The third quarter brought encouraging news for Sarasota and Manatee County real estate. More properties sold and median prices increased. Buyers also had fewer listings’ options than one year ago. At the top of the market, a series of significant luxury closings, including a $26 million sale on Siesta Key, added another dimension to the quarter’s results.
Across both counties 5,699 single-family homes, condominiums and townhomes sold from July and September, an 8% increase over the same period in 2025. Available inventory ended September below levels from the preceding year across all four major county-level property categories. Together, these results suggest renewed momentum, but not a market moving uniformly in one direction.
Sarasota County: Strong activity with distinction at the top
Sarasota County recorded 2,071 single-family home sales rose 3% year-over-year during the third quarter. The median sale price increased 3.7% to $485,000. Meanwhile, the average sale price rose 20.2% to $807,627, which reflects the influence of substantial high-end transactions this quarter.
Available inventory contracted more noticeably than sales increased. Sarasota County ended September down 16.2% from a year earlier, with 2,629 single-family listings and 3.7 months of supply which compares to 4.8 months at the same point in 2025. Home sale negotiations reached contract in a median of 52 days during the quarter rather than taking 68 days a year earlier.
Sellers also achieved a larger share of their original asking price: a median of 94.41%, compared with 91.9% in Q3 2025. Collectively, these figures describe a more supportive selling environment: not a market in which every asking price is automatically justified.
The sale that captured attention
The quarter’s standout transaction was the $26 million sale of 3990 Higel Avenue on Siesta Key. The newly constructed Gulf-front estate closed in September, establishing a Siesta Key residential sale record and becoming Sarasota County’s highest-priced residential sale of 2026 to that date. It also ranked as the county’s second-highest residential sale on record. September also brought the $21.95 million sale of Crystal Water at 8501 Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key, reinforcing the island’s prominent role in the quarter’s luxury activity.
Luxury activity extended beyond the headlines
The headline transactions were part of a broader increase in Sarasota County’s highest price brackets.
During the third quarter, Sarasota County recorded nine single-family sales at $10 million or more compared with one and the same quarter of 2025. Another 11 homes sold for $5 million to just below $10 million, up from four a year earlier.
The condominium and townhome market added 10 sales at $10 million or more compared with none a year earlier. Another 15 properties sold for $5 million to just below $10 million, up from one. Altogether, Sarasota County recorded 19 residential closings at $10 million or more across these property categories. Much of that activity occurred in September, including five of the nine single-family sales and all 10 condominium and townhome sales in the $10 million-plus bracket.
For luxury homeowners, those results provide valuable context. This surge of activity in the real estate market demonstrate that substantial purchases were being completed at the upper end, yet without establishing the value of every luxury residence. The determination of value requires a close look at location, waterfront characteristics, condition, design and the properties competing for the same buyer.
Manatee County: Steady improvement
Manatee County’s single-family market showed a more measured pattern of growth. The county recorded 2,017 sales during third quarter up 4.2% year-over-year. The median sale price increased 3.2%to $490,000, while the average rose 4.4% to $657,172.
Homes reached contract in a median of 49 days compared with 59 days a year earlier. Sellers received a median of 95.6% of their original asking price, up from 93.8%. Available inventory declined 1.7% to 2,610 homes which translates to 3.9 months of supply.
Manatee County also recorded two single-family sales at $10 million or more compared with none during third quarter 2025. For buyers and sellers in Lakewood Ranch and other Manatee County communities, the broader picture was encouraging with more completed transactions, modestly higher prices and shorter selling time.
Condominium and Townhomes led the sales gains
One of the quarter’s most notable developments was the increase in condominium and townhome sales. Across Sarasota and Manatee counties transactions rose 20.9% which draws a contrast with 3.6% growth for single-family homes.
In Sarasota County, 908 condominiums and townhomes sold, up 26.8% year-over-year. The median price increased 6.4% to $324,380. Inventory declined 12% and supply fell from 6.8 months to 4.9 months. Cash buyers accounted for 60.9% of completed sales.
Manatee County recorded 703 condominium and townhomes sales, up 13.9%. The median price of $307,000, an increase of 2.3%. Inventory declined 13.9% while supply decreased from 6.3 months to 5 months. Median time to contract was 86 days in Sarasota County and 73 days in Manatee County compared with 52 and 49 days, respectively. Despite an improvement in demand, patience and accurate positioning still matter.
Reading the quarter with perspective
Even with the positive broad market direction, September’s single-family figures were mixed providing an important counterpoint. Closed sales increased 5.4% year-over-year in Sarasota County but declined 3.9% in Manatee County. New pending single-family sales fell in both counties, down 2.8% in Sarasota and 3.6% in Manatee. While those figures fail to nullify gains during this quarter, they suggest caution against treating improved closed sales as a guarantee of uninterrupted momentum.
Pending sales offer a view of the transaction pipeline and the softer September’s numbers are worth watching alongside the quarter’s stronger results. Maintaining a measured approach holds weight within a strong quarter of progress. One strong quarter does not mean every segment will move forward at the same pace.
What does this mean for your next move?
For sellers, Q3 offered a more favorable environment than a year earlier. Sales increased and inventory declined as buyers paid a large share of the original asking price. The strongest centers on using backdrop thoughtfully rather than as justification to test an unsupported price. Embrace this time as an opportunity to bring a well-prepared home to the market with a clear strategy.
For buyers, the data shows that negotiation remained possible. Median sale to original list price ratios stayed below 100% in all four major segments. Condominium and townhome supply remained higher than single-family supply in both counties. The appropriate offer depends on the property, listing price, and available alternatives.
The third quarter’s most memorable sales captured attention, but the large story was one of improving market conditions with important distinctions beneath the surface. Your goal may involve selling a waterfront estate, purchasing a condominium residence, or evaluating a home in Lakewood Ranch. In any case, a sound strategy begins where the headline ends with the property, the competition and the life you envision. If you are thinking of buying or selling let’s start collaborating early so you know what you can expect. You can contact me today at 941.266.0529 or send me an email to [email protected]
