I
n a serene oasis at Art Basel Miami Beach, a stunning sea view and swaying palm tree appear on a massive screen behind curtains in the collectors' lounge. A. Bradley Nelson, Sotheby's International Realty chief marketing officer, stands before it, saying, "We wanted to give people that same experience of standing on a terrace overlooking the ocean." The serene scene is actually from a $13m Collins Avenue condo, one of several properties showcased as part of an hour-long presentation highlighting art-friendly homes. Every few minutes, a new view appears – for example, a $49m Manhattan duplex penthouse or a $26m Palm Beach waterfront home.

    As a sponsor of the fair for the second year in a row, Sotheby's is hosting receptions and cocktail hours in the viewing room, offering VIP passes to top clients interested in art. "High-net-worth individuals are hard to reach," Nelson says, "but Art Basel Miami Beach is a magnet for them." The synergy between art collecting and real estate has become more pronounced as brokerages establish in-house art advisories and developers consider art when planning new construction.

    The luxury real-estate firm The Agency recently opened The Agency Art House to advise clients on collecting art. Arushi Kapoor, an LA-based art adviser, says that blue-chip fine art has high barriers to entry, but her company can manage authentication, insurance, installation, and other concerns for its clients. "We give them all the resources to purchase artworks," she adds.

    One Sotheby's International Realty plans to open an in-house art advisory in 2025, led by Sarah Jane Bruce and Flavia Masetto. Mayi de la Vega, founder and CEO of One Sotheby's, says that having advisers on staff ensures consistency and commitment to clients. The company will encourage clients to buy from Sotheby's auction house as well as galleries.

    Developers now tailor properties to the specific needs of collectors, considering factors like climate control, lighting, dehumidification, and freight elevator dimensions. Some are even making art a feature of the property itself. In 2016, Bruce and Masetto acquired artworks for the lobbies of Eduardo Costantini's Oceana Bal Harbour condo complex, which also features outdoor Jeff Koons sculptures.

    "A lot of agents and developers are coming to understand how art is an asset, just like real estate," Kapoor says. "The art added to the reasons why they purchased the house."