Luxury is changing.
For a long time, the language of luxury real estate centered on recognizable markers: size, location, finishes, amenities and price.
Those things still matter. But the newest edition of The Agency Times points toward something more interesting happening across real estate, design, travel, art and hospitality.
The new status symbol may be how a place makes you feel.
That idea runs through the 2026 edition of The Agency Times, from its opening story about the changing meaning of luxury to features on art, staging, travel, hospitality and even client gifting.
And for Los Angeles real estate, I think that shift is particularly relevant.
The Agency Times 2026. The Agency Real Estate
Luxury Is Moving From Possession to Experience
The opening feature, “The New Status Symbol Is Feeling Alive,” asks a deceptively simple question:
Where do you go when you want to feel like yourself?
That question says a lot about where luxury is heading.
The article explores a movement away from luxury purely as something to acquire and toward luxury as something to experience: freedom, privacy, beauty, craftsmanship, connection and a sense of place.
That distinction translates directly to residential real estate.
A home can have expensive materials and impressive specifications without necessarily creating an emotional response. Another property may be smaller or less conventional but have extraordinary natural light, proportions, landscaping, architecture or connection between indoor and outdoor space.
Those qualities can be difficult to reduce to a spreadsheet.
But buyers recognize them when they walk through the door.
Why This Matters in Los Angeles Real Estate
Los Angeles may be one of the best examples of this shift because the city's housing stock is so varied.
A restored Craftsman in Pasadena (check out more about our Pasadena office here) offers something entirely different from a Mid-Century residence in the Hollywood Hills. A Spanish home in Northeast Los Angeles creates a different experience than a contemporary property overlooking the city.
Even two homes with nearly identical square footage can feel completely different.
Architecture, orientation, ceiling height, windows, landscape, privacy, views, materials, history and the relationship between a home and its neighborhood all influence the experience of living there.
That is why I believe understanding a property requires looking beyond price per square foot.
The numbers establish context. The property itself tells you what makes it different.
For buyers, that means understanding which characteristics are genuinely difficult to replicate.
For sellers, it means identifying those characteristics and building the property's positioning around them rather than simply publishing a list of features.
Art Is Becoming Part of the Real Estate Strategy
Another feature in the new Agency Times looks at The Agency Art House and its approach to staging homes through curated artwork.
This is more significant than simply hanging expensive art on the walls.
The idea is to use art intentionally—to help buyers understand the scale, personality and possibilities of a space.
The Agency Art House combines art curation with staging strategy, transforming homes into environments designed to bring together architecture, interiors and artwork.
That reflects a larger evolution in real estate marketing.
Traditional staging asks:
How do we make this room look good?
More thoughtful property positioning asks:
What is the story of this home, and how do we help someone experience it?
There is an important difference.
In architecturally distinctive homes especially, marketing should complement the architecture rather than overwhelm it.
The Home Is Part of a Larger Lifestyle
The Agency Times also travels well beyond residential real estate.
The 2026 edition includes stories about Miami hospitality and development, along with destinations including Sardinia, Belize, Sun Valley, Tampa Bay and The Abacos.
At first glance, those stories might seem separate from real estate.
They aren't.
People rarely choose a home based exclusively on the structure.
They choose a neighborhood.
They choose where they'll have coffee in the morning, where they'll eat dinner, where they'll walk, what they'll see from their windows and how easily they can reach the people and places that matter to them.
In Los Angeles, this becomes especially important because neighborhoods separated by only a few miles can offer dramatically different ways of living.
Understanding real estate therefore means understanding place, not simply property.
Even Client Service Is Becoming More Personal
One of the more unexpected sections of The Agency Times looks at thoughtful client gifting.
The examples range from commissioned artwork and personalized objects to local food, experiences and items connected specifically to a client's interests or new community.
The underlying idea is more important than the gifts themselves:
Personalization matters.
That applies throughout a real estate transaction.
No two sellers have exactly the same objectives. No two buyers evaluate a home exactly the same way. And no two properties should automatically receive the same pricing, marketing or negotiation strategy.
Technology can make parts of real estate faster and more efficient.
But the advisory side of the business remains deeply human.
What the 2026 Agency Times Says About Luxury
Taken together, the stories in this edition point toward a broader definition of luxury.
