moments of contact.
Train your teams to create a sense of effortless welcome. Invest in brand storytelling that inspires rather than informs. Design every touchpoint to ignite imagination and build trust before the conversation turns to price or specifications.
In ultra-luxury, emotion is not a by-product. It is the invisible engine of extreme value creation.
Luxury Unfiltered is a weekly column by Daniel Langer. He is the CEO of Équité, a global luxury strategy and creative brand activation firm, where he is the advisor to some of the most iconic luxury brands. He is recognized as a global top-five luxury key opinion leader. He serves as the executive professor of luxury strategy and pricing at Pepperdine University in Malibu and as a professor of luxury at New York University, New York. Dr. Langer has authored best-selling books on luxury management in English and Chinese and is a respected global keynote speaker.
Dr. Langer conducts masterclass management training on various luxury topics around the world. As a luxury expert featured on Bloomberg TV, Financial Times, The New York Times, Forbes, The Economist and others, Mr. Langer holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in luxury management and has received education from Harvard Business School. Follow him on LinkedIn and Instagram, and listen to his Future of Luxury Podcast.