This past holiday season was a busy one for luxury buyers and sellers.

Highlights: A Back Bay town house sold for $21 million, and an $18.5 million Beacon Street penthouse went under contract so fast it didn’t even hit the market. A Marlborough Street brownstone sold for $11.5 million — more than half a million over asking.

“The last quarter did better than the rest of the year,” said Beth Dickerson of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston. “For all these properties to go under contract just before and during Christmas tells me that people were on the sidelines and got tired of waiting; they want to get on with their lives.”

Location, as always, matters. Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Brattle Street in Cambridge are strongest in the $10 million-plus range — be the property a single-family, condo in a brownstone, or one in a standout high-rise.

“In the $10-15 million range, you’re not compromising — you’re choosing your preferred lifestyle, whether that’s full-service building amenities, a private garden in a historic neighborhood, or turnkey modern luxury in a classic setting,” said Maggie Gold Seelig of MGS Group Real Estate.

“Units in One Dalton, Raffles Boston, and Mandarin Oriental are maintaining their prices and doing well,” Tracy Campion of Campion and Company in Boston added.

As for who’s buying, Dickerson has noticed increased interest from couples in their late 60s and 70s from other cities who are buying in Boston to be near their grandchildren. “People are living longer, hanging out, taking the grandkids to sports games,” she said.

And the types of properties they’re purchasing: “Grandparents don’t want to be in high-rises where they have to interact with lots of people. It’s all brownstones,” she said.

“Boston buyers and sellers are incredibly smart and conservative in their outlook,” added Michael Harper of Coldwell Banker Realty in Boston. “Sellers are realistic to the current environment, but they’re not giving homes away.”

Complete with elevators, parking spots, and roof decks, here’s a snapshot of what one can get for over $10 million in the city’s luxury market:

22 Brimmer Street, Beacon Hill, $11,495,000

Year built: 1860

Square footage: 6,138

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 4 full, 3 half

Style: Townhouse

Taxes: $87,183.34 (2026)

Last sold for $2,000,000 in 2006

Listing agent: Tracy Campion, Campion & Company, 172 Newbury St., Boston, Unit 3, 617-236-0711, campionre.com

Period woodwork and walls of glass distinguish this classic brick town house on the flat of the hill. The ground level has an open concept plan with a large chef’s kitchen, built-in banquette, and family room with direct access to the garden. The parlor level’s rich wood-paneled dining room and library are for formal entertaining and cozy retreat. Upstairs, a marble bath and mirrored dressing room are the epitome of luxury. It’s outfitted with an elevator.

153 Brattle St., West Cambridge, $15,800,000

Year built: 1803

Square footage: 9,473

Bedrooms: 7

Baths: 6 full, 1 half

Style: Colonial

Taxes: $99,278 (2025)

Last sold for $$10,600,000 in 2011

Listing agent: Michael Harper, Coldwell Banker Realty, 399 Boylston St., Suite 200, Boston, 617-480-3039, michaelharper.com

This picture-perfect Georgian Revival home is primed for its next era. Restored and modernized with care, the gracious living spaces are the epitome of everyday elegance with an easy flow, fireplaces, and a window seat overlooking the yard. A big brick fireplace anchors the contemporary-meets-Colonial kitchen, where the distressed wood ceiling softens the stainless Wolf range. The bathrooms, too, balance hominess with high design. Wood-lined ceilings reappear in the third-floor office as well as the basement, which boasts a gym, steam shower, and sauna. Plus, there’s an oversized garage.

126 Marlborough St., Back Bay, $10,800,000

Year built: 1868

Square footage: 4,788

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 5 full, 2 half

Style: Townhouse

Taxes: $82,347 (2025)

Last sold for $11,000,000 in 2021

Listing agent: George Ballantyne, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, 277 Dartmouth St., third floor, Boston, 617-899-7045, sothebysrealty.com

Skip the expected Back Bay renovations for the warm modern aesthetic of this clean-lined town house. An epicurean, eat-in-kitchen with a city view sits just slightly separated from the family room with a linear gas fireplace. An all-glass tube elevator pierces the center of the home beside the graceful wood staircase. The primary bedroom with extra-tall windows occupies an entire floor along with an oversized contemporary bath. Even the secondary bedrooms boast a sculptural soaking tub. A roof deck and 2 attached garage spaces complete the all-new offering.

397 Commonwealth Ave., Unit PH, Back Bay, $15,000,000

Year built: 1925

Square footage: 4,100

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 4 full, 2 half

Style: Penthouse

Taxes: $82,238 (2025)

Fee: Not yet available

Listing agent: Tracy Campion, Campion & Company, 172 Newbury St., Boston, Unit 3, 617-236-0711, campionre.com

Mooreland House, a new development of condominiums designed by Boston architecture and interiors firm Hacin, is slated for completion this spring. In the duplex penthouse, a wall of windows featuring French doors that lead to a large terrace lend Manhattan-loft vibes to the expansive living space. Three bedrooms overlook the tree-lined mall while the primary suite is on the floor above, along with a family room, mezzanine study, and a roof deck in the treetops.

Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to address@globe.com