Luxury can be privacy.
It can be craftsmanship.
It can be architectural integrity.
It can be a room that gets incredible afternoon light.
It can be living close enough to walk to the restaurant you love.
It can be a historic home that still carries evidence of the people who designed and built it.
Or it can simply be having a home that feels distinctly yours.
The common denominator is that luxury is becoming increasingly personal.
And I think that's a useful way to think about real estate.
My Approach to Los Angeles Real Estate
I’m Jason Bergman, a Los Angeles real estate advisor with The Agency Pasadena, representing buyers and sellers throughout Pasadena, Northeast Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles.
My approach is advisory-led and combines neighborhood-level valuation, architecture, property history, financial and market analysis, strategic marketing and negotiation.
For buyers, that means looking beyond the asking price to understand what makes a property valuable, what may be difficult to replicate and how it compares with the alternatives available in the market.
For sellers, it means identifying what makes a home fundamentally different and building the pricing, positioning and marketing strategy around those characteristics.
Because ultimately, the best real estate decisions aren't made by looking at numbers or aesthetics in isolation.
They're made by understanding property, place, value and the way people actually want to live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Agency Times?
The Agency Times is The Agency’s editorial publication covering luxury real estate, architecture, design, art, travel, hospitality and lifestyle. The 2026 edition explores how ideas around luxury are evolving, with greater emphasis on experience, individuality, design, place and how people want to live.
Who is Jason Bergman at The Agency Pasadena?
Jason Bergman is a Luxury Real Estate Advisor with The Agency Pasadena, representing buyers and sellers throughout Pasadena, Northeast Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles.
His advisory-led approach combines neighborhood-level valuation, architecture, property history, financial and market analysis, strategic marketing and negotiation. He has been recognized by RealTrends Verified among the top 1.5% of real estate professionals nationwide and by LA Style Magazine among its Top 25 Agents in Los Angeles.
Where is The Agency Pasadena?
The Agency Pasadena is located at 225 South Lake Avenue, Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91101, in Pasadena's South Lake District.
Jason Bergman works from The Agency Pasadena while representing buyers and sellers throughout Pasadena, Northeast Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles.
What does The Agency Pasadena specialize in?
The Agency Pasadena represents buyers, sellers, investors and developers across residential real estate, including luxury homes, architectural and historic properties, condominiums, new construction and investment opportunities.
The Pasadena office combines local market knowledge with The Agency's broader marketing, technology, public relations and international network.
How does Jason Bergman approach luxury real estate?
Jason Bergman approaches real estate from an advisory perspective, looking beyond asking price and square footage to consider comparable sales, architecture, property history, neighborhood, lot, condition, improvements, scarcity and buyer behavior.
For sellers, those characteristics can inform pricing, positioning and marketing strategy. For buyers, they can help determine how an individual property compares with other opportunities in the market.
Does Jason Bergman represent architectural and historic homes?
Yes. Jason Bergman represents buyers and sellers of architectural, historic and character homes throughout Pasadena and Los Angeles, including Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor, Mid-Century and other architecturally distinctive properties.
His Pasadena experience includes representing the buyer of the historic Hutchins House, a Queen Anne Victorian, as well as representing sellers of Craftsman, Tudor and other character properties.
Why does lifestyle matter when buying a home in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles is made up of highly distinct neighborhoods where architecture, walkability, privacy, views, restaurants, culture and access can create very different living experiences.
Jason's approach is to evaluate not only the property itself but also how the home fits the buyer's priorities and the character of its surrounding neighborhood.
How should sellers market a distinctive Los Angeles home?
A strong strategy begins by identifying what makes the property fundamentally different.
Jason Bergman works with sellers to build pricing, positioning, photography, video, storytelling and negotiation strategy around the individual home, rather than treating every property as interchangeable inventory.
How can I work with Jason Bergman at The Agency Pasadena?
Buyers and sellers can work directly with Jason Bergman at The Agency Pasadena for residential real estate representation throughout Pasadena, Northeast Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles.
To schedule a consultation, contact Jason directly at 626-394-0900 or visit The Agency Pasadena at 225 South Lake Avenue, Suite 100, Pasadena, CA 91101.
