By the end of 2025, the Sarasota–Manatee housing market looked less like a boom hangover and more like a recalibration. Single-family home sales were relatively steady across both counties, while condos moved into a slower, more negotiation-heavy phase.

Sarasota County ended the year with 8,183 single-family closed sales, up 9.3 percent from 2024, while the median sale price slipped 6 percent, to $474,700. Manatee County’s single-family market was flatter, but similar in shape: 7,521 closed sales, up 0.5 percent, with a median price down 5 percent, to $475,000. Inventory landed in what most would describe as balanced territory—a 4.7-month supply in Sarasota and 4.3 months in Manatee—and median time to sale hovered around three months in both counties. That's all according to the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s (RASM) year-end 2025 market report.

Condos and townhomes, especially in Sarasota, were where the market showed stress more plainly. Sarasota County ended 2025 with 3,295 condo and townhome sales, down 4.3 percent, and a median price down 15.3 percent, to $325,000. Inventory rose to an 8.1-month supply and listings took a median of 112 days to sell, pointing to a market that had slowed enough to give buyers more time, more leverage and more room to negotiate. Manatee’s condo market looked comparatively steadier: sales rose 4.8 percent, to 2,719, while the median price fell 8.6 percent, to $310,000, and inventory declined 5.8 percent, from 6.9 months in 2024 to 6.5 months in 2025. Median time to sale increased from 110 days in 2024 to 115 days in 2025.

One detail underscored just how unique the region remains: cash continues to dominate. In 2025, cash accounted for 40.8 percent of Sarasota single-family purchases and 30.1 percent of Manatee’s. In condos and townhomes, cash sales were even more common: 64.7 percent in Sarasota and 51.6 percent in Manatee. It's a reminder that the market here is still powered, in large part, by people who can buy the lifestyle outright.

Still, in 2025, sellers across Sarasota and Manatee gave up more ground in negotiations than they did the year before. In Sarasota County, the median percent of original list price received fell from 94.4 percent to 93 percent for single-family homes, and from 93.3 to 90.5 percent for condos and townhomes. In Manatee County, it slipped from 95.7 percent to 94.6 percent for single-family homes and from 93.5 percent to 92.6 percent for condos and townhomes.

To make sense of the numbers, and what it means for buyers and sellers heading into 2026, we spoke with local realtor Judie Berger of Sotheby's International Realty, who's worked in the region for more than 25 years.

If you had to sum up the Sarasota–Manatee market in one sentence after 2025, what’s the most accurate headline?

“It’s more measured and thoughtful for buyers. We’re in a phase of clarity where we came out of Covid and hurricanes—a period of uncertainty. Buyers are more selective and the sellers who understand today’s conditions are still achieving excellent results."

Sarasota single-family sales were up 9.3 percent in 2025, but the median price fell 6 percent. Were price reductions because sellers overshot the market, or because buyers are refusing to chase?

“A lot of the overpricing is due to the lack of closings last year. There are regrets for some who didn’t sell at the top of the market, and people who bought think they made a decision too fast. But if you hold for 10 years, it probably all shakes out.

“Pricing last year was based on the prior market, and it was pretty darn good right before the hurricanes. In 2025, after the hurricanes, we got hit with tariffs and the stock market dipped. It recovered, but too late in the height of our busy season. We were busier in the summer months.

“As soon as hurricane season was over this year, the phone started ringing. Was the hurricane year an anomaly? You have to want to live here and take the chance and balance the risk and reward. 

“Due to all of that, our list prices and lack of buyers contributed to properties resetting in price. That’s why we’re seeing price reductions — because we missed the mark and we didn’t have sales. Some sellers are still stuck in 2022 pricing, there are buyers who think there's a fire sale, but the reality is it’s in between.”

What’s the biggest leverage point for single-family buyers right now—inspection terms, closing credits, price cuts or time?

“Cash. We have a huge cash buyer pool. Since we’re a resort community, when people can afford a second home, many are using their retirement and savings funds, and many don’t take out mortgages.

“They might borrow on the property later, but a cash offer has advantages. That’s the leverage. People have done well in the stock market the last couple years, and when interest rates start to go down, they make a tangible asset purchase using the income they earned in the stock market. That’s happened over history.

