By Robert Nardi
Buyers from the north and east descended on Naples in February, resulting in a 55.9 percent increase in pending sales (homes under contract) compared to February 2025 and a 23.4 percent increase compared to January 2026. Broker analysts reviewing the February 2026 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), remarked that agents were busy in February in both the resale and new construction home markets. With the deadline for structural integrity reserve studies and milestone inspections on condominiums three stories or higher and over 25 years old, if within three miles of the beach, now in the rearview mirror (December 31, 2025), pending sales of condominiums in Naples during February rocketed up 82 percent to 714 pending sales from 392 pending sales in February 2025. Unlike many areas on the east coast of Florida, milestone inspections of condominiums in the Naples area that fell under the new state requirements revealed fewer issues because they were built well and have been maintained to a higher standard.
Overall, closed sales in February increased 21.3 percent to 718 from 592 in February 2025. Not surprisingly, closed sales in the condominium market increased a remarkable 39.3 percent to 390 from 280 in February 2025. In comparison, the single-family home market saw a 5.1 percent increase in closed sales in February, to 328 from 312 in February 2025.
The momentum for closed sales in the single-family home market is expected to continue, as pending sales increased 33 percent in February to 600 from 451 in February 2025. Naples has solid closed sales figures over the next few months, and the Naples beach [34102, 34103, 34108] condominium market has significantly improved, with February closed sales up 63 percent.
The overall median closed price in February decreased .4 percent to $647,500 from $650,000 in February 2025. Of the 6,447 properties in inventory during February, there were 2,104 price decreases recorded in the month. Increased pending sales activity in both January and February indicates that sellers are following REALTOR® advice to price homes competitively to achieve faster sales. The rush of sales is reducing overall inventory, which decreased 15.1 percent in February to 6,447 properties, down from 7,594 in February 2025. New listings decreased 13.5 percent to 1,527 new listings from 1,765 new listings. New Builds Fill the Gap. Improved sales in the resale market have paved a path for home builders again.
The NABOR® February 2025 Market Report provides comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation, and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart form. (CLICK HERE)
What does it mean?
February was a banner month for sales. The increases are jaw-dropping! I think there was a lot of pent-up frustration, with people hoping that interest rates would be lowered. The lowest they went was 6% for a 30-year mortgage. Not the drop that people were hoping for, but tired of waiting, they sprang into action. I am seeing many more motivated sellers who are realizing they must lower their prices to procure a sale. I asked several of my sellers to drop their price, and when they did, the showings increased exponentially, resulting in pending sales. If you are a seller, my best advice is to price your property based on the “now” rather than the “before” statistics. Look at what is selling now, not what sold a year ago.
As for buyers, educate your Buyer Broker agent you are working with. Give them all the details of what you are looking for. The Buyer Broker will send you listings that match your criteria, then you can pick the ones that appeal most to you. Then whittle it down to 5-6 properties and go out and see them. Comment on what you like and don’t like about the property so the Buyer Broker can get a true sense of what you are looking for. When you are ready to make an offer, have him/her print all comparable sales from the past three months so you can base your offer on the most recent sales. Do not base your offer on active or pending listings; just what has sold.
Seasonal Rentals 2027
If you are thinking of booking a seasonal rental, my best advice is to book early. Because of the inclement weather in the North this year, we are already receiving many inquiries and bookings for Season 2027. If you are interested, you can call our main office at 239-213-1616 and ask for one of our rental specialists, or email me at robertnardi@aol.com.
Wishing you a very healthy and happy spring! We will see you soon!