Buyers are asking about pickleball, the new ‘hot’ perk in luxury real estate development | Real Estate

It is estimated that over 4.5 million people are playing pickleball, making it one of the fastest growing sports in the US, which has attracted the attention of luxury real estate developers. Now, pickleball courts are a perk being offered in many high-end communities.

For example, Cipriani Residences Miami in Brickell, developed by Mast Capital, a firm founded by Camilo Miguel, Jr., describes itself as a community where “residents will enjoy a life of effortless elegance.” Among its amenities are a state-of-the-art fitness center, a golf simulator, and a pickle ball court. 

Toll Brothers, one of the leading builders of luxury homes, offers pickleball and bocce ball courts in its latest development in Florida’s Treasure Coast Port St. Lucie, Toll Brothers at Tesoro Club, as part of an amenities package that includes an 18-hole PGA championship-level Palmer golf course

Pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed both indoors or outdoors and combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong played on a badminton-sized court.

The USA Pickleball website says the sport was invented in 1965 by three dads -– Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallumare — on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington.

For real estate developers, the popularity and growth of the sports, which is played daily at the Key Biscayne Community Center, makes it an ideal perk to offer as they are relatively cheap to install, taking up little space. The courts are 44 feet long and 20 feet wide and cost from $20,000 to $45,000, according to a report by the website LocalToday.

The Tal Aventura – a 26-story, 86-unit residential tower in Aventura — will include pickleball courts. “Everyone and their mom are playing pickleball today,” said Matthew Rosenblatt, president of Miami-based 2151 Development.

“You have kids who play pickleball, you have parents who play pickleball. It allows all ages and demographics to come together,” added Rosenblatt.

Pickleball courts will also be present at the planned Standard Residences in Midtown Miami and One Park Tower at SoLé Mia in North Miami, being developed by Rosso Group.

Jorge Perez’s Related Group has several projects in the works. Casamar Residences, Residences at Bal Harbour, St. Regis Residences Miami and Casa Bella Residences by B&B Italia will all include pickleball courts.

Wendy Pines, sales director for the Casamar Residences, which start at $1.5 million, recently told Barron’s that “Buyers are definitely asking about pickleball.”

And developers can be creative in finding ways to add pickleball to their offerings. Standard Residences in Midtown, Miami’s first true Pied-A-Terre community, designed an indoor court that can be converted into a party room.