Sarasota and Manatee Housing Market Update: Q3 2026
Beth Helvey October 20, 2026
Beth Helvey October 20, 2026
If you've been wondering how the market is really doing, the newest numbers are in. The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee just released its report for July through September, and I've pulled out what matters most. No charts you need a decoder ring for, I promise.
More homes sold, prices went up, and there are fewer homes on the market than a year ago. Across the four main groups (single-family homes and condos or townhomes, in both counties), there were 5,699 closed sales. That's 8.0 percent more than the same time last year.
Condo and townhome sales jumped 20.9 percent across the two counties. Single-family homes grew too, but more slowly, at 3.6 percent. Sarasota County's condo and townhome market led the way with 908 closed sales, up 26.8 percent from last year.
Prices rose in every group. Here are the median prices, which are the middle point of all the homes that sold:
This one is easy to miss, but it matters. Sellers received a bigger share of their original asking price than they did a year ago. In Sarasota County, single-family homes sold for a median of 94.4 percent of the original list price, up from 91.9 percent. So a home first listed at $500,000 would typically sell for around $472,000.
Homes also found buyers faster. Single-family homes in Sarasota County went under contract in 52 days, down from 68 days last year. In Manatee County it was 49 days, down from 59.
New listings went up this quarter. But the number of homes actually available at the end of September was lower than a year ago. That tells us homes are selling faster than new ones are arriving.
There's a handy number for this called months of supply. It tells you how long the homes currently for sale would last if they kept selling at the recent pace. A balanced market is often described as being around six months. Here's how it looks now compared to last year:
Every group is lower than it was a year ago. Single-family homes sit between 3.7 and 3.9 months of supply, which is tighter. Condos and townhomes are at 4.9 to 5.0 months, which is closer to balanced.
You might see Sarasota County's average prices and think they jumped way more than the medians. They did. The average single-family price rose 20.2 percent to $807,627, and the average condo and townhome price rose 77.2 percent to $718,721. The reason is a handful of very high-end sales. Sarasota County had nine single-family sales at $10 million or more this quarter, compared to one last year. It also had ten condo and townhome sales at that level, compared to none. A few big sales pull an average up fast, which is why the median is a better guide to what a typical home costs.
Single-family results at the end of the quarter were uneven. Sarasota County closed 5.4 percent more homes than last September, while Manatee County closed 3.9 percent fewer. New contracts on single-family homes dipped in both counties. Condos and townhomes kept their momentum, with Sarasota County closings up 34.3 percent for the month.
If you're thinking about buying, you may have fewer choices than a year ago, and homes may not sit as long. Knowing your budget and having your financing lined up ahead of time can help you move when the right home shows up.
If you're thinking about selling, homes are going under contract sooner and closer to the original asking price. Pricing it right from the start still matters, because every home and neighborhood is different.
Either way, the market looks different from one area, property type and price range to the next. Numbers like these show the big picture. They can't tell you what's happening on your street.
If you'd like to talk through what this means for your plans, I'm always happy to chat.
Source: REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee, Q3 2026 market report, with data from Florida Realtors.
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