Marinas are becoming a stronger selling point for luxury real estate as wealthy buyers seek homes near berths for their yachts. Developers and investors are responding to a shortage of slips, amid growth in the number and size of vessels, according to the source report.

SuperYacht Times data cited in the report puts the global fleet at more than 6,000 superyachts longer than 30 meters, with about 200 more delivered each year. Investors have also made major moves in the marina business: Blackstone bought Safe Harbor Marinas for $5.6 billion last year, and Safe Harbor later paid $1.5 billion for 65 marinas and storage sites from MarineMax. European private equity firms are also seeking marina assets in the Mediterranean.

In South Florida, developers are combining yacht facilities with hotels, residences and leisure amenities. Billionaire Ken Griffin is building a Miami marina with eight megayacht slips, including one for his 308-foot yacht.

A larger project is planned by Related Group in Fort Lauderdale. The $2 billion development is expected to break ground next year and open in 2030. Its plans include a St. Regis hotel, residences, a beach club and a deepwater marina with space for 250 boats, including yachts up to 350 feet long.

The 40-acre project is set to include a 122-room hotel, a 78-unit condominium tower and 106 resort residences, as well as a sports and wellness club with padel and tennis courts, a yoga lawn, a fitness center and pools. Related Group’s Nick Pérez said the combination of scarce marina capacity and waterfront property makes the project attractive.

Fort Lauderdale already has a network of yacht repair and renovation businesses, crew, brokers, charter specialists and shipbuilder offices. Tourism officials estimate that about 2,000 superyachts pass through the city each year. Pérez said owners are looking for property for themselves and their crews, while international buyers are also interested in Fort Lauderdale as a less expensive alternative to Palm Beach and Miami. Buyers from Mexico and Brazil have already purchased units, and he said international purchasers could account for as much as 30% of the project’s buyers.

The report also describes interest from buyers in Southern California and the Northeast, with Pérez pointing to Florida’s lower taxes as a factor for some moving from California.

Sources: CNBC Markets.