What's Really Happening in the Sarasota & Manatee Housing Market Right Now

If you've been sitting on the fence about buying or selling in Sarasota or Manatee County, June's numbers just gave you a lot to think about. The latest report from the REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) shows a market that's clearly shifting — more sales, less inventory, and a widening gap between what's happening with houses versus condos. Here's what it all means, in plain English.

The Big Picture

Sales picked up in a big way in June. Every single market segment — single-family homes and condos, in both Sarasota and Manatee counties — saw more closed sales than the same month last year, with increases ranging from about 11% to a striking 26%. At the same time, the number of homes available to buy kept shrinking, dropping by double digits across the board.

Put those two trends together and you get a simple story: more buyers are competing for fewer homes. That's a dynamic that tends to favor sellers, especially those with well-priced, move-in-ready properties.

David Crawford, RASM's 2026 President, summed it up well: buyers who'd been waiting on the sidelines started moving forward in June, and sellers who priced realistically were rewarded with quicker contracts and stronger offers.

Houses and Condos Are Telling Different Stories

Here's the part that matters most if you're trying to make sense of "the market" as a whole: there isn't just one market right now. Single-family homes and condos are moving in opposite directions on price.

Single-family home prices went up in both counties.
Condo and townhome prices went down in both counties.

So if you've seen a headline about home prices rising — or falling — and it doesn't match what you're seeing in your own search, this is probably why. It really depends on what type of property you're looking at.

What's Happening With Single-Family Homes

This is where the market felt tightest in June.

Sarasota County: 805 homes sold, up 15.2% from a year ago. The median price rose 8.2% to $492,450. Homes went under contract in a median of 47 days — noticeably faster than last year — and sellers walked away with 94.4% of their original asking price, up from 92.2%. Active listings dropped a steep 27.4%, pushing the supply of available homes down to just 4.1 months, which is well into seller's-market territory.

Manatee County: Even more dramatic. 890 homes sold, a 26.2% jump — the biggest gain of any segment this month. Median price climbed 11.4% to $490,000, and sellers received 95.8% of their original list price. Inventory fell 15.3%, also landing at 4.1 months of supply. Interestingly, growth wasn't limited to any one price range — sales in the $2 million to $3 million range more than doubled, and the $3 million to $5 million range saw sales jump 167%.

What this means: if you're selling a well-priced single-family home in either county right now, you're likely to see real competition, faster offers, and less room to negotiate down from asking price. If you're buying, expect to move quickly and be prepared for multiple-offer situations, especially on desirable listings.

What's Happening With Condos and Townhomes

Condos are a different animal right now — more sales, but softer pricing.

Sarasota County: 364 condos and townhomes sold, up a strong 25.5%. But the median price actually fell 7.5% to $343,750. Buyers still have meaningfully more options here than in the single-family market — 6.3 months of supply, down from 8.3 months last year, but still far more breathing room. One notable exception: the luxury condo market is heating up, with sales of $1 million or more jumping 50%.

Manatee County: 259 units sold, up 11.2%, while median price dipped slightly (down 0.9%) to $310,000. Homes here are taking a bit longer to sell than last year — a median of 84 days to go under contract, up from 68.

What this means: if you're selling a condo, pricing strategically matters even more right now, since buyers have more choices and prices are trending softer. If you're buying, condos currently offer more negotiating power and selection than the single-family market — particularly outside the luxury tier.

The Bottom Line

June made one thing clear: this isn't a market where you can rely on one broad narrative. A house and a condo just three miles apart can be experiencing completely different conditions. Inventory is tightening everywhere, but price movement depends heavily on property type, price point, and neighborhood.

Whether you're buying or selling, the smartest move right now is to get hyper-local, current data on your specific property type and area — not just county-wide averages — before you set a price or make an offer.

If you're thinking about buying or selling in Sarasota or Manatee County, reach out today and let's talk through exactly what these trends mean for your property and your goals.