Luxury real estate brokers in DC are gearing up for a flurry of big-dollar sales as power players flock to town for Trumps return

As Washington braces for Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month, one sector is already counting its blessings: the District’s high-end real estate market.With billionaires and power players expected to flood the nation’s capital, brokers are gearing up for a flurry of multimillion-dollar deals in elite neighborhoods like Kalorama and Massachusetts Heights.

“I think we will see some big numbers transact again starting around January,” Michael Rankin, principal at Sotheby’s International Realty in DC told Curbed.These big spenders, he added, have been waiting for clarity before splashing out on properties.

“People don’t want to spend $5, $10, $15 million if they don’t know whether they’ll be confirmed or not.But what we do know of the people who are coming is that it’s the multimillionaire and multibillionaire class.” Trump’s first term saw a buying spree from his inner circle.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dropped $12 million on a Beaux-Arts mansion, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin shelled out $12.58 million for a 16,000-square-foot estate and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson snagged a $5.5 million Kalorama home.This time around, brokers are already fielding inquiries from high-profile officials, although NDAs keep the details tightly under wraps.

Kalorama, known for its palatial homes and diplomatic residents, is likely to see the bulk of activity.“It’s a more palatial atmosphere in Kalorama compared to Georgetown,” Washington hostess Sally Quinn once told Esquire during Trump’s first term as president.

“Bigger, newer houses.” That said, Georgetown, with its liberal reputation, is unlikely to host many members of Trump’s team.“I have not heard of any of the Trump people living in Georgetown,” Quinn added.

But not all the buzz is positive.Trump’s plans to cut the federal workforce could send shockwaves through the middle and upper-middle-class housing market, with agencies like HHS and EPA bracing fo...