CHICAGO—The demand for luxury apartments in the urban core has been very steady for a number of years, but that doesn't mean the market hasn't changed in some ways. Developers have recently noted older, more affluent prospects touring their properties, for example, and have responded by designing much larger units, many with three or even four bedrooms.

“We used to see a lot of 22- to 28-year-olds,” Randy Fifield, chairwoman of Fifield Realty Corp., tells GlobeSt.com. “They were young kids that wanted an urban lifestyle.” But many were accompanied on initial unit tours by their parents, who then saw the types of amenities, both in the buildings and surrounding neighborhoods, that were available to urban dwellers. “They were looking at this environment, and many are deciding to try it on.”

In 2017, Fifield Realty Corp. will deliver The Sinclair, a luxury rental development in Chicago's Gold Coast that will include three- and four-bedroom residences. What's striking is that many of larger units often have only one or two occupants. “They just want the extra room,” says Fifield. “And with the Sinclair's penthouses, it's not just that the bedroom count is larger, but all rooms, including the terraces, are bigger for entertaining.”