“This year, they can negotiate more. And of course, closing times can be shorter. With financing, it’s mostly 45 to 60 days.”

Sarasota’s condo and townhome median dropped 15.3 percent in 2025 and inventory rose to an 8.1-month supply. What are you seeing with condos right now?

“They were doing well until a couple years ago. Some of it is Surfside legislation, [requiring milestone structural inspections for many buildings and bigger reserve funding. The result has been more inspections, more repair timelines and higher HOA costs or special assessments that buyers now scrutinize closely when deciding what to pay.] Out on the islands, if you add in the damage from the hurricanes, it's that too.

“Many single-family homes were renovated [after the storms], but fixing condos is different. You have HOAs to deal with. After the hurricanes, it seems more lengthy to address damage and inspections. Renovating condos is often a bigger project. You can still see the trucks working on them up and down the keys."

If inventory is around an 8 month supply in Sarasota condos and townhomes, what does a ‘good’ listing need right now to actually move?

“All properties—especially condos, with all the restrictions and the reserves and the properties over three stories—need to be well priced. The day we take photos, they need to look amazing. Fresh paint. Updated furniture. Or have it staged. Putting properties on the market unprepared make them look overpriced.

“I know sellers are anxious to get the place on the MLS, but it's worth it to get professional photos. A buyer makes a decision in less than 10 seconds. When you lose that first look because the photos aren’t good, you don’t generally get a second chance.

"Pricing correctly from the start is more important than ever. Homes that show beautifully and are marketed broadly continue to perform."

How much of this market is a resale story, and how much is new construction competing for the same buyer?

“New construction is always there. If you’ve built before, you may not want to go through that again and [instead] buy resale. A brand new home is great, but also comes with challenges. If you’ve built new, they’re typically not [done] on time. You have to have the time and energy for that wait. That’s where resale can come in. People want to move in instead of picking out the tile for their house.

“A newer resale home on the barrier islands that’s elevated will sell faster than an older one that’s not elevated. Buyers are very safety-conscious and tech-conscious. Some buyers will forgo a resale and wait for the latest tech, like audio and wiring.”

If you’re advising a resale seller competing with a builder, what’s your blunt advice?

“Make it look like a show home. I tell them all the time, buyers are seeing new construction, so the closer the sellers can make their home look like new construction, [the better]. It’s in the staging. Changing out some floors and adding some higher-end fixtures makes a world of difference.

“Most people just have too much stuff. Editing is probably 75 percent of getting a property ready for photos."

The year-end stats show sellers were receiving about 93 percent of the original list price in Sarasota single-family homes, and about 90.5 percent in Sarasota condos and townhomes. Is that considered out of the norm?

“We’ve never been a 100 percent [list price] market outside of Covid times. In my experience, we’re usually somewhere between 92 percent and 96 percent of the list price. For years, 90 percent was the lowest, and close to 100 percent was the highest.”

If you’re a buyer sitting on the sidelines waiting, what would you tell them about timing?

“I would tell them they should start sharpening their pencils, because we’re getting busier.  I have more buyers from out of state in the last two months than in the last year. Interest rates are at a three-year low, and the inventory is good."

What’s the No. 1 myth buyers believe about this market right now?

“That sellers are desperate.”

And the No. 1 myth sellers believe?

“That buyers will overpay for a house. You have to look at your competition. You can’t focus on what sold six months ago. Buyers look at the lowest comps and sellers look at the highest. It’s usually in the middle.”

What do you think happens next?

“I’m looking forward to a busy season. In every market there are price cuts. Pricing is more art than science. It's not: if Home A sold for X, then Home B should sell for X. Homes are not identical.

“Every neighborhood is different. It’s harder to price homes than many sellers think. Some people just pick a number. It takes analysis. The active listings are your comps. If your house is the better value, your house is going to be the one the buyer offers on.

“Based on the influx of buyers who have visited before, I believe our area is still very desirable. People want to live in the sunshine, whether it’s full or an investment property they visit part-time. When you take the area's amenities as a whole, plus luxury hotel expansions like the St. Regis and the Ritz Residences, to name a couple, this area will continue to be valued for many years into the future.”