The picture above has nothing to do with real estate. It is a picture of three of our 16 grandchildren. They spent a week with us. Oh yes, they brought their parents, too! It was a special week of late nights with two of our grown-up kids and their spouses and wonderous days playing with these three grandchildren! Ok- So, let's jump into why you opened up this newsletter to learn about the current state of the real estate market.
One of my favorite movies is Miss Congeniality. Do you remember the scene when Miss Rhode Island is asked to describe her perfect date. Her answer? “April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold—all you need is a light jacket.” It makes me giggle every time. And really that probably is a great day for a stroll or beach day. But when it comes to real estate, especially in Southwest Florida, there’s no such thing as a perfect date for selling.
When I lived out West and worked in real estate with my mom, we saw a clear seasonal trend: late spring through summer was the best time to sell. Why? Because families planned their moves around the school calendar, and that meant the buying and selling high season was when school was out. Florida’s market follows that same pattern…kind of.
Here along the southwest Gulf Coast of the Sunshine State, we’re not just working with the back-to-school crowd. We’ve also got snowbirds— escaping their winters. Some of them arrive in January and decide they’re done with short-term rentals; they're ready to buy their own nests. Others come down in the fall to shop for homes so they’re all set when they return in the winter. That way, their place, their dishes, bedding, soaps are ready and waiting for them.
Then there’s the investor crew. These folks understand real estate as a positive investment and shop for properties in the summer and fall with one thing in mind: seasonal rentals. Their goal is to have the place ready to hit the winter rental market, when demand and rental rates are at their peak. Those are just the summer, fall, and winter markets. Florida doesn’t just offer endless summer vibes—it also offers a year- round real estate market that never really takes a break.
This spring alone twice we had homes go into multiple-offer situations. Now, before buyers panic and sellers break out the champagne, let’s be clear: the days of every listing sparking a bidding war are behind us. But the properties that drew multiple offers had one thing in common—sellers who heeded to smart pricing strategies. Data matters. Presentation matters. And yes, timing helps—but it’s not the whole story.
Right now, single-family homes are spending about 75 days on the market. Condos tend to linger a bit longer. Interest rates have stayed fairly steady, hovering in the 7% range. And homes are selling for about 97% of their list price. Translation? Buyers are buying. Sellers are selling. The market is moving—even if it’s not moving at lightning speed.
So no, there’s no magic date circled on the calendar like April 25th. But in Florida, with the right prep and a good game plan, nearly any season can be the right one to sell.
May 2025 Stats and Data Time
For local news I pulled the stats and data for three specific towns, Bradenton(Manatee County), Venice(Sarasota County), Rotonda West(Charlotte County). The data will show the market for all single-family homes, homes with or without pools, any number of bedrooms, simply all single family homes.
Bradenton:
Active on the market: 1307 houses Median Price: $610K Days on the Market(DOM): 62
Sold: in the last 30 days – 295 houses Median Price: $499K DOM: 41 98%of list price
This time a year ago: Sold: 348 houses Median Price: $545K DOM: 32 98% of list price
click the link to see a beautiful home in Bradenton: Link to Bradenton HOME
Venice:
Active on the market: 952 houses Median Price: $519K Days on the Market(DOM): 79
Sold: in the last 30 days – 193 houses Median Price: $470K DOM: 44 97%of list price
This time a year ago: Sold: 172 houses Median Price: $584K DOM: 40 97% of list price
click the linkto see a beautiful home in Venice: Link to stunning Venice island home
Rotonda West:
Active on the market: 353 houses Median Price: $447K Days on the Market(DOM): 85
Sold: in the last 30 days – 47 houses Median Price: $369K DOM: 64 97%of list price
This time a year ago: Sold: 55 houses Median Price: $440K DOM: 50 97% of list price
click the link to see a beautiful home in Rotonda West: lovely Rotonda West pool Home
Let’s dive into what the data above shows. Inventory is on the rise across all three markets—more homes on the market means buyers have more options. Interestingly, while inventory is climbing, the list-to-sold percentage has held steady. But with more listings available, homes are sitting on the market a bit longer—no surprise there.
What really jumps out, though, is the gap between listing prices and final sale prices. Take Venice, for example: the median list price is $519,000, but the median sold price is just $470,000. That’s a notable difference—and it signals that price adjustments are normal again.
When a home’s price lines up with what the market says it’s worth, things tend to move. Sellers get what they’re looking for, buyers find a place they love, everybody’s happy. Truth is it’s not the buyer or seller determining the value—it’s the market. And when you follow the markets lead, that’s when making real estate dreams a reality happens.
This made me laugh!
And number 10- yes I do know what 3:00pm in the summer means, don't schedule showing houses unless you have an umbrella. lol
When you think real estate we hope you will think:
Mary & Ray!
Share our name with your friends and family. You know we will take good care of them.
